FIFA is as great as it’s ever been, and though this year’s title is by no means ground-breaking, it’s certainly the prettiest, most life-like, and most complete football video-game yet.
On the field, the changes are less pronounced than in previous years, with the ball control and player physics familiar to those who played FIFA 14. The most noticeable alteration is the pace of the action, which now pings from end to end at a sharper rate, albeit never at the expense of the exacting simulation EA Canada have worked to hard to hone. The increased speed of the games - which can, as always, be modified in the settings - does not herald any significant difference to tactical approaches, although it undoubtedly suits the dynamic counter attacking system in vogue across Europe.
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The crowd also voices their opinions with refereeing decisions, bad tackles, close shots, and in certain cases, a little bit of jeering when a player doesn't perform at their best. Again, this is meant to have an impact on the players, but it remains difficult to tell. However, here are small, finer touches with the audio which do stand out. Playing on a surround sound system, individual voices in the crowd can sometimes be heard, and when the players celebrate close to the cameras you can hear them. In the greater scheme of things it's not a big deal, but again that increased level of detail adds to the overall atmosphere of the game.
In terms of modes, FIFA 15 offers the same selection as in the last few years' games, with only a few new features, tweaks, and menus to differentiate them. From the career mode, which lets you and up to four friends take a team on a path to glory through the leagues, playing the transfer market, managing injuries, and keeping an eye on your budget as you go, to the eerily popular Ultimate Team, a kind of virtual card trading game, where the cards you get can be used as players on your team, there's little in the way of revolution, and only very minor evolution - but there's still plenty for football fans to get stuck in to.
