BuckeyeNation27;2192429; said:
I've never played any of the FIFAs, but everybody raves about them. How much would I be missing out on "knowing" the game if I play 13 as a first timer?
Not much. If you have any understanding of the sport of soccer, it's pretty simple to pick up and play. The last few years have seen improved game play with each release (the exact opposite of NCAA), and this year will probably be as close as they've come to perfection. FIFA 12 is just a great game, and the Euro 12 pack was well done. The AI, animations and tackling engine are crisp, and the additional dribble animations will be sick I'm sure.
There is definitely a learning curve if you haven't played at all, however, after logging a few hours you'll get the overall concept. After you have spent some serious time, you'll start noticing the subtleties - the sick first time touches, the perfectly weighted through ball, the volleys, dribbles, etc.
With a few different game modes you have options on what you want to do. Manager mode is straight forward but always fun, hopefully some of the other guys here can comment on Ultimate Team mode, but my personal favorite is Be A Pro. You can create your own player or choose to play as a real player, but you control them as if you were in their position on the team you selected. You can also choose to be a goalkeeper and subsequently can have full 11v11 online matches, which is pretty awesome when you think about it. And, the Player-Manager career mode is a combo where you run the team and play.
Pick it up, play it, it will take some time, but it is quite possibly the most realistic sports simulation available.