FIFA Street 3

If you’ve been a fan of the long running and fully licensed football series FIFA, then we wager that you are at least somewhat area of it’s street football counterpart. Since it’s exodus, FIFA Street has been a series that has aimed to offer the thrills and spills of freestyle football, along with a much more arcade like feel to the FIFA franchise. A feat that this series had mastered on not one, but two occasions to this point, so when FIFA Street 3 came to be, the question on everyone’s lips was ‘is this game going to be more of the same?’ Or was this game going to pale in comparison. This game plays much like the conventional FIFA titles as well as FIFA Street and FIFA Street 2. However, the game also has similarities to games like NBA Street, NFL Street and to some extent Super Mario Strikers. However, you may be wondering, does this game live up to the successes of their predecessors. We find out in our review of FIFA Street 3.

A Tired Concept

When the first FIFA Street title came to be, the mass appeal for the title game through the new concept the game offered, the cavalcade of Brazilian tricksters in the line-up like Rivaldo and Ronaldinho to name a few. Plus the career mode that seen you grow your team from Premier League rejects to global phenomenon’s was truly scintillating, at least for a few hours. The second game managed to carry on this trend all be it to a lesser extent but the third sadly just can’t keep up appearances. I guess we should have known when Peter Crouch was one of the cover stars. The gameplay is basically the same as we have come to expect from the series, the same lavish trickery doesn’t have the same effect the third time around and then to add insult to injury. The game takes away the money earning aspect of the story mode. Instead the player will complete challenges to unlock players. It sounds fine on paper, but when you realise that this just means more games, staler gameplay and more repetitive experiences, you become aware that this was a regrettable decision.

Tries to Mix it Up

The game does try to offer new and interesting features despite the familiar format and in some respects, it succeeds. The game adds features like playground picks which adds a certainly level of reliability to the games. It’s like picking teams for a game of jumpers for goalposts and the novelty isn’t lost on us at all.

The Verdict

Plus the game offers online functionality, something that the predecessors just couldn’t on the same scale. It’s nice that you could match up with other tricky individuals and have it off in a no holds barred matchup.

However, when the gameplay is so stale and predictable, the ability to share that kind of experience with others just seems a little cruel and a waste of everyone’s time.

Pros:

• Wide range of real-world players
• Some new game modes
• Online functionality

Cons:

• Fails to change lacking aspects and changes some that needed to stay
• The gameplay is tired and predictable

FIFA Street 3 is a lively soccer game that takes this popular game to the streets in several unique settings. The game centers around five players on each team, no out of bounds and no penalties. There’s a vast number of soccer players to choose from in the game, from teams all around the world. Games in FIFA Street 3 are extremely fast paced with the game being over after a certain amount of goals are scored. The usual number of goals is 5, but it can vary. The game is also skill based. The better a player is at the game, the more likely they’ll be able to pull off an exceptional move.

Limited Number of Modes

While the game is mostly well put together, there are a few downsides to the game. One of the biggest problems with it is the limited number of modes available. If you’re used to other FIFA games like FIFA 23, it’s not going to be just the difference in graphics that shock you.

The game has just 3 real modes. These are Exhibition Mode, Travel Mode, and Challenge mode. Challenge mode does offer some replayability by giving you a chance to unlock more players by winning challenges against other teams. There’s no career mode, which is understandable given this is more of a party game than a long term solo play game.

Graphics are Low Budget

Most FIFA games have spectacular graphics. FIFA Street does not. The players are all oddly tall and thin, it’s hard to make out who anyone is, and the backdrops have next to no detail. This is more of a casual game than the main branch of the FIFA series however, so it’s understandable this game has relatively low detail.

Although low resolution, the locations are unique. They include a parking lot, a playground, the top of an oilrig, and a Tokyo rooftop. The location somewhat affects gameplay, in that if the walls are tall enough it’s possible to bounce the ball off of the wall in order to score.

Horizontal View Only

The game also only allows players to watch the game from the sidelines essentially, playing with a fixed camera angle sliding back and forth horizontally. The fixed camera angle can make it awkward to play at first but doesn’t affect gameplay too much after an adjustment period.

Rating: 7/10

This isn’t an immersive game realistic enough to fool you into thinking you are really there. Instead, this game is designed to play with friends, kill a few hours, and learn a few unique combos. The game is designed to play in short bursts, and it excels at that.

Pros:

• Multiplayer options
• Easy to understand
• Skill based

Cons:

• Low quality graphics
• Fixed horizontal view
• Limited number of modes