When you release the same, nearly perfect game every 12 months, the distinctions between old and new become slight, bordering on esoteric. But to those of you, like me, who’ve played FIFA ritualistically for the entire 21st century, the small differences can render huge improvements. In terms of gameplay, FIFA 15 has some very noticeable changes from its predecessor. As far as offering an authentic soccer atmosphere every match, the game is unparalleled
Storytelling is almost seamlessly interrupted by reactions to major happenings on the pitch. The crowds sound great. Region-specific chants that are designated by club and league immerse you in the game. It would be nice if Smith and Tyler had a bit larger name database programmed in. In games without as many well-known stars, there are times when the announce team is a bit quiet for stretches. This does not seem to be the case when playing a Premier League match or a La Liga clash. However, if you're looking to play some MLS action, you might notice a vastly different audio experience.
The penalty area is also home to another far-reaching tweak to the gameplay. There are many more deflections, rebounds and scrappy goalmouth scrambles than in previous FIFA games. Given the newfound intelligence of your strike partners, this tends to mean more goals scored by well-positioned poachers feeding off rebounds but it also makes for some comical, and glorious, looping deflections spinning in over the ‘keeper’s head. Another introduction that makes a big difference during gameplay is the new option to switch to the receivers during corners and throw ins. Basically, you’ll lose control of how the set piece is taken but instead you get to engage in a physical battle for position and call for the pass when you want it. It won’t always come to you but there’s great delight in using this system to create space for yourself and just as much joy in using your greater control over a player’s movement to create that space for someone else.
After we discovered this, we spent plenty of time trying to duplicate our results with hit and miss outcomes. We think it may also depend on where the ball is at your feet. If it is literally right on top of your foot, you might just boot it away when attempting to dive. We seem to have better results when the ball is a little further ahead of our player, either at full sprint or if the defender slows us down enough with his jockeying. Again, we’re not saying diving is 100 percent possible in FIFA 15 with an easy to hit button and a guaranteed outcome. However, it did happen enough to draw our attention.
There are a few other areas of FIFA 15 that need to be worked on as well. The Creation Centre, which had been my favourite feature over the last few years, has been left out due to the shift from Impact to Ignite. No longer can you create your own teams, with their own unique kits and crests. Career mode feels the same as ever, despite the new lick of paint, and custom tournaments have also been left untouched. It seems that the focus this year has definitely been on improving the action on the pitch rather than tackling game modes. For the last few years the FIFA series had been flagging, barely changing from one year to the next. This year, however, EA Sports have used the move to a new engine on next-gen consoles to bounce back, introducing a wide range of useful, if poorly named, new features. Some of the game modes are the same as ever, and the Creation Centre has been dropped, but the developments on the pitch are remarkable and work well to make this one of the best FIFAs in years.
