Starting with the raw gameplay, this year’s FIFA somehow manages to add only 3 notable changes and yet still plays much better than last year’s almost arcade-style entry. Players now have the ability to pull off satisfying driven passes, can dribble with the new no-touch system that allows you to feint in all sorts of directions to beat your opponent without a touch of the ball, and most importantly, thanks to the changes made to the passing system, can play with a more realistic style. No longer can one launch an inch perfect ball when they are not even looking at the general direction of their intended pass.
While this sometimes slows down the gameplay, it adds a grand level of realism as you must now play out of your area with a little more caution and are sometimes forced to play it safe, akin to the actual sport. Players on defense will actively go after the ball. They’ll jump right into the passing lanes, making it tougher than ever to keep possession, especially in the midfield. Initially, that was fantastic to see. The problem quickly became apparent when players whose team has possession will just stand around and watch, and allow the defenders to get to the ball without making an effort of their own.
Passing also seems to randomly go haywire, with an unusual amount of power (for how long the button was held) being placed on balls that are sent beyond their intended targets, who let them go right by. The driven pass is the counter balance to interceptions. Interceptions are your defence’s best weapon, driven passes are your attack’s best weapon. Matches will be won and lost depending on who masters the driven pass the best. In some scenarios, it is the only way through the opposition’s defence.
Handballs are back which I’m very happy about. They don’t happen very frequently either which was the main downside o f having them in previous games. To go with the headline grabbing FUT Draft there are a host of other small changes which improve the FUT user experience. Most notably the return of the Transfer Market on web and mobile devices, but also the new item tagging system which makes sorting out those troublesomely large packs easy and efficient. It’s by no means a show stopper, but any time repeatable annoyance is removed from the game, it’s something to be celebrated.
In FIFA 16, you will have three options to choose from, with the tournament proceeds varying based upon the level of competition. If you choose the likes of Stoke City as your club you don’t have to worry about initially being paired up with Real Madrid or Barcelona. For a first iteration, these tournaments are surprisingly well thought-out as clubs will play a mixture of youngsters and first-team regulars, much as they would in real-life. Some international players might also be unavailable as they participate in summer tournaments for their country.
Now, players can be assigned to specific Skill Games which will then improve their ability (and eventually their rating) in that category. It’s a very smart and welcome move, expanding on the already polished mode. Of course the next step is to veer away from this ‘classic’ Career style and into a story-orientated NBA 2K-esque experience, which FIFA still doesn’t come close to. No longer will your high-pace strikers simply blow by the back line; you’ll need to use sound plays and work to get into open space. Just like in midfield, the defenders are more aware and capable of intercepting crosses and passes.
New standing and sliding tackles also come into play, and offer a very nice balance between effectiveness and drawing fouls. The speed of the game also feels slower, and more realistic compared to last year’s end-to-end marathons - which plays nicely into the new mechanics that are all about the build up of play. Goalies also showcase some improved positioning and reaction times, though the odd weird goal still occurs.
