I’ve always been in two minds about the FIFA franchise. For a long time it’s been the premier football experience available - an opportunity for those of us born with two left feet to see how the beautiful game should be played. But on the other hand, that’s all there is to it. That a FIFA game will never surprise you is perhaps its greatest strength and its biggest weakness. With that said, it’s time for a slightly different look at the latest edition.
As usual EA have not failed to deliver in terms of realism and graphics with every installment of FIFA being more aesthetically pleasing than the previous one. Graphics and realism have just gotten better and gone from strength to strength. The possibilities are endless. While the realism of the chanting crowd, questionable referee decisions, goal line technology and so much more will leave you enthralled for hours of pure footballing heaven. The graphics are rather pleasing on the eye as well which does aid all this.
Now in my opinion I believe this feature was incredibly over hyped and over marketed. All it is, is friendly matches, with a stick of paint over it and put into a tournament. Yes you get to play in a variety of stadiums based on the location you are playing at which is nice, but it’s still just friendlies but just a little bit less generic. The AI plays with much more intensity, with the computer being much more difficult to play against in pre season tournaments for some reason, with them being far more aggressive both defensively and aggressive.
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Find the right mixture of skills to master and a bunch of “A” ratings every week mean for exceptional growth. Because Alli started off below a 70, each one of those key stats would grow the player faster. Before long, I had a mid-70s midfielder who had joined the starting XI and was only getting stronger. If there's one issue with the training is that it is very easy to forget to stop a simulation to do the sessions, which can only be done on non-match days. Plan on stopping your simulation on every Monday and you'll never forget.
New features and additions have been piled on top of creaking foundations for about a decade, and I get the impression it’s starting to seriously limit the extent to which the series’ ‘feel’ can really be altered. The same can be said for some of the dribble moves. The perky-jerky movements seem to be handled better with far smoother transitions. Narratives from the announcers and stat overlays related to your team or manager's journey add to the immersion.
You've now got to rely on a lot more cunning and anticipation to outgun a defender and the experience is all the better for it. Though still not perfect by any means - with collision detection, input lag, and the odd passing placement still suspect to a point - players now have to rely on diminutive movement rather than full-speed-ahead pace to get the better of an opposite number. It also makes you more appreciative of being able to read situations and react to certain stimuli as patterns emerge and it feels far more fulfilling to succeed as a result.
"FIFA 16" is a fantastic upgrade that brings about several important improvements and updates to the overall look of the game, as well as the gameplay. In fact, there are so many improvements that I couldn't possibly include them all in one review. You'll still curse in a bout of "FIFA" rage, but scoring a goal will bring that special joy only "FIFA" players know. "FIFA 16" still isn't perfect, but it's the best "FIFA" game yet.
