I Just got my PS vita and Fifa Football just a few days ago. I've been a PES fan for over 10 years. I've tried Fifa games before and know how realistic they are, but this is the first Fifa game I really play a lot (They don't have a PES on Vita yet). At first, I was skeptical about how a next-gen HD football game can be transported onto a handheld device. But how i was wrong! This is every inch a Fifa game would appear on a big console. The graphic is amazing for a handheld device. When you zoom into the player's faces, they are incredibly detailed - true HD graphic. However the small screen size means that it can be difficult to see actions on the far side of the pitch. Well this is normal I suppose, since it is played on a handheld screen. But it does capture a lot of fun.
On the game play side, the addictive career mode is ported perfectly from the console version. It is hard to imagine but I've been spending as much time on this portable game as I would have on the PS3. The difficulty is really challenging. If there is something that it lacks, I would say it's the ball's physic. I notice that the ball does not seem to curl as it does on PS3's FIFA 10 and 11. I guess it was due to the limited processing capability of the Vita, but I could be wrong. But apart from that, Vita offers a more satisfying game play than even the console's version. You can pass by tapping the front screen. This allows more accurate passing than when executed with bottom - but I find it rather awkward since your right hand must frequently obstruct the field of vision. On the other hand, the rear touch pad allow you to shoot with pinpoint accuracy. This is a very big deal. I find it unfamiliar at first, but once you got used to it, there is no going back. You feel like you have complete control of the shot. I score tons of goal with rear touch pad. It really increase enjoyment and depth of the game.
This is a solid FIFA game. If I have to compare it to PES, I would say the action on the pitch is better in FIFA but the goals are a bit less satisfying. FIFA's instant replay and after-match highlight replay really leave a lot to be desired. This is a minor point and should really be addressed. But limited replay could be the result of limited hardware resource of the handheld device. The celebrations are also limited and look pathetic rather than glorious. And as I mention above, ball's physic seems to be less enhanced which takes away the realistic feel when you score. These are all minor points but when they add up, can take a lot of fun away. Still I can say without hesitation that this is the best handheld football game on the market. I hope PES would come out on Vita as well so that we can compare between these two games.