FIFA Street 4

With the real FIFA enveloped in a fog of corruption, EA's gaming franchise has never been more popular. One of the men responsible for the series' spectacular return to the top of the league is Gary Patterson, and he's taken the reins of the neglected sponsor stablemate, FIFA Street. He says it's his chance to prove himself all over again.

Don't expect a straight sequel - lead gameplay producer Patterson is wiping the slate clean, with a game that's closer to the original 2005 Street game than the sequels. "It's all about authenticity," he explains. "One of the things we've learned from our research is that FIFA gamers want authentic sports. They want to fulful their footballing ambitions, and to do that you need a game that's realistic."

The smaller pitches of street football mean that there's a constant feeling of one-on-one. "If you've watched street football on YouTube, it's in a very enclosed space," says Patterson, "so it's all about expressing yourself." So the dribbling system is designed to allow you to do that.

The base movement system means you'll always be facing the defender, and when you want to pull off some fancy footwork, the Left trigger will act as a "brake", sending you into the "standing ball" system. In this mode, says Patterson, "you can move the ball around really responsively. You can bring the defender in, beat him, then exit with a trick or skill move."

The realistic approach means the cartoon style has been dropped too, and you can forget about the "game breaker" meter and glowing ball. One thing Patterson's not allowed to talk about explicitly is the multiplayer, but he manages to drop a subtle hint. "I think five-against-five would be a really good idea, if that gives you any clues." Thanks, Professor Cryptic - we'll draw our own conclusions from that nugget of enigma.

FIFA Street 4 is down for release on Xbox 360 in early 2012.