For soccer fans on the lookout for a fast and frenetic-paced interpretation of the sport, EA Sport’s FIFA Street franchise has been the only game in town. Unfortunately, the series has been lacking in many ways, as hasn’t really been able to deliver the same quality experience as you’ll find from the other games in the Street series, such as the NBA Street games. However, the developers have taken this to heart and took an extra two years to make sure that the third entry in the series is up to snuff for its foray on next-gen systems.

In many ways, FIFA Street 3 for the Xbox 360 does feel much improved over the rest of the series. The team benefited from the extra development time by offering up some truly cool looking animations and adding a sense of fluidity that was sorely lacking from the first games in the series. However, the game unfortunately feels noticeably sparse in terms of gameplay features and extra modes, and there isn’t much substance to the game’s style. While the game is certainly an improvement over its predecessors, those looking for the quintessential arcade soccer experience might want to wait a bit longer.

FIFA Street 3 does improve on its forbearers in the series by creating a much smoother game of soccer than before. Pulling off moves and combos feels a lot more fluid and is easier and more natural to carry out, and not quite as stilted and awkward as past years. Each player on the field has a special classification that appears over their heads letting you know what areas they are particularly proficient in, be it tackles or accurate shots, which is a nice touch.

However, while the changes to the gameplay are very welcome, there are still a few issues that rear their ugly heads. The AI leaves a bit to be desired, especially as far as goalies are concerned, as some shots will seem to get by that should be more contested.

However, the main spot where the game seems to be lacking in depth is in game modes. The game doesn’t have a cohesive career mode, instead it has a Play Now mode, the Playground Picks mode (where you can mix and match players to make your own dream team), the FIFA Street Challenge (more on that in a bit), and Head to Head (which has you play through exhibition matches with different victory variables thrown in the mix. Aside from the pick up and play elements of the quick matches, there’s not much reason to stick with FIFA Street 3 for an extended period of time.

In order to unlock the full roster of professional players in the game, you must complete a series of challenges in the game’s FIFA Street challenge mode. You’ll have to complete a variety of tasks within matches, including scoring a certain number of GameBreakers or specific kinds of shots in order to unlock the players. This could take you a while, as there are more than 250 total players within the game.

FIFA Street 3’s look is quite nice, offering a very stylized look with cartoony-looking characters. While they are a bit animated, they still retain distinguishing features of their real-life counterparts letting you know that they are who they are meant to be. The animations take the cake in FIFA Street 3, however, as they are more fluid and impressive than ever before.

The game has a pretty impressive soundtrack, composed of a variety of artists the world over. Groups like Chromeo, Underworld, and Datarock make appearances, lining out a diverse mix of electronica, dance-punk, and some indie rock. All in all, not bad for a soccer game.

FIFA Street 3 is a marked improvement over the first games in the series, with the added time in development contributing nicely to cleaning up the on-field play. However, there is still some work to be done with the game’s modes before it can be the answer for those looking for a great arcade soccer experience.

Gameplay: 7.0
FIFA Street 3 presents some needed improvements to the series’ gameplay formula, making the action a lot more fluid than previous years. However, there is a noticeable lack of gameplay modes, including no semblance of a career mode to keep you invested.

Graphics: 8.5
The game’s stylized look is pretty impressive, but the awesome animations take the cake.

Sound: 8.5
The game’s soundtrack is a great mix of tracks, and the on-court sound effects are tight.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 6.5
The changes to the gameplay are very welcome, but the dearth of deep gameplay modes will mean that it might not hold your interest for very long.

Multiplayer: 7.5
FIFA Street 3’s online play is pretty nice, offering a world challenge mode as well as the Playground Picks mode and a simple quick match.

Overall: 7.0
FIFA Street 3 offers some nice improvements over previous FIFA Street games, but unfortunately is devoid of a time-investing career mode, making it one that you might get bored with before too long.