FIFA 12

FIFA 12 PS2 is EA Sports’ 2011 association-football game for PlayStation 2, released in Europe in September 2011. Part of Electronic Arts’ long-running FIFA series, this edition brings the 2011–12 season’s club and international football to Sony’s second console with licensed teams, player likenesses, kits, stadium presentation, league and cup competitions, and both solo and local multiplayer play. Known as FIFA Soccer 12 in North America, it remains a late-era PlayStation 2 entry built around the familiar match-day structure of the series.

At its heart, FIFA 12 PS2 lets players select a club or national side and take part in full eleven-a-side matches. The DualShock 2 controller handles movement, passing, through balls, crosses, shooting, tackles and goalkeeper actions, while adjustable settings allow players to tailor match length and difficulty. Attacking depends on moving the ball through midfield and finding space for a final pass or cross; defending asks the player to track runners, win possession and protect the goal. Standard exhibition matches offer a quick way to play against the computer or another person on the same console.

The PlayStation 2 version offers a broad set of offline ways to organise football. Tournament and competition options let players pursue league and cup success with their chosen sides, while the Arena provides a practice setting for working on finishing against a goalkeeper. Challenges supply specific match situations to overcome, and the Lounge mode is designed for groups sharing one machine. The game also includes Be a Pro and goalkeeper-focused play, shifting attention from controlling a full team to carrying out the responsibilities of an individual footballer on the pitch.

Career play provides the longer-term framework. Players can approach a season through the main Career Mode, including roles as a player, manager, or player-manager, and make use of transfers while trying to meet their club’s sporting ambitions. A related Season mode offers another route through a campaign, and the calendar of domestic leagues and knockout competitions gives matches consequences beyond a single fixture. Whether controlling an established club or a created professional, progression is tied to performances, results and the pursuit of trophies.

FIFA 12 PS2 is distinct from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions that received EA’s heavily promoted new collision and dribbling technology. Contemporary coverage of the PS2 release instead described it as retaining much of FIFA 11’s gameplay, presentation and mode structure while updating squads and season material. That makes the PlayStation 2 version a snapshot of the series’ established late-generation formula: a substantial licensed football package with quick matches, cooperative and competitive couch play, career management and individual-player modes for fans returning to the 2011–12 game.