Game On: FIFA Soccer 09 a joy, others not so much

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FIFA Soccer 09Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP, DSGenre: SportsPublisher: EA SportsESRB Rating: E for EveryoneGrade: 4.5 starsAh, how happy my brother and his friends will be. A new FIFA release is out and with its deep set of game modes and customization possibilities, it is easily the richest sports games on the market and a must-own for soccer fans.My brother and I have always been enormous soccer fans, so countless hours were spent tweaking team rosters and trying to make crazy runs on net to outscore our opponents. "FIFA 09'' has a lot of the same features as "FIFA 08" and "Euro 08," but there is enough to make this game worth owning. Overall, the game has clearly shifted to simulation over arcade-style. The pace is more in-line with what the real game is like, so strategy and timely touches are key to scoring. The AI will give you stiff competition, so be patient and don't expect 9-7 games quickly, if ever.FIFA 09's game-play features are deep and as hands-on as any game on the market. The ever-popular manager mode is back, and new to this edition is a four-year career mode where the goal is to take a player to stardom and captaining his national team. The best addition is a feature-rich online experience, where you can take created players online to fill out teams or get updated rosters to keep the game tracked to real-life squads.On the pitch the game has made large leaps in visuals. Players look and move naturally and no longer look like figurines gliding on ice. The audio is still pitch-perfect, from the announcers to the stadium crowds that chant and cheer at all the right moments. Pro Evolution Soccer used to be the standard-bearer for soccer franchises, but "FIFA 09" clearly has taken a giant leap forward.Harvest Moon: Tree of TranquilityPlatform: WiiGenre: StrategyPublisher: NatsumeESRB Rating: E for EveryoneGrade: 2.5 starsIt was surprising to see that Harvest Moon has been around a decade. It's not easy to find franchises that have lasted that long and maintained a sense of newness. But then again, with Tree of Tranquility, it's just as easy to see how franchises fail to survive past a few iterations.Not that "Tree of Tranquility" is a lackluster game, because it's still enjoyable fare. Natsume, however, has not consistently upgraded the material and the back-end functionality. What you are getting in 2008 is, in many ways, the same game you are getting in 1998 only on a different platform with different controllers -- hardly what needed when trying to stay fresh in an ever-changing gaming world.The game is a solid Economics 101 strategy game for younger gamers to enjoy. Not much has changed; you are still tilling the land, raising animals and doing your best to restore order to the economy of Waffle Island. Given the current real-world economic crisis, maybe getting younger gamers interested in rebuilding an economy naturally is a solid idea. Come to think of it, there are probably politicians that could use some time on "Tree of Tranquility'' as well.FracturePlatforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3Genre: ShooterPublisher: LucasArtsESRB Rating: T for TeenGrade: 2 stars"Fracture" is an appropriate title for this game, since throughout playing it you can see the seams where pieces of other past shooters have been stitched together to make this game function. It's not always a bad thing, but its one attempt at wholly original game-play does little to impress.Here, the West Coast and the East Coast have a bitter feud over the future of the world (no, it's not rap-related). It's about dealing with climate change, their disagreement turns nasty, and before you know it, a guns-blazing war has ensued. It's your job as an elite East Coast soldier, to turn the tide. The story sounds great but is lamely pushed along. And the innovation in "Fracture'' (the ability to alter terrain to solve puzzles and battle enemy troops) sounds cool until you discover it's uses are few and effectiveness negligible. The game's visuals are decent but not overwhelming, and further repeats the same status quo mentality of the entire game. A fine weekend rental if you're up for shooting stuff, but otherwise don't get too excited.(E-mail Chris Campbell at game_on_games(at)mac.com)