Reviewing FIFA 16 for PC is a tricky proposition. Sure, EA Canada has yet again laid out an all encompassing soccer sm?rg?sbord that boasts immaculate presentation and dizzying production values. Yet it's hard to fight off the feeling this season's effort feels more like a glorified DLC pack, rather than the full priced annual update you'd hope for. What little that has changed revolves around subtly tinkered with passing on the ground. Previously, the FIFA community would complain that zipping the ball about a packed midfield was like a giant game of human pinball being played out between 22 millionaires. Now, though, stroking the ball even 10 yards between midfielders can feel downright glacial, with passes demonstrably slower than they were last year.
As we already have explained, with higher chemistry the boosts will consequently be higher. Looking to this table you can see, for example, that if you place a player with a chemistry of 7, he will loose half of the boost. In the same way, if he only has 4 of chemistry, it makes no sense to apply him a chemistry style since no stat will be boosted. To chemistry values lower than 4 the in-game stats of the particular player will gradually be lowered, hindering the player’s ability. You probably have understood that for chemistries lower than 10, there will be less stats boosted. But which stats are affected by lower chemistries ? In a basic chemistry style, for example, if the player has chemistry of 9, which stat loose its boost ?
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Making things more jarring is the fact that PES' commentary team rarely describes anything happening on the pitch. At least FIFA's talkie bits, while repetitive, are accurate. It's hardly something that'll matter much to longtime Pro Evo fans, who'll be used to this particular shortcoming by now, but for newcomers it's definitely going to throw a spanner in the works, and may even convince them to pick up FIFA instead. When it comes to the players themselves, both games do a tremendous job of bringing the sport's biggest stars to life. Ronaldo, Messi, Robben, Neymar, Bale and more have all been fully realised, and it's always impressive to see players not only look, but behave as they would in real life.
Also, as good as the "FIFA" franchise is, I lament that there's no viable challenger to the throne beyond the "Football Manager" series, which focuses almost completely on the areas and nuances that "FIFA" couldn't possibly cover. While some features have seeped across from "FM" to EA Sports in manager mode -- it's now entirely possible to craft a formation and range of forensic in-game player roles so absurd that not even Marcelo Bielsa could imagine it -- there is a need for another contender in this space. The added energy would only inspire EA and others to evolve their games at a faster clip.
The addition of women's national teams to the main game is seamless – proving a necessary and worthwhile addition. The likes of Jill Scott and Eni Aluko play noticeably differently than their male counterparts but are no less fun to control - and taking England to the World Cup final they deserved this year is a very rewarding feeling. On the pitch, the game feels more deliberately paced and that works for the better. Speed merchants, or those who love holding the right trigger down for endless sprinting, will find their options limited this year. FIFA 16 is no revolution – nor did it need to be. Gamers will get more than just a squad update for their hard-earned money. Pro Evo may be closing the gap but FIFA remains streets ahead. For now.
The menus - slick…the presentation - very good…the graphics - awesome…the inclusion of women - under-appreciated! Ultimate team clearly gets a lot of attention and I guess it’s based on metrics that EA undoubtedly use to determine where to focus their efforts. If only such attention was paid to the rest of the game, this year could have been a true gem. Who knows, with updates FIFA 16 might just become one! FIFA 16 may not be liked by everyone right now but there is enough variety in game modes that you should enjoy some part of this game though. I personally like the women’s game (sad I can’t find anyone to play with in Seasons though) and skill games (very challenging). So get to tweaking EA! Oh and thanks for the beautiful game!
