With the seemingly proliferation of EA Sports FIFA titles – we have gotten a related title twice now this year – it is a bit of a puzzle what the development team might be able to do to differentiate the titles.

Ok, one was a World Cup-themed game, and it was both exciting and tourney-driven but it did not have the world scope – in terms of leagues – that the regular FIFA franchise sported.

Enter FIFA 07. Honestly, this is a game that has elevated the EA FIFA franchise but not because it has renovated the genre – not at all. Instead, what the developer team has done is take a solid game, tweaked the gameplay mechanics and rendered out a more intelligent version of FIFA 06. Just take the whole passing dynamic, for example. In FIFA 07, passing the ball gives credit to the players, takes into account skill and real-world physics and feels like the real game.

The ball reacts to the way it is struck, or deflected, not the pong-like mechanics of previous iterations. Defenders get in the way of shots faster, and the passing and shooting lanes will not be open for long. Great stuff.

A shot comes in from outside the 18. The keeper dives to his left and knocks it away, but the spin on the ball keeps it nearby. A defender charges in and tries to clear, but another striker is on top of him. The ball short-hops the shins of the striker, pops a few feet away with a good amount of backspin, and hits the ground and bounces back toward the striker. Left-footed outside-of-the-foot tap and the ball rolls into the netting at the back of the goal. Sweet little goal, credited to pressure and hustle.

That is the mark that FIFA 07 will be known for. That and the boost in the game’s AI.

Not only will defenders work quicker to shut down chances, but offensive, AI-controlled teammates react much smarter, working to get clear, making runs or squaring out for passes.

The game has several modes of play, including a manager mode that comes close to the depth of EA’s departed MVP franchise with roster moves, finances and other concerns on the table before and during each phase of the season. You can create your own player and own club and insert them both into recognized world leagues.

But wait, there is more. The game sports challenges that will put the gamer into scenarios (which can be as simple as win the game in extra time) with challenges that must be met. Players can be developed, and the online game support is solid as well.

Not too handy with the controller but still love the sport? EA has you covered there as well with a simulation mode that presents the game in a text format. It’s not all that deep, but it will allow a manager to manage and not have to worry about throwing it away a promising season (especially if you have created a stacked team) because of controller mistakes.

The game has a few minor flaws. The easiest difficulty setting may have the AI making mistakes that will have you scratching your head (though happy for the inept play and the turnover), and the goaltenders sometimes move a little sluggishly on shots from outside. Also, there were a couple of times when it seemed evident that a striker was in an offside position but no call. (Ok, ARs – otherwise known as the sideline assistants – are human and miss a few things now and again.)

The sound sparkles during the commentary, though there are a fair share of repetitive phrases, the music sports an international flare but nothing really pops, and the crowd sounds are what one has come to expect from the game.

When it comes to the visuals, this is not only a solid shot, but a goal. EA Sports’ dev team has created a game that flows very smoothly with solid menu interfaces to the action on the field.

The controls have some truly nice features, like playing dummy on a pass, and using skills to work the ball. The learning curve here is minor.

The total aspect of this game comes together in a very nice manner, creating a game that is a joy to play and challenging as well. Sure, it looks good too, but as any die-hard soccer fan will tell you, pretty pictures and rotten physics don’t a game make. FIFA 07 is not a complete innovation, not a title created from the ground up (as the 360 version is), but rather a game that is built on the previous release in the franchise with noticeable improvements where FIFA 06 needed them most.

Gameplay: 9.1
The AI improvements are immediately noticeable. The control schemes have a small learning curve but once you get the handle on them, you will take the game from merely a pass and hope to the wonderful skilled/athletic chess match that it can be. 

Graphics: 8.9
Consider the platform and if this is one of the last releases for FIFA on the Xbox, then EA has a title to be proud of. The player skill animations and physics are excellent. Some of the players – depending on the camera angle – look a little hefty, and some of the keepers are not as sharp as they might be in real life, but this is generally a wonderful game to experience. The create-a-player options can look a little lame, but the looks do translate very well into the game and it is really the game animations that matter the most.

Sound: 8.7
Some repetitive commentary but still delivered with a wonderful sense of excitement. The music is international in flavor and can either be listened to or muted with equal results.

Difficulty: Medium
The AI makes some silly mistakes at the lowest difficulty setting, but is sufficiently challenging as you move up the difficulty ladder

Concept: 8.8
Much of what is here is taken from the previous title and we did see some of this in the World Cup title released several months ago. But the tweaks to the gameplay were not only needed, but are wonderfully realized.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Some disconnects but the Interactive League format works well. Players can find a challenge easily and the human-versus-human contest is always more interesting than diagnosing and dissecting AI foes.

Overall: 8.9
Solid multiplayer support, great skill animations, smart AI and improved physics all add up to a game that is a marked improvement over the last iteration. This is a very good football (soccer) experience.