Fifa 16 is hitting shelves - and early reviews indicate that the minor tweaks and new modes added to last year's game make it enough to upgrade. But they might not be enough to tempt people from moving over to its rival, PES 2016. The game brings new changes including new game dynamics, women's teams and new game modes. The game feels markedly different from last year, with a slightly more considered, often slower feel from Fifa 15. “Without the Olympian velocity of a Cristiano Ronaldo or Yaya Toure’s adamantine strength, finesse is imperative,” writes Ben Wilson. “That means recycling possession among midfielders and full-backs until a tantalizing defensive gap offers a through-ball opportunity, or an out-of-position opponent provides a brief window in which to cross.”
But because creating space and chances with FIFA's new defensive AI, is noticeably harder. To do it effectively you need to be able to break that added discipline by injecting pace in to your passing. Which is where FIFA's new Passing With Purpose comes in. Now, when you pass and hold the R1 modifier, it will add extra venom to your ground passes. So if there's a tight corridor you want to pass through, you can do it but, it's very much a risk reward based system. The R1 pass comes in very hot meaning heavy touches from the receiver are common place, especially in tight areas. You'll need to use it carefully, but when you do fire in a pass to say Messi and it just sticks, it feels amazing. It's also very useful tool for switching the play without having to endure a slow, floating long pass. Another added bonus.
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EA Sports have worked hard on improving the all-round gameplay and it's paying off as the game gradually becomes tougher. For example, the first two goals I conceded on Ultimate Team were down to me assuming my player (I'm blaming you, Phil Jagielka) would simply hoover up the ball that was coming towards him and I'd be able to launch a swift counter-attack. In fact he carried on running in a straight line, the ball went past him and the forward was through on goal. Twice. In the same game. Welcome to FIFA 16. It's a steep learning curve and the reduced level of AI involved when controlling a player means the days of lazy defending - and attacking - are long gone. I lost count of the number of penalties I gave away early on by assuming that charging at the man with the ball would mean I would simply come away with it. That isn't to say the general level of AI has decreased. Far from it.
Across all other areas of the game the computer has become smarter and will make moves to cut off your attacks by holding their position or closing down space in a much-more realistic manner. They introduced a new animation which looks like a spinning step. What this does is maintain your balance even you are beaten by a defender or if you lose you ball while dribbling. For example, when you are playing down the wings and you knock the ball forward you lose control of the ball and the opponent can easily take the ball. This will be fixed by the spinning step technique. There are, in other words, lots of real changes (including better player head-tracking, because by the way that thing about looking up was true) and perhaps the greatest and most controversial is the inclusion of women’s football for the first time.
The most predictable, least appealing element of this announcement was the hostile reaction it got from some quarters (Channon’s line is unequivocal: "We want to be the most authentic football game in the world, and if we want that women need to be part of our game") but there are happier, more surprising sides to the story too. The women’s game is great to play, for one thing--very much its own thing, with a different pace more deliberate build-up play. It feels logically and organically different from the men’s game, perhaps because the ratings system for women has been redesigned around the differing priorities and emphases of how they play football. An 85 rating in the women’s game, says Channon, can’t be translated directly into any rating in the men’s game, as attributes carry a different weighting into the overall player score.
