Let me be honest with you - when my nephew asked me if he should buy FIFA Soccer 13 for his PS3 from Amazon last week, my first thought was "Why would anyone want a decade-old sports game?" But then I started digging into it, and surprisingly, there's actually a compelling case to be made for picking up this classic. I've been playing FIFA games since the 90s, and while I currently have FIFA 23 installed on my PS5, there's something uniquely charming about revisiting these older titles that modern games often lack.
The first thing that struck me when I revisited FIFA 13 was how different the football landscape was back in 2012. Messi was 25, Ronaldo was 27, and both were at their absolute peak. The game features squads that feel like time capsules - seeing a 22-year-old Neymar at Santos or a prime Wayne Rooney at Manchester United triggers serious nostalgia. According to Amazon's marketplace data, the game still sells about 200-300 copies monthly in 2023, which is remarkable for an 11-year-old sports title. The pricing is all over the place though - I've seen copies ranging from $8 for used versions to $25 for sealed ones, though the sweet spot seems to be around $12-$15 for good condition pre-owned copies.
What really surprised me during my testing was how well the gameplay holds up. The Impact Engine, which was revolutionary at the time, still creates believable physical interactions between players. Sure, it's not as polished as modern FIFA physics, but there's a raw quality to it that I find refreshing. The player movements feel weighty and deliberate, unlike the sometimes-floaty feel of recent entries. I spent about three hours playing various modes, and honestly, I enjoyed it more than I expected. The career mode has depth that some argue has been streamlined too much in recent years, and the Ultimate Team, while obviously not receiving new content, has a completeness to it that current FUT lacks with its constant meta-chasing.
There's a philosophical question here that reminds me of that quote from a coach I once read: "That's what this season told us, now we're doing the right things for the program and I hope the others see that para mas tumibay ang aming recruitment and programa." In many ways, FIFA 13 represents a season in gaming where EA Sports was definitely doing the right things - the foundation they built here strengthened their recruitment of players (both virtual and real) and established a program that would dominate football gaming for years. The game sold approximately 4.5 million copies in its first week alone, making it the fastest-selling sports game of all time at that point. That success wasn't accidental - it was built on genuine innovation and understanding of what football fans wanted.
The online servers were officially shut down in 2022, which is a significant limitation. However, I found that local multiplayer still works flawlessly, and there's actually a small but dedicated community that organizes offline tournaments. When I checked various gaming forums, I discovered groups still swapping teams and tactics, which speaks volumes about the game's lasting appeal. The career mode alone can easily provide 50-60 hours of entertainment if you get invested in a single save, and the skill games remain some of the best training tools in the series' history.
Is it worth buying from Amazon specifically? Well, their fulfillment network means you'll likely get your copy quickly and in the condition described. I'd recommend opting for "Very Good" or "Like New" condition from highly-rated sellers. The advantage over digital marketplaces is that you're getting a physical copy that you can resell or lend to friends. Plus, Amazon's return policy protects you if the disc arrives damaged or doesn't work.
Here's my personal take after spending a weekend with it - FIFA 13 represents a sweet spot in the series where innovation peaked before some of the corporate greed aspects took over. The microtransactions in Ultimate Team were present but far less aggressive than today's version. The gameplay focused on simulation rather than the arcade-style pace that sometimes dominates the current meta. For casual players or those on a tight budget, spending $15 on this instead of $70 on FIFA 23 might actually provide more genuine fun per dollar. It's not for everyone - competitive online players should look elsewhere - but for someone wanting to experience a piece of gaming history or play local multiplayer with friends, it holds up remarkably well. The game has character, something that's increasingly rare in today's annualized sports titles. Sometimes going back to the basics, to when developers were building that strong foundation for their program, gives you a purer football experience than chasing the latest shiny features.