There is no doubt that FIFA 15 was the game that brought next generation gaming to the series. The first outing with the console launches, while improved, did not take too much advantage of the hardware but the second outing last year was one of the games of the year. So where was EA to go from here? They had crafted the best football game on the market, but little did we know that EA had some more tricks up its sleeve. Not only does FIFA 16 improve upon its predecessor in expected ways, it also has a few tricks up its sleeve, and two brand new modes that are sure to keep gamers happy with the franchise for yet another twelve months.
The last couple of entries in the FIFA series was dominated by the pace of the players across all game modes. The tactic was get it to the speediest player and just run. It was a tactic that lead to virtually every single online game being Real Madrid vs Barcelona. If you chose any other team you had no chance. The defenders wouldn’t and couldn’t react to a speedy winger or strikers. FIFA 16 aims to fix that. FIFA 16 has seen an overhaul to the defensive mechanics of the defending players. Centre backs now mark tightly, constantly hassling and tugging at the shirts of even the strongest players. Full-backs which notoriously went AWOL in previous versions now track the opposition properly and look to step in front of onrushing wingers before they can reach top speed. Defensive midfielders now react better to under-hit passes and are always looking to spring a deadly counterattack.
After you win your first match, you can jump right into all that FIFA 16 has to offer. Career Mode, online matches, Ultimate Team, Match Day, or a quick match ("Kick-Off") – it’s all up to you what you feel like playing. You can start multiple careers at the same time, no matter whether you want to play the whole team or concentrate on a single player – and like in FIFA 15, you can also create and train your own player. They do a good job of realistically simulating a soccer career, too – young players often have to spend a couple of games on the bench before they can take the field. Of course, you can take control of any one of the 650+ clubs available in the course of a career, or start the game with your favorite team.
(Update: There has been some confusion regarding the exact release date. Despite the initial reveal trailer stating a September 25th release, IGN are now reporting the date to be September 22nd. We would assume that the 22nd will be the North American release date, with everyone else following on the 25th, but this is just speculation for now.) We are expecting to see more information in the near-future as EA are advertising the release of a full FIFA 16 gameplay trailer on Youtube for subscribers to their channel. If EA stick to previous schedules, the trailer is likely to be unveiled around the time of E3 2015.
Having a forward with at least 80 finishing will make a world of difference to your experience. While the FIFA Trainer is a noble attempt to introduce players to the basics of the game during a match, it takes up far too much real estate on the screen and is far too distracting, to the point where it detracts from the actual match. Instead, stick to the Skill Games if you want to learn or improve upon the fundamentals. They're still the best way to learn, and with the new and improved training drills, this is the best and most fun year for them.
FIFA 16 is an incredibly good looking football game, though at the same time very similar to both FIFA 15 and FIFA 14 thanks to the Ignite engine – PES’s Fox Engine is still excellent, but cannot match FIFA’s visuals. Don’t expect a major graphical overhaul between last year’s offering and this one. The gameplay does however feel different, and games are much more challenging too. Goalkeepers are considerably tougher to score against as they catch the long balls, dive at players feet, and parry away shots with much more consistency. While this more intelligent goalkeeping brings a better sense of realism, it does feel like risk has been sacrificed.
