This year promotional buzzwords promised ‘Confidence in Defending, Control in Midfield’ and ‘Moments of Magic’. However in reality I’d have gone with ‘Like Someone Stuck FIFA 15 on the Slowest Setting’. We all remember the days when you’d give Gabby Agbonlahor the nod up top for England or play Roberto Carlos as a LWF because searing pace meant everything. But FIFA 16’s biggest names, no matter how ‘fast’ they are, are more like Steve Evans running down the Wembley touchline rather than Sterling or Walcott. The gameplay has not changed much, although it is arguably sharper and more realistic than previous versions. Teammates space themselves out nicely, defenders are better at interfering with attacking play and there is an increased need for method and tactics than before. This can surely only be for the benefit of the gameplay.
Adding to the realism, the referees are ever-ready to punish any kind of tackle on a player and so beware the proliferation of bookings and free-kicks. These key gameplay features don’t instantly take hold, and the first dozen or so games will feel slower than last year. But stick with it, and these refinements present an iteration of FIFA which allow the engine to excel, creating new types of goals, and intriguing challenges for those who like to go deeper into tactical play. They allow the flow of the game to increase and decrease like real world football, and together, they make FIFA more playable for the long term, encouraging master, rather than showing the goods to the player at the first kick and allowing them to run with it. It’s a laudable design decision, and one I commend.
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The problem with this slower pace and more deliberate build-up play is that FIFA 16 loses that little bit of magic along the way. More patience is required when you're not counter-attacking, and you're more likely to play keep-ball around the midfield - without as much intent. Sure, you're still capable of producing wonderful team goals and individual strikes, but the slower build-up play means that they're fewer and farther between. It's definitely more satisfying when you score a sublime team goal, but come up against a resolute defence and games lose some of their excitement.
In FIFA 16, no shot is the same and players will feel the difference every time they make a strike. Newly defined orientation of the foot and ankle means players will have access to a wider variety in shot types. The end result? More exciting goals. Stop ‘em when it matters most. FIFA 16 gives you the means to stop your opponent with confidence. You’ll move with greater freedom as a defender, rely on your team to defend as a unit, and your back line to track and intercept runs. It’s all about creating balance between attacking and defending.
It all feels like a bit of a compromise, which perhaps explains why the more successful and ultimately the more lucrative part of the game, Ultimate Team, is now EA's priority. Such is its addictiveness you could almost push it as a product of its own, though the development team has had the commercial sense to wrap it in all the kinds of paraphernalia fans have come to expect; one off matches, online tournaments, etc etc. The much anticipated FIFA 16 release date has come weeks before the scheduled announcement at this year’s E3 conference. The next installment of the FIFA series will land on shelves as early as September 22 in North America. Subsequent releases will be made available shortly afterwards.
Ea has definitely changed the mobile aspect of their game with a new and powerful engine, however there's still much for them to do in inorder for fans of the mobile platform to fully enjoy it, Here a some pictures i got from playing the game.
