Sort of, FIFA has been a source of great debate since its creation back in 1993 called FIFA International Soccer and since that day over 23 years ago (good God I feel old) it has seen many facelifts, next generation graphics and of course a huge soundtrack to get along with. Now we are on FIFA 16 which is different from FIFA 15 for a few reasons and they will probably make very little sense to anyone who hasn’t played one before… but for those in the know here goes.

 

The most obvious change is in the middle of the field, where AI players more aggressively attempt to intercept risky passes. Stupid passes through the middle of the field - especially in the defensive third - are gobbled up easily by agile attackers, and force more tactical play styles. Utilizing your formation’s strengths has become more important, with angle passes to advance the ball or square passes to switch play often being the sensible option - like in the real sport.

 

EA’s response to the fiercer fight for supremacy has been to continue doing exactly the same thing it’s done for years to justify each new annual release of its big-selling franchise - namely making enough improvements on and off the pitch to evolve the game without revolutionising anything. Some of the changes work better than others, or are at least more noticeable than others, but the overall effect when combined is that they edge the series forward a little bit more than last year.

 

As always though, the presentation of FIFA 16 is outstanding, with improved player models and dynamic highlights packages (which I actually enjoy watching) leading the charge along with swathes of impressive new audio and commentary. EA’s Barclays Premier League and Bundesliga licensing deals bring with them bundles of official content and pretty overlays, but also hours of high quality chants captured live from inside the grounds. Dial up the volume, shut your eyes, and you could quite easily be inside the Westfalonstadion or the Parc des Princes. It’s quite something.

 

EA is also changing the Transfer Market economies so that coins, club items, and Transfer Market items cannot be shared between console generations. This isn't really our bag but if you ever spend any of your FUT time on a console you'll want to ensure you choose the right one when you set up your FUT 16 account. EA Sports has all the details. In-game app purchases start at Rs.60 and go up to Rs.6,200 for different point packs, which can be used to buy players, stadiums and features like Morale and player training.

 

Real-life graphics, engaging gameplay and the absence of competitive titles from the Pro Evolution Soccer series (another football franchise for console and mobile) or Real Football series make Fifa 16 Ultimate Team the best football simulation game on the mobile platform. Maybe I'm just old, maybe I'm just getting obsessed over minor issues, things that aren’t even issues to some people. I certainly don't think FIFA would be better if it were still stuck in the 'press C to win' world of the Mega Drive original, nor do I want a return to Motty's awful commentary of FIFA 96. But this brave new world of football simulation strikes me as a move in a less-than-positive direction, focusing more on how a company can make a bit more money than on improving the on-pitch experience.

 

FIFA 16 is still good, I don't want that to be in question here. It's just hardly an update from last year's game, and that wasn't much of an upgrade over the year before's. Where it can go in the future? I don't know. How can it change in any meaningful fashion? I've no idea. Will people buy it by the million? Absolutely.