FIFA 12 Video Reveals New “Impact Engine”

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Electronic Arts is the end-all-be-all in the gaming world when it comes to sports. Not only do they have a stranglehold on the rights to the NFL, but recent news has suggested that competitor 2K will also be benching their NHL sim for the upcoming year (Though 2K does have the immense success of their NBA series to stay afloat by). With the low rate of competition that EA faces from year to year, only slight changes in gameplay and mechanics are necessary to their new editions. For the upcoming release of FIFA 12, the new “Impact Engine” is this year’s slight change.
The engine will re-create the way the pros challenge each other for the ball, win possession, and test each other physically. It will also process decisions continuously in real-time at every point of contact on a player’s body to create a variety of natural and believable outcomes in every collision. Players now feel more resilient, push and pull during the fight for possession, and recover from light challenges more easily.
Also new this year is the “Pro Player Intelligence” concept which is, according to EA, “a self-awareness and aptitude that enables them to make decisions based on their own skills as well as the strengths and attributes of their teammates.” Players who possess exceptional vision, for example, will see opportunities for through balls that other players won’t. Additionally, teams will vary their attack based on the strengths of their players on the pitch, and the weaknesses of opposing players, creating a more authentic experience and greater variety of matches.

Tactical Defending – Contain /> Tactical Defending – New Opportunities /> Dribbling – Jog Speed Turn Radius /> Precision Dribbling – Precision Turn Radius /> Precision Dribbling – Dribble While Shielding /> Compares FIFA 11 Tackling Physics with the New Impact Engine Tackling (WOW! What a difference! I mean, WOW!) /> Impact Engine – Shielding /> Impact Engine – Unexpected Behaviors (Shows an AWESOME animation of a defender coming in, offensive player makes a move and does a flip) /> Impact Engine – Variety (Shows a defender taking out a player that is going after the ball) /> Impact Engine – Contextual Dribble Turns (Shows a player tapping the ball ahead, just a bit, then jumping to avoid a sliding tackle) /> Impact Engine – Difficult Situations (Shows a player trying to kick the ball, but hits the other players foot instead and falls over) /> Impact Engine – Shared Collisions (Shows 2 players going after the ball, each player had his own animation, depending on situation. In this particular one, it showed a player reaching out to kick a ball and the defender trying the same, after the ball is touched, the players lose balance and just looks very real) /> Impact Engine – True Injuries (Woah… Shows a player getting roughed up, trying to advance the ball, he lands awkwardly on his right knee, after a little act job, he grabs his knee and gets up, gingerly) /> True Injuries – Self Injuries (Damn, this is a great video. Anyways, this shows a player getting injured with nobody around him, looked like a strained groin and the defender takes the ball away) /> True Injuries – Re-Injury (Shows a player getting tripped up and waving to the sidelines for someone to get him or sub in for him) /> Impact Engine – Pushing and Pulling – Shows players pushing and pulling for position