More successful in FIFA 16 is the new FUT Draft
FIFA 16 is a generous package that's fit to burst with leagues, licenses and single and multiplayer game modes, but EA's pursuit of realism takes some of the shine off of the on-field action. The likes of Brendan Rodgers and Louis Van Gaal are always bleating on about their footballing philosophies, so much so that you'll need a bachelor's degree just to understand their post-match interviews on Match of the Day. The upshot of FIFA 16's familiarity and accessibility is that there are a lot of players of a high quality. Finding a rival that understands the game, whether online or in person, is not a challenging venture. This makes for matches that are keenly fought, with the game smoothly flowing back and forth between different phases of attack and defense.
The difference between winning and losing against human players continues to come down to who makes the fewest mistakes, rather than an intelligent strategy, but the extra pressure of these matches makes them consistently compelling. Passing also requires more care, both in placement and power. No longer do first-time flicks drift perfectly into a teammates' path unless you master the reworked options. There are specific button sequences for lofted passes or through-balls as before, but with the additions of "Pass With Purpose" (a heavier, quicker pass to find a teammate in space and cue an attack) and a wider range of pass-fakes and dribble options to allow cannier players to breeze toward goal.
It's worth noting, however, that these new features generally work better with higher-rated players/teams within the game. As much as you'd like to take Preston North End to the Premier League with a Pep Guardiola-esque counterattack, it will require plenty of time (and a few new signings) in order to pull it off. Again, realism! This imbalance isn't new, and neither are the ongoing legacy issues which continue to prove a hindrance. The three-point turn continues to be the best skill in the game, because player animations are so rigid and player models so big that it's the most effective way to dismiss a defender: they can't react quick enough to sharp-angled changes of direction. Even when you've beaten your opposition, there's still a lack of fluidity in the final third unless the ball is on the wings.
Off the pitch, the final hour of deadline day in career mode still passes without the ability to confirm signings, meaning any pending deals are dead in the water. These issues will take, it seems, more than a yearly update to iron out. More successful is the new FIFA Ultimate Team Draft, which is similar to Madden's Draft Champions, but with a few key differences. As with Draft Champions, the FUT Draft lets you choose from a pool of randomly selected players to put together a dream team and try to win as many games as possible. Unlike Madden, though, EA Canada makes no bones about the mode being there to grind coins and acquire players for Ultimate Team.
There's a fee to play - 15,000 coins or around $3 in real money - but much greater rewards. Prizes vary, but there are reports of players getting "jumbo premium gold packs" containing the likes of Wayne Rooney and Franck Ribery for hitting the maximum of four wins, putting it more in line with Hearthstone's Arena Mode. The German Bundesliga now has a graphics package that mimics their television broadcasts, similar to the Premier League. More crowd chants enhances the experience along with new types of weather, player celebrations and even the referees’vanishing spray.
An added online mode is the FIFA Interactive World Cup. Previously, gamers could only qualify if they were playing on PlayStation platforms, now the tournament is available on Xbox One as well. Similar to Online Seasons, users play a certain amount of qualification games per month. The only monthly seasons are October, November and December. This is something that will only give the FIFA series more attention now that it is available on Xbox One.
