My very first match on FIFA 16 summed up what EA’s behemoth has become. Coming off the back of playing Pro Evolution Soccer - a game which Konami has revolutionised for the current generation of consoles - FIFA’s gameplay was a mess. It was a disjointed, stodgy, frustrating experience (and not just because my brother’s Liverpool was dismantling my Arsenal in a manner eerily similar to Suarez et al. in 2013/14). Certainly in comparison to PES, the passing was off, the controls needed modifying and the flow was non-existent.
As for the biggest change in FIFA 16, you can now play as twelve different national women’s teams. This comes on the heels of the 2015 Women’s World Cup that brought a host of new attention to the sport. This inclusion is one that is long overdue, but very great to see nonetheless. While you could complain saying women should have been in the game years ago, and they should have, it is best to acknowledge that playing as a female player in FIFA 16 is fun, and especially so when you run through your own World Cup tournament.
The player modeling for the women is dead-on, with ladies like Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan looking exactly like their real life counterparts. The first thing a player will notice right after kick-off (besides the sweet graphics, of course) is how slower the pace of the game is compared to last year’s game. Where last year’s game sometimes felt like a non-stop shooting gallery with blazing ping-pong action across the entire field, this year’s game more closely follows the pace of a typical real-life match.
As mentioned earlier, attacking was overpowered in FIFA 15. Player agility was skewed towards the offense allowing for attackers to jink their way around defenders and into the opponents final third with ease and regularity. With defense tuned to provide more balance, more build-up play is required in FIFA 16. “Passing with Purpose” is the catchphrase EA crafted and it’s 100 percent accurate. As referenced earlier, defender awareness has been ratcheted up forcing you to really think about your pass before playing it. Thankfully, your AI teammates will create lanes and show for you, usually giving you a safer option.
The dribbling skills will depend once again on who can learn the button flicks the quickest and also the skill of the team you are choosing. There’s no point in thinking you can pull a 360 rainbow flick followed by a reverse Rabona with someone from AFC Wimbledon now is there!? That will certainly change - now they’re there, there’s little chance they’ll be removed, so it’s something to build upon. But for now, it’s presented as little more than a sideshow and that can’t help but disappoint, even with all the positives of the women’s game actually featuring.
More interesting is the addition of draft mode in Ultimate Team. For an entry fee (FUT coins or FIFA points - which can be earned or bought with real cash), you get the chance to field a team of epic proportions… for a limited run. Draft mode offers 5 players for each position in your squad (including manager, formation, subs, and reserves), and measures the quality of your team through their skill and chemistry. This is a delicate balance to strike in practice, as players from the same country, league, or team are more likely to play well together. Do you choose skill? Or chemistry?
Fifa is deeply rooted in reality, not just with its official licences. Football matches these days are becoming more like games of chess played between master tacticians - firm defending and calculated build-up play are strong traits. EA does a good job of reflecting this, although it comes at a bit of a cost in terms of how entertaining the game is at times. PES’ style of football is faster, more free-flowing and offers more escapism.
