You oftentimes don't reap what you sow. You can meticulously build towards the sort of all-inclusive team goal, the likes of which would make Ajax legend Rinus Michels blush with glee all to be undone by a moment of measured brilliance out of nowhere - left-footed volley against Bayer Leverkusen to seal a Champions League triumph back in 2002. It may feel unfair, and at times downright unjust, but that's what makes the sport the most beloved throughout the world; that level of fervor and unpredictability.
Until now, EA Sports Canada's attempts at replicating The Beautiful Game have ranged between incredibly competent realizations all the way down to inconsequential in the face of Pro Evolution Soccer's past dominance. It's been an up and down ride, but make no mistake, this year's iteration brings with it one of the most pronounced gameplay upheavals in recent memory. Once I created a team, I then had to prove myself online. This is where FIFA 16 excels. EA have had years to perfect the online experience, and by most accounts, it’s seamless. Taking my FUT online and finding people to play was easy and I had very little issues.
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Of course, the result of the match depends on the ability of the team, and with my starting players I had a battle on my hands when I encountered other FIFA players who had paid lots to increase their squad. The usual array of career modes, training games and other time-consuming features remain in FIFA 16. Live updates also return, ensuring the game will remain relevant all the way until next September. If you’re sinking your life into Ultimate Team and a career mode, say goodbye to having friends (virtual Dimitri Payet doesn’t count).
This year’s presentation is predictably fantastic. From the Barclays Premier League overlay to the replication of all Premier League grounds and commentary that doesn’t grate (no mean feat after PES 2016’s horrific introduction of an over-animated Peter Drury), the usual slickness hasn’t dropped an ounce of what the kids call “swag.” I have seen in a number of forums that finding an opponent can also be a problem. Players around the world have mentioned that they are not given a match on Ultimate Team. I actually had this problem for the first few hours, but now I can find a match in one or two tries. This is a big problem because this mode is all about finding an opponent to play with your created team. You can play single player but the fun of the game mode is to play against other teams around the world.
I’m not currently in the best position to judge the fidelity of EA’s server set-up this year, because my own internet has been busy being terrible for the past week. I can say this much. Even with terrible internet, the input lag/match judder-glitches have been no worse than with FIFA 15 on PC, so I’m going to cautiously suggest things are at least static in that department. They may even be slightly better. That said, I’ve seen plenty of people reporting Ultimate Team match disconnection woes, lost FIFA points and the like.
Martin Tyler and Alan Smith return to the fold again, as the game’s play-by-play and color commentators. They do a rather solid job, too, although there’s room for improvement. The commentary features a lot of color, meaning that there’s some good discussion and interesting points about what’s going on, the teams that are playing and the women’s game as well, but there could be more. Overall, FIFA 16 is a return to form for soccer’s most popular video game franchise, and ushers in a welcomed new way to play with the introduction of female teams. It’s a very solid pick-up for anyone in the market for a footie game, and exists as another step forward for the critically acclaimed series.
