ФИФА 2001

ФИФА 2001 is the release where the series took the picture and presentation of matches seriously. The animations of the players have become smoother, their faces are more recognizable, and the stadiums have added more detail: stands, lights, markings. The crowd commentary and reaction also picked up, making the match feel like a television broadcast for the first time, rather than just a set of sprites on the field. The gameplay has become more responsive: passes depend on force and direction, shots are executed taking into account the position of the body, and automatic assistance gradually gives way to manual control. Goalkeepers act more meaningfully, although even in this part there are oddities that fans remember with a smile. In addition to leagues and national teams, there is a season, cups and friendlies, as well as a set of difficulty settings that allows you to play both for a beginner and for a person who has spent hundreds of hours playing football simulators. The menu design and music were as memorable as the matches themselves - the early 2000s were generally generous with memorable soundtracks. We should also praise the voice acting and music: the voices of the commentators pronounce the names of the players, and the menu is designed to create the feeling of a great holiday. The difficulty is adjusted to the player: you can take a simpler club and not worry, or you can take a grand one and demand the maximum from yourself. It was a very neatly put together product for its time and remains an interesting display item years later. For the modern gamer, the ФИФА 2001 is a pure retro experience, where atmosphere is more important than physics. But historically, this is an important release: it was where the series first began to look and sound solid.