There is a reason that rivalries come in pairs. Throughout history we have seen constantly how duos have pushed each other to the very limits, and often beyond, of their powers. Nowhere is this phenomenon truer than in sport where recently Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to force each other to reach new, previously unreached, heights. Without this competition it is unlikely that the pair would have reached the levels they are at today and we can apply this theory to the contrasting fortunes of FIFA and Pro Evolution. Judging the latest installment, this is our FIFA 16 review. This is a rivalry that has seen one fall as the other rises and it is rare that throughout the history of these two gaming giants that both have put out a truly sensational game. This year though, things are a bit different. After so many years in the development wilderness Konami have finally seen all the pieces of their jigsaw fall into the piece.
Make no mistake about it, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is a seriously good game and it was released last week to critical acclaim. For the first time in years the pressure on EA Sports was really jacked up but I’m delighted to say that they have responded magnificently. FIFA 16 also boasts an improved career mode that adds Pre-Season Tournaments and Player Training to the mix. In the pre-season tournaments, the player’s club will be invited to three out of a possible nine tournament played in Europe, Latin America, Asia or North America. The matches allow players to hone the tactics and skills of their team to get a feel for where they stand before the games start to count. In Player Training, managers are able to train their squad to increase player development, allowing up to five squad players to train from numerous training drills. This mode allows more growth for young players to increase transfer values or form a formidable roster of rookies.
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Career Mode also brings with it year-long scout reports, friendly subs, improved transfers and the ability to sign free agents outside of the transfer window. If you're on the attacking side and have managed to through the midfield and the last line of defense, your teammates do well to react to incoming crosses into the box, and make themselves available for breakout passes. Like passing, the shooting mechanics have been tweaked as well. You'll need to learn your strikers particular quirks with regards to angle, direction, and power of the shot. There's certainly a higher percentage of missed shots this year, thanks to these new mechanics. On the whole, it's not just that FIFA 16 plays differently, it plays better and more lifelike.
For people already spending money in Ultimate Team, that isn’t going to matter. The rewards make the cost of entry worth it. But it eliminates what could have been an intriguing way for others to play the game. Draft Champions in Madden has been found to have widespread appeal. FUT Draft is not going to reach consumers in that same way, and as someone who doesn’t care for Ultimate Team it’s almost insulting to see a feature promoted in the manner it has been only to discover it’s not meant for anyone but the heavily invested and dedicated Ultimate Team player. Still there are other excellent modes in FIFA, from the Career Mode as a manager or an individual player, to the best-in-class online which includes Pro Clubs, Online Seasons, and Online Friendlies. Unfortunately another year has gone by without an online element being introduced to the game’s Career mode so multiple people could participate in one together.
FIFA 16 can be stubborn and stifling, but it feels gloriously new, and having to learn fresh strategies and nuances in a game series like this is an almost-forgotten pleasure. We should probably start with ‘everything’, as there’s a lot to get through. What I mean by ‘everything’ is that the heart of the game, the way in which FIFA plays football, has for the first time in a few years made a jump big enough to feel like a distinct break rather than an iterative polish. Last year’s slants and foibles--pace, over-the-top through-balls, maddening defender behaviour--have been taken sternly in hand, to the extent that playing FIFA 16 feels like learning a new game. It’s hard, and the first few games are a mixture of frustration and promise.
FIFA 16 is a game about balance in all its incarnations, a football game that understands the importance of spectacle and the impact that superstars can have, but also asks gamers to carefully move the ball around in order to unlock stubborn defenses and deliver a goal at a crucial moment.
