FIFA Street 3 – Blog: The Specialists

The Specialists
By Justin Sheffield, Lead Designer

When we sat down to design FIFA Street 3 we focused on gameplay, as it is obviously the cornerstone to a good gaming experience. Because this is a game that takes an arcade street approach to the game of football, it was important that we focus on elements of the gameplay experience that would be quickly recognized as football fundamentals, but that at the same time added a lot of depth and variety every time you sit down to play it. Our answer to this two-fold goal wasn’t to have you to troll through spreadsheets of attributes, but rather to have the game call out groups of specialists amongst all these world-class players: The Finisher, The Enforcer, The Playmaker or The Trickster.

Each player in our game is still rated in seven different categories, strength, skill, pace, passing, shooting, defending and goalkeeping. These ratings help to define the basic skill level of the player. On top of that, the players assigned to one of the specialist types have access to different skills and animations in their area of expertise, whether it be dribbling, passing, shooting or tackling.

As you control these different specialist players on the pitch, you’ll notice that each character feels different when performing certain gameplay tasks. At the same time, you’ll discover that certain abilities are available to one type of player but not to another. This gives players with similar attributes a different feel on the pitch, we’ve basically added “attitude” to the players as a playing attribute. Because so many of our players are fast and skillful, creating specialists differentiates players by the style of play that they excel at in an arcade setting.

Specialists make for more than just different players on the pitch, though, the combination of different components is key to making a successful unit. For example, a team comprised of all Enforcers plays and feels very different to a team comprised solely of Tricksters. In FIFA Street Challenge Mode, you get to experience both sides of this equation, as you play a series of matches against all-star street teams with different combinations of specialists. It really makes you change your style of play to get the most out of each mix.

Now, let’s break down the different specialists.

Tricksters
Tricksters are the definition of a street football player. They are fast, skilled and like nothing more then to leave opposing defenders in their wake. They have a unique set of skill moves and have a higher success rate for pulling off spectacular two man beat moves such as nutmegs and spins. They are also highly skilled at trapping the ball in one fluid motion so stringing together spectacular tricks is easier then ever. Some of the top Tricksters in the game:

Ronaldinho (Brazil)
Blanco (Mexico)
J. Cole (England)
C. Ronaldo (Portugal)

Playmakers
Playmakers are your best all around players. They are great at passing, whether it be short, off a wall or crossing from the wings. They also possess a cannon for a shot. Anything inside the opponents half is in their range so make sure to try some longer shots with these players. Some of the top Playmakers:

Kaka (Brazil)
Fabregas (Spain)
Gerrard (England)
Pirlo (Italy)
Rosicky (Czech Republic)

Finishers
Finishers are in the team for one reason: putting the ball in the back of the net! They can shoot the ball from a variety of heights and angles and in ways other players can only dream of. Bicycle kicks, volleys and diving headers are all in their repertoire – the more spectacular the better. Some top Finishers:

Crouch (England)
Eto’o (Cameroon)
Henry (France)
Klose (Germany)
Rooney (England)

Enforcers
You always need some players to do the hard work and this is where the enforcers come in to play. Enforcers are strong, physical and clearly the best defenders on the pitch. They never met a tackle they didn’t like and they take pride in showing the skilled players a thing or two when it comes to countering the move. Some of our Enforcers:

Gattuso (Italy)
Terry (England)
Puyol (Spain)
Vieira (France)

Specialists make FIFA Street 3 jump off the screen, with their spectacular moves and unique feel. It’s a new gameplay experience from any other football title I’ve ever worked on, or played! When I sit down to play, I’m personally a big fan of a finisher up front, with a couple of playmakers supporting and a trickster taking up the rear. It’s a much more finesse approach than when I play on the real pitch. I tend to play as a no-nonsense defender to make up for my lack of skills, but hey, that’s why we make the games rather than the real thing!

Justin Sheffield
Lead Designer
FIFA Street 3

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