Dethroned
By Chris Schilling
Direct free-kicks aren’t all that common in FIFA 16. But if you draw a foul just outside the 18-yard box you’ll be treated to a short cutscene where the referee will march the defensive wall back the regulation 10 yards, before putting down a line of vanishing spray. It’s true to life, and the first couple of times it’s amusing to watch. You’ll probably notice the marks remain for a short while after the kick is taken before fading away. And yet I couldn’t help but wonder if the time taken to render all that might have been better spent elsewhere. With Konami hitting a series peak with PES 2016, it’s not a good year to be obsessing over minutiae like this, especially since it seems to come at the expense of EA Sports stepping back and considering the bigger picture. If last year was a closely fought contest in this long-running rivalry, this time there’s clear daylight between the two.
It’s ironic that this should happen in a year when FIFA introduces the single most progressive feature of the two games. This year’s World Cup saw women’s football reach a much wider audience than it ever has before, and it’s heartening to see 12 international women’s teams represented here for the first time. And EA Sports hasn’t simply reskinned the men’s game; you’ll notice tangible differences when playing as women, while female players have been fully motion-captured and look authentic. I’m not convinced it’s a particularly accurate simulation of the women’s game – the quality of the football is akin to a Championship club between two teams with unusually high passing stats – but I probably enjoyed playing as the women more than the men because of these mechanical differences. Though it seems to take longer for strikers to get their shots away, and the best female players don’t quite have the close control of the superstars of the men’s game, these matches are often more dynamic, unpredictable, and exciting. The main caveat is that women’s games seem far more prone to random glitches: I got a bug that rendered one pre-match tackling exercise uncompletable, while on three separate occasions my defensive line stayed rooted to the edge of the 18-yard box, leaving me with little support going forward.
FIFA is a little snappier than it has been of late – it doesn’t take as long to release a pass
Part of the reason the women’s game showcases FIFA at its best is because the player skill level isn’t quite so high, and thus the occasional heavy touch or mistake means it’s easier to regain possession. In the men’s game, you can go several in-game minutes without coming close to touching the ball. When you’re in control, FIFA is a little snappier than it has been of late – it doesn’t take as long to release a pass, and you’re more likely to get a shot away before a defender steps in with a last-ditch challenge.
And yet when you don’t have the ball, it feels more than ever like a non-contact sport. If sliding tackles are a little overpowered in PES, they’re barely usable here; instead, you’re best kiting attackers towards other defenders or the touchline, and hoping they either misplace a pass or take a heavy touch so you can step in with a standing tackle. Even Martin Tyler – whose commentary is more seamless and varied than ever this year – was moved to sympathise after one particularly lengthy period out of possession: “It must be so frustrating – they just can’t get the ball back.” Touché, Mr. Tyler. Referees will blow up for the mildest of collisions, but that’s understandable: otherwise you’d never get a free-kick.
Other changes are rather more superficial. I’m sure the cameramen that patrol the sidelines are a new addition, or they’re certainly more prominent than I recall. This year, you can run towards them after scoring to prompt a new celebration.Andthere’s a bizarre new feature that sees Tyler pass over to a hopelessly wooden Alan McInally, who’ll report goals coming in from other matches. It’s unclear whether these goals are drawn from online games being played simultaneously, or are simply invented as part of the illusion that you’re taking part in a kind of interactive Sky Sports broadcast, but either way they’re an unnecessary distraction. And it’s a pity no one saw fit to take out Alan Smith’s immersion-shattering reminders of his ability to recognise exactly where the ball entered the net.
Meanwhile, the on-pitch irritations pile up. It’s almost impossible to whip in a cross unless you drill it along the ground; any airborne balls invariably float into the box, sucked towards the heads of defenders like a tractor beam (unless you’re the defending team, of course). Automated player selection seems more capricious than ever: I stared in disbelief as my winger ran to nod in a rare successful cross, only to leave it as control inexplicably switched to my striker five yards further back. If the new drilled pass seems to be a smart addition to your attacking arsenal, it’s a double-edged sword, since a regular pass will now trundle towards its intended target. Only the new no-touch dribble, which can be modified into a larger feint, is a total success, allowing you to commit rash defenders to a challenge before accelerating away.
Shots are more dynamic and unpredictable, but it’s inordinately frustrating to patiently work an opening only for your striker to miss a presentable opportunity through random happenstance. Goalkeepers are excellent, though regular shots seem magnetically drawn to their gloves, and parries fall suspiciously often to the nearest defender. The finesse shot feels slightly overpowered to me, but it’s undoubtedly satisfying to work the space to feather a strike into the far corner.
All these adjustments to animation, dribbling, and shooting lead to what EA is calling Moments of Magic, which feels like a misguided attempt to define something that’sbeen part of FIFA for years. is still capable of lifting me out of my chair in surprise, delight, and raw, unrestrained joy. I wouldn’t say these moments are more frequent this time, but they’re still there, and heightened as ever by an intoxicating atmosphere. Besides the inclusion of women, if there’s one area FIFA has PES licked it’s here. It’s more than just glitz when you thunder in a strike from 25 yards off the underside of the bar and the crowd roars its approval. And when the supporters start bellowing their club’s anthem at the top of their lungs to celebrate a late, late equaliser, I defy any fan not to join in.
Goalkeepers are excellent, though regular shots seem magnetically drawn to their gloves
It would be wrong, too, to underestimate the allure of FIFA Ultimate Team. Konami’s MyClub has made giant strides this season, but FUT triumphs on polish and immediacy. The new FUT Draft feature condenses it beautifully: it’s a way to get into it without having to invest hours building your team. Here, you’re given a random selection of players for each position, from which you should be able to assemble a world-beating squad. You’re then asked to play four increasingly challenging games, earning coin rewards and multipliers contingent on how well you performed and the difficulty level you chose. Win them all and you’ll earn gold and premium gold packs for your regular FUT squad. It might take a while to amass the 15,000 FIFA coins for the entry fee, though you can spend real money on FIFA Points to pay your way in. Microtransactions are rarely welcome in full-price retail games, though the cost of FIFA Points is reasonable, and the value of the reward is equivalent to what many would happily have spent on new FUT packs.
The complete package is as substantial as ever, and those who’ve acclimatised to FIFA’s play style in recent years will likely consider it good enough. But in the face of much stronger competition, ‘good enough’ might not actually be good enough. With its biggest rival matching its dynamism and beating it for fluidity and responsiveness, EA Sports has work to do if FIFA is to regain its title as king of the digital sport.
