Gamers are going to notice some subtle changes almost immediately in FIFA 16 when it comes to dribbling and make their way across the pitch towards net. Players’ ratings have a more noticeable effect on every aspect of their game, but dribbling is definitely where it stands out. For example, a player such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who might be a monster at 6’5” and every bit of a nightmare to deal with in the box, isn’t necessarily the best player to dribble up the middle with. The movements will almost seem clunky. On the flip side of this, Lionel Messi is going to look like a well-oiled engine pushing the attack. Dribbles are crisp and cuts are tight for the Argentine. It doesn’t take long to figure out what a player’s strengths and weaknesses are as the Ignite Engine certainly makes it clear after a match or two.
In more ways than just the FUT 16 loaners, FIFA 16 does an excellent job inviting players in. The cluttered morass of menus that bogged down entries like FIFA is greatly simplified here. Want to get to the extended role-playing career modes, where you can play through as a manager or player? They’re in one menu. Want to play a season online, or a co-op season? They’re together too. And if you ever want to spend those
FIFA 16 coins you get from just playing the game to open up new goal celebration moves or perks like adding an extra game to a season (which you can use to improve your record), the catalog is always accessible by clicking the right analog stick, as the big, non-invasive prompt always on screen indicates.
With FIFA, the priority was clearly on getting a smooth-playing and well-animating game that had improved shot releases and footwork. With FIFA 16, the developers have filled in a lot more of the gaps, as now the shot release is paired with proper shot physics, and balls will sail or drift when additional power is applied. I’m happy to see players not always just roofing it when they get a sight line on the net, as a touch of extra pepper will send the ball careening into the stands. This goes for headers, too, as the release point on those has also been changed.
From Robben’s jinking runs and Pirlo’s on ball grace to Bale’s blistering pace and John Terry’s diving blocks, PES is a joy to play with the world’s best players. Skill moves still need an overhaul as players like Neymar and Reús still feel sluggish through the animations but the unrealistic crazy juggle fest that FIFA 16 can become online is hardly a better alternative. PES 2015 requires players to use a team to win games while encouraging individual performances. Isn’t that what football is all about?
FIFA has long had more than eight directions of movement, but the from-the-stands camera angle has the effect of foreshortening the width of the pitch, making it harder to judge distances, and impossible to see who might be lurking thirty feet ahead of you and just a little off screen. In this instance, computer-assisted passing becomes a necessity to all FIFA players except perhaps the savants. The ball physics and movement also saw very big changes. Shots and crosses look a lot more natural for instance. What this does is every shot and cross looks different every time instead of using the same animations. When on defense you’ll see that sometimes just standing in the right spot will disrupt an offensive.
Let’s be frank, if there is one area that EA SPORTS never fail to deliver on then it would be the commentary, pitch-side audio and in-game music offerings. EA TRAX has become a platform for many a music artist to promote their careers and receive worldwide recognition. This year is no different as FIFA 16 continues this trend. To compliment the superb broadcast style feel within this years game the team have added new fan chants and pitch sounds. Furthermore, we also see updated commentary lines that take into account the performances of teams and players over the last calendar year.
Goalkeepers. Wow, what is there to say. This feature, by far, is FIFA 16’s golden egg. We reported earlier about Tim Howard jumping on board to help FIFA improve goalkeepers, and now we are seeing it come to life. The goalkeepers are phenomenal, stopping shots they wouldn’t dream of stopping in previous titles.The keepers go after rebounds, instead of lying prone on the ground as they used to. The only issue is slow chipped balls. In FIFA, the goalies would at least attempt to dive backwards and smack it away, but here they chase it as if they are on a leisurely stroll in the park. That is the only negative aspect in a greatly improved feature.
