<byline><![CDATA[PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, £39.99; PC, Game Boy Advance, £34.99: all agesBenny Har-Even’s insider view]]></byline>
<body><![CDATA[Like the effects of always eating high-fibre bran and fruit, there’s something comfortingly regular about the release of Fifa Football titles. The good news for the 2005 update is that it’s not money down the pan: the latest version is healthier than its 2004 predecessor in every area. At last the ball now bounces about the pitch in a convincing manner and passing is no longer merely a matter of button pressing. EA Sports has also removed a few annoyances: for one, you can actually keep the ball in play when it’s near the touchline. Amusingly, when it does go out, both teams raise arms to claim the throw. In fact, the animation is superb all round, with players not just looking, but moving like their real-life counterparts. The career mode is now much more challenging, and to manage a Premiership team you first have to pay your dues with a lower-division outfit. To add some realism, your job security is measured by an approval percentage and linked directly to your results, a feature apparently not popular with Gérard Houllier and Bobby Robson. Fifa 2005 is a significant step forward, making it a worthwhile purchase not only for supporters of the EA’s Fifa series, but also worthy of attention from fans of rival games.Click <a href="asfunction:Tardis.webPageOpen,http://easports.co.uk/fifafootball"><b>here</b></a> to visit the official Fifa Football 2005 website.]]></body>
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<label><![CDATA[Buy online]]></label>
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<extras>
<title><![CDATA[The Month extras]]></title>
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<title><![CDATA[Picture gallery]]></title>
<image><![CDATA[../games/fifa/rhs.jpg]]></image>
<body><![CDATA[Gooooooaaaal! What's in a number? Quite a lot, actually]]></body>