The latest version of the popular Fifa series, Fifa 16 Ultimate Team, is now available for Android and iOS. It is free to play, with optional in-app, or additional, purchases. Last year’s version marked a major departure in terms of gameplay-instead of the multiple-mode format where you could play as one of the leading clubs, the game moved to a single mode where you had to build a team from scratch, buy multiple stadiums and players, and compete with them in online leagues.
The developer, Electronic Arts (EA), has carried forward that mode to this year’s version as well. The Fifa 16 Ultimate Team offers some new features as well, like player exchange, which allows you to trade your players for others; and you don’t have to worry about renewing player or manager contracts this time. Offline against the AI especially the game plays really nicely at times. It’s slower, matches flow better and attacking requires a lot more thought to open up a defence, instead of a mindless lofted through ball from 60 yards.
I remember EA saying that FIFA 10 was going to be “the thinking man's football game” but in reality, it’s taken six more years for them to even get close to delivering on that. Achieving great things in FIFA 16 still relies on the brain behind the controller, but with the right ethos, you can orchestrate some truly great situations which closely match those you might see unfolding on a Sunday afternoon. Recent offerings, however, have seen the pair take big steps towards the middle ground, and this year the two seem closer than ever.
Of course, your choice may be as simple as whether you want to play as AFC Bournemouth or the cumbersome East Dorset shire. On the face of it, there's not a great deal different between 15 and 16. The cash-strapped fan may shout that this has been the case with each new installment. When you’re in attack extra care and precision are required to carve out any of the few clear-cut chances that emerge during matches. You’ll do a lot of passing the ball around, often backwards or sideways as you look for openings.
When defending you’ll need to bide your time waiting for the opportunity to snatch back possession while the opposition strokes the ball around. Even lowly League 2 teams are adept at stringing passes together, forcing you to choose between patiently sitting back or chasing shadows. FUT or FIFA Ultimate Team is back once again and will no doubt cause another whirlwind of Youtubers jumping at the opportunity to get views and followers after recording opening 1000 packs of cards in order to find the holy grail that is the legendary Messi card… or something, I find the whole in game purchase thing a little annoying but it’s bringing in a huge stream of revenue for them and I suppose that helps to pay for a better game next year, so hats off to them.
They say premiership teams are built on great defences, and defence is an integral part of FIFA 16. The boffins at EA Sports HQ have tweaked the defensive mechanics to challenge gamers. There are 25 innovative feature changes, including a defender's ability to close down space and change direction quickly. If you see an attacker looming in a dangerous position, you can now predict where he'll run and cut out that space. Bravo EA Sports! Tackling mechanics have also been tweaked to suit.
While the idea of FIFA is the same in every game, every year EA adds new features to help enhance the overall experience. New in FIFA 16 is a no touch dribbling feature, which allows for players to make moves when they do not have possession of the ball, allowing for more dynamic gameplay. Improvements from FIFA 15 in areas of crossing and defending allow for users to truly feel like a part of the game.
