I love the FIFA franchise. It’s a love that goes beyond my obvious affection for the sport as an Englishman and sports fan. While the Winning Eleven game on the Xbox was magnificent I seem to always turn my attention to EA Sports soccer game. Yet in the year of the Xbox 360, this year’s edition might very well be the best soccer game you’ll play on your original Xbox. Welcome to FIFA 06, soccer fans.

Last year’s game was nothing short of amazing but this year the franchise feels somehow whole … complete in ways that Madden NFL fans can relate to when Madden NFL 06 was released not too long ago. For starters there are new gameplay features, an interesting Manager Mode and a FIFA 06 Lounge that brings competition games fun enough to share with friends offline. The result is a soccer game that outshines past efforts. You will notice, straight off the bat, that even the game’s overall presentation is different.

You will still find all of your favorite teams available whether you’re an avid follower of Argentina’s Boca Juniors or the UK’s Manchester United or any of the game’s various international teams (there are more than 21 licensed leagues). From here the game starts an exhibition match against a Classic XI team (featuring the likes of legend Eric Cantona among others). It’s quite baffling, really, and you won’t know if this is some kind of tutorial (no instruction is given) but it does give you a feel of the new controls and winning the match means you’ll earn points you can use to purchase neat features in the game’s new Fan Shop (including unlocking a World XI team).

For whatever reason this sudden match up will introduce you to the game’s solid controls that feel less like last year’s game. While that might seem like bad news it really isn’t. For one thing dribbling feels more loose and everything from attacking to taking a direct free kick has become less strict and more simplified. As a result the game’s flow is a lot more smooth and thus has all the appearances of a televised match (minus the lengthy player injury time-outs). New to the game is the Tactics and Mentality feature that allows you to make tactical adjustments to your team’s attacking and defensive tactics easily. It also allows you see your team’s mentality (neutral or defensive). It’s a nice touch, really but the best feature is the ability to assign a player to mark a player on the opposing team. This way you’ll have a player assigned to the opposing team’s star player or talented scorer (like Mexico’s Blanco or Argentina’s Ortega).

When you’re comfortable enough with the game’s accessible and wonderfully handled controls, you might want to start your career in the game’s Manager Mode. It is here that you begin your 15-year career starting off as a low-level employee for your favorite team’s franchise and work your way up to manager. It isn’t until you’ve become manager that things get interesting for you. It is here that you attempt to take your club to new heights while attempting to satisfy the board and your team’s sponsors. Your tasks range from hiring your staff to keeping an eye on rising stars you might want to sign and how this affects your team’s overall morale. It’s a deep mode, indeed, and one that soccer fans will be happy to jump into.

Also new to the series is the FIFA 06 Lounge mode that is composed of a series of competitions fit for up to eight players offline. You can customize the rules to your liking and it is a mode you might want to share with a group of soccer fans. There’s also an online component and it’s quite possible the best Xbox Live soccer experience you’ll have this year. My only major complaint is the $2 subscription fee to EA. While $2 might not seem costly, to me this is an unnecessary annoyance. EA Sports already has our money so why ask for more just to create a new profile to play online?

FIFA 06 is also a game that looks gorgeous on the Xbox. The player models have improved greatly over the years but somehow they’ve gotten a lot better this year. Just looking at the player’s faces will convince you that the overall visuals have improved. The stadiums look amazing from afar as well as up close and the game’s televised feel is still as good as last year’s game.

One of the many things I’ve admired about the franchise is its accuracy when it comes to the stadium sounds and its televised feel. Once again you’ll find the fans chanting, cheering loudly and singing accurate and specific regional songs that pump their countrymen on. As much as I found the commentary team of Motson and McCoist to be wonderful, the new commentary handled by Clive Tydsley and Andy Gray is spectacular. They do a much better job of calling the plays and making witty and informative remarks during the match so here’s hoping we get to hear them again in the next FIFA game. This year’s EA Trax hold a better variety of world music. Trust me when I say you won’t be angry by the fact that the game doesn’t support the Custom Soundtrack feature.

We have seen some great soccer games from this franchise before but none of them has even come close to the brilliance that is FIFA 06. The features that worked well before have been strengthened and the new features just add more to the overall package so if you’re a soccer fan or just love a great sports game then this is the game you’ll want to own. If this is the last FIFA game you’ll find on the original Xbox (there’s more FIFA fun to be had on the Xbox 360, count on it) then the series has ended things with a bang.

Gameplay: 9.2
Control-wise the game feels a lot better than last year’s game and the new Tactics and Mentality feature just adds more style to a game that already plays great. Manager Mode is not only in-depth but it will also be a mode soccer fans will love sinking their teeth into for months to come.

Graphics: 9.0
The Xbox gets the best-looking version of the game and with character models that move and look more natural to the point that if you squint you’d swear you were watching a soccer match. Even the stadiums look impressive and the animated cutscenes have more variety to them. This is a great overall look for the franchise.

Sound: 9.0
The stadiums not only look more alive but they also sound alive with fans cheering and chanting and singing appropriate team songs. The game’s new commentators are a nice change from the past commentary team of past FIFA games. The eclectic collection of world music is great.

Difficulty: Medium
The opposing team is still as smart as ever, although the goalkeepers of practically every team can occasionally be too slow to react. Aside from poor goalkeeping, though, this is quite a challenging game.

Concept: 9.5
With a better overall presentation (there are pictures of the CD cover art for all musical artists and there are great multimedia video clips) this a soccer fan’s dream come true. FIFA 06 Lounge is a great addition and Manager Mode alone is worth the game’s price. Xbox Live multiplayer is great despite the unnecessary $2 subscription fee.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Welcome to the FIFA game you will be playing a lot online thanks to a smooth framerate and all your favorite teams available from the start. You can play the game with a group of friends thanks to some truly fun Lounge game mode.

Overall: 9.3
Soccer fans rejoice! FIFA 06 is, by far, the best soccer game EA Sports has ever produced for the Xbox and we have seen some truly great games from this franchise. Yet with new gameplay features that feel more satisfying than last year’s gem, this game feels like a more complete package worth owning if you love the sport.