It’s that time of year again – new kits, new teams, and a new FIFA. Can your degree take the beating?
A NEW FIFA comes every year to mark the start of a new term and a drop in essay marks. Those outside the FIFA bubble argue that EA Sports aim to generate as much money as possible while holding back for future editions. After all isn’t it just the same as last year’s, but with updated teams and kits?
Not quite. When you’ve been buying FIFA games for a decade you eagerly await the next instalment – how could they make it better? 12 brought a radically new defending system and impact engine to steer the series towards true football stimulation. The biggest difficulty for 14 is that there is no real standout feature, and only in playing can you notice the subtle differences that make a cohesive improvement.
The key word in FIFA 14 is ‘variety’. Games in 13 became fairly predictable as using the same dribbling and shooting to create patterns of play. In 14 the dribbling feels much more life-like; players shift their weight according to how careful or clumsy you are with the analogue stick.
It used to be that if you came across two defenders you were almost guaranteed to lose possession; now a quick shimmy or feint will drive you through a pocket of space that average players won’t know exists. The first touch is now more important – you can’t charge into the ball or you’ll knock it too far forward, so the use of manual dribbling becomes even more important.
At times the passing can feel fairly sluggish as players take too long to receive standard balls. In 13, through balls had become almost irrelevant, but now the variety means the weight of the pass, or how you go about pressing the button, has never felt more important.
It can be equally thrilling and frustrating as you play a series of quick passes in the final third. Sometimes you’ll work a team goal unlike anything you’ve scored before, while other times you’ll be just one pass or miscommunication with teammates away. The teammates’ AI has improved dramatically, as they make clever off-the-ball runs to give you plenty of options. With a fundamentally new shooting system where balls swerve and dip in all directions, you’ll never run out of ways to score.
Matches are more carefully measured, meaning you have to be more tactical and patient. Spells of pressure are longer and more intense, especially against the computer, where you have to concentrate throughout. Although more rewarding when you finally break through, it can be very frustrating when you concede yet another headed goal.
Other minor quirks include the frequency of off-sides, and sometimes the refereeing decisions feeling more dodgy than usual. But this may be an intentional move towards more human, imperfect gameplay.
Ultimate Team introduces new Chemistry styles, where players may be labelled the likes of ‘artist’ and ‘sentinel’, adding a nice touch to the most obsessive form of the game. The new Global Scout Network in Career mode is less appealing, making transfers feel drawn-out and laborious, which coupled with the very slow calendar and barrage of emails can detract from the actual fun of playing a match.
Overall, FIFA 14 is a progression rather than a landmark. Sometimes the visuals do feel a bit outdated and the crowds still resemble cardboard cut-outs. However, the PS4 and Xbox One editions promise a new Ignite Engine, and at least until that revolutionary feature, the current FIFA 14 remains an essential purchase.
4/5 Stars
Matt Bugler, Online Sports Editor
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