In FUT Draft, think carefully about your formation. Once you start FUT Draft, your first task is to choose a formation. You'll be presented with five options, choose one that you're both comfortable with and have used before. Don't become a Mourinho-style tactician and choose whatever is in vogue, go with something that presents options in attack but also doesn't leave you vulnerable to quick counter attacks. Also, choose the formation that has the best types of players. A formation with wingers is always good as football is full of all-star wide men. Having two holding midfielders isn't as high a priority.
It’s a small change, that’s for sure, but it’s the kind of window dressing that allows you to more easily suspend your disbelief and get involved in the showmanship of what is the world’s centrepiece sport. "This is a brand new way to play," creative director Adam Shaikh said. "We believe it's probably the biggest game changer in FIFA Ultimate Team [FUT] in terms of how we play the game and what it'll do for you." It doesn't matter if you win or lose the match, you'll still receive this reward at its conclusion. A high stakes mode that 'distils the essence' of the popular mode. Away from the gameplay, the graphics are stunning. Players are rendered in amazing detail, kits look hyper-real, and at least on Xbox One the game manages to animate an entire stadium in such fine, living detail that you could mistake it for the real thing.
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But I digress: that sort of defensive accountability is what I have craved in a FIFA game. It gives me the confidence to rely on my AI-controlled teammates to defend accordingly. I must also applaud EA Canada’s balancing act in managing this enhanced defensive prowess with more of a reliance on precision passing. Passing with purpose is an attacking element, allowing you to drive sharp, incisive passes to teammates in space. Crosses are now automatically placed more into space, but they rely on a balance of precise timing and teammate placement as a means to avoid the overpowered crossing mechanics from FIFA 14. It’s tougher, and I often found my crossed balls sailing directly to the keeper or well over the box to the other side of the pitch. But after a few hours I felt that crosses had more purpose in FIFA 16, and that they tie in well with an efficient, speedy transition out of defence.
Then you have to consider the addition of Draft Mode, which makes the popular Ultimate Team that much more attractive to soccer buffs. You still purchase card packs and build your own team, but now you can also build a temporary team on a position-by-position basis. The finished team is pitted against other Draft players and the Coin rewards are larger than normal for a winning streak. And as I said in the Madden NFL 16 review, I’ve always had a soft spot for card collecting, as I was indeed a collector in my younger days. Opening up a digital pack isn’t quite as satisfying but the thrill of discovery is still there, and while Draft mode requires 15,000 Coins to enter, it’s worth it because piecing together that team is a blast. Hell, it isn’t that much different than some of the games I used to make up for myself (cards tickle the imagination).
Far from being simply a politically correct reskinning effort, the women’s teams play differently too – games feeling pacier and almost more free-flowing compared with those featuring their male counterparts. I’ll admit to being a little dubious about whether a few female teams would add much to the overall FIFA package, but I’m pleasantly surprised with the end result. There are 12 teams featured: Germany, England, Brazil, USA, France, Australia, Spain, China, Sweden, Canada, Italy and Mexico - all available in Match Day, Offline Tournaments, and Online Friendly Matches. Sadly, they’re unusable in Ultimate Team and Career modes – and it’s not possible to test the battle of the sexes and match them up against the guys! Still, there’s always next year.
It’s a sight every centre half would fear; Diego Costa, head down and charging at you like a battering ram. Now imagine him with overpowered pace, strength, dribbling and agility. It’s a nightmare and Ultimate Team’s attribute cards are video game poison. The “steroid cards” are one of the worst parts of FIFA because they serve no purpose other than to juice up your team and make them impossible to defend against. It’s highly agitating to go to all the effort of assembling a well-balanced squad then facing a team of non-rare golds who play like Messi, Ronaldo and Robben. The emphasis should be on squad building and chemistry, not paying to win each game by spending thousands of coins on ridiculous attribute cards.
