Last year, those who picked up FIFA for next gen found that the game was quite sensitive to reactions in career mode, resulting in FIFA 16 warning them about their antics and, ultimately, could get a player suspended or even found in breach of contract. Speaking of commands that can get a gamer in trouble, I recommend to everyone that, if you own a Kinect, it would be wise to turn off the microphone or voice commands. It’s much of the same this year, except that normal conversations triggered these events and would also mess up commands to my players on the pitch. Unless you’re a player who absolutely has to have the voice commands, turn them off. The experience is better.
Back to intelligence, FIFA 16 goalkeepers have been rewritten to look, move and think more like their real world counterparts, now better anticipating shots and passes. There are still occasions of funky behavior from keepers, so they don’t yet feel perfect, but there’s noticeable improvements - primarily in responsiveness - that can be seen on both sides of the ball. Another neat addition is that of improved team tactics. Instead of players focusing on simply running up the score, they will now adjust their tactics depending on the situation. For example, if an opposing team in FIFA 16 is beating you with minutes left to go, one of their players might decide to sit back with the ball and burn down the clock. You’ll see more conservative plays like this when a team is winning and more risks when team is playing from behind.
.jpg)
This FIFA 16 series has always looked great, and this year is no different. The in-game story and animations mentioned previously really elevate the atmosphere, and there is increased detail for player faces, kits and animation. In general, the faces look less plastic than before, and the hair tech provides a bit more bounce (but still actually looks kind of goofy). Kits now bend and crease more appropriately, and there is a better weight and movement on players when they tumble over from a foul. The degrading pitch in FIFA 16 looks fantastic, as you’ll now see divots, slide marks and footprints in the grass, and they stay there the whole match. This tech looks even cooler in the rain. It’s nice to see better woodwork and flag physics, too, as nets and flags will move properly when struck.
Then there is the overall gaming dynamic in FIFA 16. It is absolutely essential that one realizes that the AI in the game is far better than in any of the previous titles, from one-on-one shoulder to shoulder challenges, player reactions to tackles and even new celebrations or reactions when you score or miss. The FIFA 16 opposing defenders will react to open ball situations, they will push, pull and tug at you. The opposing goalkeeper will chase down a ball, and even come off his line to make a sweeper clearance. Then it is how these goalkeepers perform in one on one situations. The harder your game setting, the better they become. I also want to mention that your own AI players play like real footballers. They will seek gaps in the opposing team, running in behind them.
They will even check your runs and anticipate your angle to lay the ball off. These are not trivial improvements but rather an absolute must to make this game every bit as real as you could get. It’s a good showing from the débutante mode but it fails to overtake
FIFA 16 Ultimate Team and this point is at the foundation of all modes when comparing FIFA 16 and PES 2015. Master League is back to its brilliant best but it’s completely stripped of features. There is no team training or stadium creator and the new features which Konami do implement are a mixed bag.
What, then, of those back-of-the-box features. The PC version does now run on the Ignite engine, with all the graphical and physics-y balls-and-referee-whistles that next-gen consoles received with FIFA 16. I can see blades of grass on the pitch now. There are also those ‘new emotions’, which cause players to wave their fists in the air in anger at their fellow players, and to awkwardly clip their limbs through one another during interstitial cutscenes after nearly every foul. The great impact of this is that you have to press the A button more often to skip all the crap before you can get back to playing.
