FIFA 06

FIFA 06 took a step towards more nuanced management of the club: a career in it no longer required just winning matches, but also monitoring the budget, contracts and the transfer market. Limited finances forced them to choose between buying a star and investing in youth, and an unsuccessful season could lead to problems with management and fans. On the field, the game was noticeably based on physics: the ball behaved more freely, bounces and ricochets became more varied, and hits depended on the position of the body and the force of pressing. Added tactical settings made it possible to change the style during the match, and new ways of processing passes made combinations less predictable. In addition to the career, there is a season, cups, friendlies and online matches, and creating your own club and player gives you the opportunity to rewrite the football map in your own way. The soundtrack and menu design were remembered no worse than the game episodes - for many, it was from this part that the habit of putting music from FIFA into the playlist began. Separately, it is worth mentioning the sound and atmosphere: the stands react to dangerous moments, and the commentators notice what is happening in the penalty area, which sounded very lively for that time. The match is played at a calm pace, where it is more important to correctly assess the situation than to run quickly. The development of the club is drawn out: in one season you experience both growth and disappointment, and the roster is gradually updated without a single transfer out of thin air. Today the FIFA 06 looks retro, but it was these releases that shaped the simulator we know. For history buffs of the series, this is a must stop.