Like Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Christmas, the FIFA video games series has become somewhat of a permanent fixture on the calendar. Each year, the football simulator is released with a series of minor updates and improvements to make the beautiful game… well, more beautiful. Keeping with tradition, FIFA 16 has hit the shelves, with the main draw for the latest iteration being improved gameplay, FIFA Ultimate Team Draft and women’s football teams. Those who played last year’s installment will remember the particularly heavy emphasis on pace and lofted through balls, which dominated online matches. EA has ironed out these flaws in FIFA 16, with the slower pacing opening up different styles of play and requiring players to think more tactically than ever before.
Available for multiple platforms, "FIFA 16" was designed to deliver an authentic professional soccer ("football" or "futball") experience. This ranges from the way the players look and move on the pitch to the authentic stadiums and the rules of the various leagues (even down to the crowd's chants). There's a lot new this year including the option to play as Women's National Teams (selecting from 12 teams). There's a new FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) Draft mode, as well as a revamped Career mode with requested features from fans (pre-season tournaments and player training). Finally, there are new defense controls, passing options, and a focus on the midfield, along with additional Skill Games designed for those new to the franchise.
Another notable addition this season is the long awaited inclusion of women soccer rosters. It is about damn time for the ladies to get their time in the digital sun, and they certainly make the most of it. However, much like in real life, there are some fundamental differences in between playing a friendly with men or women. For one, women are actually smaller on the field itself, which has far-reaching ramifications such as the need to play a more aggressive form of defense. The goalies are smaller, which makes it more difficult to cover the entirety of the net; hence the need for help from the backfield. Additionally, the smaller character models do lead to the progression of the ball down the pitch being slightly slower. The end result is a quality soccer experience, albeit one that operates at a slightly slower and more deliberate pace than their testosterone infused counterparts.
Another new addition adds the ability to press in the R stick and turn on the FIFA Trainer, which acts as a guide to help with next best actions. It would be a cool little feature, especially for those new to the game. If it worked. Most of the time it was telling me to slide tackle, when I was nowhere near any other player. How about showing me the buttons for speeding up my player instead? I would recommend only using it if players are unfamiliar with the controls. On the plus side though, FIFA 16 introduces a few new changes with pre-season tournaments, as well as a more in-depth player training feature.
Speaking of multiplayer, it’s important to note that FIFA 16 seems to have very solid online play. My experience was smooth as butter, and not even a hint of lag presented itself. That bodes well for those who spend hours upon hours playing against friends and strangers. FIFA Ultimate Team will be the highlight for many, but my favourite part of FIFA 16 is a brand new addition, that being women’s soccer. EA deserves commendation for opting to include the female side of the sport in this game, as it’s about time that they received this type of respect. Although it’s not as physical as the men’s game - as is pointed out by the interesting color commentator - it’s become very skilled and is very entertaining. I certainly appreciated being able to play as Team Canada and score countless goals as Christine Sinclair, who’s been one of my country’s best and classiest athletes for quite a few years.
For every positive thing I have to say about a specific mode or mechanic, I can balance it with something negative, and this is very frustrating for me. Despite the fact that I feel PES is more polished and provides a better on-pitch experience, I simply cannot separate myself from the addictive nature of Clubs or Ultimate Team. Introducing FUT Draft has only increased my addiction to FIFA and despite all of its technical issues, FIFA 16 stands strong in my eyes as one of the most enjoyable and well-rounded football games to date.
