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FIFA 97 is the fourth game in the FIFA series and the second to use the Virtual Stadium engine. Unlike the first game to use the engine, FIFA 97 features polygonal players as opposed to the 2D sprites used in FIFA Soccer ’96. The engine however received complaints for being sluggish in the PC and PlayStation versions. The main new feature of the game other than the motion capture was the indoor football mode.
There are six ways to play the game, including outdoor and indoor, as well as action and simulation modes. 32-bit AI is used, as well as motion blending technology. It is possible to play six-a-side football in an indoor arena with the ball bouncing off the walls, meaning there are no throw-ins and therefore a much higher-paced game. Commentary is provided by John Motson and Andy Gray while the presenter is Des Lynam.
Multiplayer games are also possible with up to 20-players via LAN and 8-players using a modem. The game trailer’s tagline was “FIFA 97, it will blow you away.” Most European domestic leagues are featured in the game, including the English Premier League, La Liga, French Division 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, Eredivisie, Allsvenskan and Scottish Football League, with the clubs featured in the game playing in the 1995–96 season.
Also featured are teams in the Malaysian Liga Perdana and national teams, as well as the American A-League clubs with fictional teams, composed of the game’s creators such as Bruce McMillan and Penny Lee. It is also possible to field custom teams made up of players from various real teams. However, these teams can only be played with in friendly matches.
