Hands on with EA SPORTS FIFA Football

Find out how EA SPORTS FIFA Football is kicking the competition into touch on PS Vita.

Welcome to a new way of playing the beautiful game. EA SPORTS FIFA Football on PlayStation Vita packs a stadium full of features that are sure to bring a smile to any soccer fan's face - and revolutionise handheld football.

Form is temporary, class is permanent

Fans of EA SPORTS FIFA 12 on PlayStation 3 will find themselves on a wonderfully familiar pitch with EA SPORTS FIFA Football. A next generation sports experience in the palm of your hand, this is one soccer superstar which is all about offering you the big match experience on your travels, without compromise.

"One of the things we set out to do from the start was create a version of FIFA which felt as weighty as the PS3 versions," explains producer Matt Prior. "EA SPORTS FIFA Football on PS Vita is the most complex and complete FIFA game we've ever made for any handheld system."

This means you have over 500 officially licensed clubs and eight different game modes in your hands. With Career mode, the ability to customise your matches, online head-to-head mode and more at your disposal, it's a full kitbag of options.

So if you've been searching for that perfect video game football experience before you go to a real-life match, EA SPORTS FIFA Football is the ideal warm-up. Make no mistake, this is a quality debut for EA SPORTS FIFA on PS Vita - and there are plenty of tricks left in this player's arsenal...

An impressive first touch

Using the unique features of PS Vita, EA SPORTS FIFA Football offers you even more control to give your friends a lesson on the pitch. With quick taps on the PS Vita system's touchscreen you can pass the ball with precision, whether you're splitting defences with a through ball or picking out your big centre forward.

Control improvements aren't limited to just making you a pass master, either. By tapping the rear touch pad you can take shots at goal, boosting your attack with increased accuracy.

"Scoring in football is the highest high, so this makes you feel more involved - and the more control you have, the more rewarding the game feels," says Prior. "Gone are the days of hitting the ball and hoping it will go where you want it to, now you can aim with precision."

Dead-ball situations also benefit from the PS Vita system's touch-based controls, so you can curve free kicks around defensive walls with a swipe of your finger on the touchscreen.

Always a crowd pleaser

While all these features work to make you the best player on the pitch, Electronic Arts wants to give you as many options as possible to enjoy football the way you like it. "We didn't want to force players into one control method," says Prior. "So if you're more familiar with dual analog sticks and buttons like FIFA 12 on PlayStation 3, then you'll still be right at home. It's the most controllable FIFA game we've ever made."

With its intelligent design and excellent control scheme that works to make you as deadly as the likes of Lionel Messi, EA SPORTS FIFA Football is sure to give you a cup winning performance no matter where you are.

"EA SPORTS FIFA Football on PS Vita is the PlayStation 3 FIFA experience in the palm of your hand," smiles Prior. "I'd encourage everyone to play it when it launches in February 2012 - until you do, you won't realise how good it is."

Keep an eye on au.playstation.com and PlayStation Blog for the latest on EA SPORTS FIFA Football in the run up to the run-up game's launch in February 2012.

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