As crazy as it may sound, this year ActionTrip is actually reviewing two football games in a single year! No, this isn’t some horrible contender for Madden’s throne. This time around we are covering the true football…you know, the one that actually consists of constantly kicking a ball with your foot. It is time to bust out our vuvuzelas and crack open a copy of FIFA 16. As stellar as most of FIFA’s outings have been, last year’s installment was less of a critical success, in light of the resurgence of Pro Evolution Soccer. Yet somehow this year, EA has managed to once again throw down the gauntlet and directly address many of the series’ perceived shortcomings. It seems pretty obvious that the development team is eager to prove that last season was a fluke. This year EA Sports is playing for keeps.

 

When it comes to modes, FIFA 16 has a lot to offer. It asks you to pick your favorite team, monitors it and lets you play its upcoming game(s) and features a host of online options including ranked matches, leagues and online tournaments. You’ll also find returning fan favorites, like the Be a Pro-esque player and manager Careers, plus the card-based FIFA Ultimate Team collectathon. The latter has been an annual addiction for many hardcore fans, and that will surely be the case again this year. This time around, a new way to play FUT has emerged. They call it the draft, and it allows you to pick players for each position on your squad. I’m not talking about shitty footballers, either; these are good, high-rated players with rankings that top out at about 84/100. As such, you’ll likely be able to create a pretty strong team, although the catch is that you can only use it in draft mode and even then, the mode is locked behind a paywall. To play it, you’ll have to earn opportunities by playing, or spend FIFA 16 coins. I assume that you can also keep playing if you win, but I didn’t fare that well online.

 

Unfortunately, it feels as if they gone too far in the opposite direction. Individual players do not feel as distinct as they did in FIFA 13 or 14 and hitting a long, lobbed pass invariably results in the loss of possession. A lot of the time it feels like the only way to eke out a result is through short, quick passing, but the moves seldom come across as genuinely fluid. The outcome is an over reliance on using two or three players in a triangular formation to pass your way out of trouble, or using the driven pass option which can cause the receiving player to lose control of the ball. More generally, the latest evolution of EA’s long running series has slowed down the pace a little and curbed the excesses of star players. Against the AI at least, it is no longer possible to wrest control of the ball in your own half and then slalom past opposition players en route to a long-range goal. The defenders post a sterner challenge than last year and overall, the developers have tried to make midfield battles far more integral to the outcome of matches.

 

A major new addition to the gameplay is driven passes, which allow players to ping a ground ball across the turf. These are activated by holding the right shoulder button while passing, driven passes come with the element of risk, as a high amount of precision and skill is required to pull them off successfully. Their inclusion makes possession play a lot more satisfying, as players attempt to benefit from the gaps in the defence. Parents need to know that "FIFA 16" is the latest iteration of EA sports yearly soccer simulation. There is no controversial content in this game. And for the first time in the franchise's history, players can select to play as women's teams along with the standard men's football clubs. There are two small caveats: first, gamers who play online can talk with other people and no one from EA Sports will filter or moderate the discussions, possibly exposing players to inappropriate content. Second, there are many logos for brands splashed all over the stadiums and on the players, as well as optional in-app purchases.

 

FIFA 16 does not have any mind-blowing new additions that could stand on its own and drag PES fans or new fans into the fold. Instead, EA has brought on small tweaks, changes, and improvements to nearly every aspect to continue shaping FIFA into the ultimate homage to the game. While those looking for an extremely arcade style feel and the ball constantly being shot/played into the attacking third should stick with FIFA 15, FIFA 16 will be a welcome move for anyone hoping for a realistic experience or the ability to alter reality.