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EA Sports has a contender ready for the PS Vita’s launch, but is it really the game it appears and how closely does it match FIFA 12 on home consoles?

FIFA Football (PSV) – short term signing

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Despite having the same cover art the more eagle-eyed amongst you may notice that this is not called FIFA 12. And there’s a very good reason for that: it’s actually a cut down version of FIFA 11. Evidentially EA hasn’t had enough time to port over last year’s game, or even all of the previous year’s, but as long as you understand what you’re getting going in, this is still an impressive debut for the series.

Of course if you happen to prefer FIFA 11 to FIFA 12 then there’s even less to complain about here. But it means that the new defensive system of last year’s game is completely absent, as well as all the other newer features such as improved dribbling and the player impact engine. We’d assume that a PS Vita version of FIFA 13 will be out in the autumn alongside all the others, so the question is whether this release is substantial enough to keep you going till then.

It certainly looks good, with the graphics popping off the Vita’s OLED screen as if you were right there in the stands – although there can be some minor frame rate problems. Thanks to the analogue sticks the game controls better than any portable football game before it, and that’s despite the improvements made for FIFA 12 not being present.

Using the touchscreen to pass the ball seems like a gimmick though, and wastes precious micro-seconds while also managing to block your view. Using the rear touchpad to shoot is also overly sensitive and quickly abandoned. In other words the optional Vita controls are just as useless as most of the other launch titles, although they could perhaps be usefully refined in a future game.

Many of the standard home console options are missing but you do get versions of Be a Pro and Manager Mode, the closest the game gets to properly emulating FIFA 12. Be A Pro works largely the same as always, but you can’t scan in your face to use for your player (even though the PS Vita has a camera built-in). Although you can still guide him through a full career and use him in the other modes if you want, including the practice arena.

The 15 year career mode is the same sort of deal: the basics are all here but there are many corner-cutting omissions. It doesn’t have a scout for new talent, for example, and there’s no longer any proper computer-controlled managers bidding against you during the transfer window. Unfortunately the Ultimate Team and EA Sports Football Club options are completely absent.

Of course what you do still get is all the usual exclusive licenses that come as standard with any EA Sports games, as well as the typically spotless presentation and a menu system that does its best to pretend that it really is FIFA 12, honest.

There is online multiplayer but it’s a simple two-player only affair and currently at least seems to suffer from some persistent, but never quite ruinous, lag problems. Like everything else in the game it works and is perfectly enjoyable if you force yourself to ignore the flaws and missing features.

But given the cost of the game, which next to Uncharted is the most expensive on the PS Vita, you better be very sure you know what you’re doing before you pick it up. Buying an abridged version of a 16-month old game, when you know a brand new title will probably be out in just seven months, requires either a lot of dedication to the FIFA brand or a lot of money to burn.

In Short: It’s clearly been quickly thrown together for the launch, with many features missing or out-of-date, but this is still an encouraging start for FIFA on the Vita.

Pros: A good game of portable football, with effective use of the analogue sticks and decent – if not always entirely stable – graphics. Career mode is still fairly complex.

Cons: All the on-pitch gameplay is based on FIFA 11 not 12. Many of the single and multiplayer modes are missing or obviously simplified. Useless touch controls.

Score: 6/10

Formats: PS Vita
Price: £44.99
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Canada
Release Date: 22nd February 2012
Age Rating: 3