FIFA 16 Ultimate Team, career and manager mode, online pro clubs, challenges and team of the week features are all back for more. There is a brand new FIFA Trainer guide to help newbies learn the ropes, but it is also useful for experienced players looking to take their skills to the next level. The first, and probably most impressive, thing you notice is the graphics. This is always the area where FIFA has wiped the floor with Pro Evo and built its reputation as the No.1 football game on the planet. Gradual improvement has been replaced by a huge leap forward and advanced face-mapping technology really bares fruit in the 2016 version of the franchise.

 

Soccer is lovingly called “the beautiful game” by fans, and FIFA 16 has definitely taken the nickname to heart. Not only is FIFA 16 mostly gorgeous (more on that in a bit), it allows players to truly create beautiful plays on the field. Every movement by a FIFA 16 player looks natural, and the new ability to dribble off the ball has changed how the series is played. It only makes sense for this to be this year’s major addition, as FIFA 16’s cover star Lionel Messi is known for his ability to fake players out based on his movement.

 

By holding in the left bumper players can dribble off the ball, this means they can fake in one direction and cause defenders to go the wrong way. This adds a tremendous amount of depth to the game, and creates a true mind game. As always FIFA is choc-full of different gameplay modes like exhibition games, full seasons, grow your pro, European league, international tournaments and the always popular FIFA Ultimate Team. My personal favorite is the seasons experience where you can take charge of any of the hundreds of licensed teams and leagues and experiencing what it is like to manage your favorite team and take them all the way to the top.

 

This includes a fully-functional transfer system with scouts and windows along with the ability to assign specific training to specific players every week to enhance your players abilities. FIFA 16 is a little slower this time, almost like we see in most real games. The game focuses more on passing and keeping the ball, which makes it feel more realistic. Players noticed it during their first FIFA 16 match, some liked it and some didn’t, it really depends on how you play. Regular FIFA players will quickly note that ground passes are a lot more sluggish. Passes that would have been fairly soft in previous editions now travel with the impetus of a ball kicked in wet sand by a toddler.

 

To get any sort of pace on a pass, it’s now necessary to use the new ‘do a harder ground pass, you idiot’ modifier of (on a basic Xbox controller) RB. Abstracting ‘harder pass’ to a separate button combo (instead of just holding down A longer) is, frankly, a bit rubbish, but some of the accompanying passing changes do appear to be for the better. The FIFA property is a commercial juggernaut, one that will always sell vast quantities until the day a cheesy-grinned Sepp Blatter is placed on the cover. However, with PES enjoying the kind of rapid development that makes Harry Kane look a slow burner, it’s fair to say FIFA hasn’t had to look over its shoulder so anxiously for years.

 

Putting it bluntly, FIFA 16 doesn’t play a better game of football than PES 2016, nor does it come close. The sport’s intricacies aren’t intelligently replicated, tactical battles are simplistic and game-winning patterns are easily forged.

 

Honestly, the entire game’s presentation is well above average. Its player models are very detailed and lifelike, and its graphics are thoroughly impressive as a whole. There’s also a lot of licensed music, although I can’t say that I recognized any of the artists. You may if you’re into the type of upbeat, Euro-centric music that these games usually feature. The important thing, though, is that it’s fitting, which it certainly is.