After the extremely successful release for the other Football game on the market (Pro Evo 2016), it’s now FIFA’s turn to give the Football crowd their version of what they think a Football simulator should be like. FIFA’s biggest addition this year, and most hyped up addition was the inclusion of women’s teams to the game which we will talk about in more detail later in the review. Firstly, there are a number of other new features in the game that we should cover. Another season begins, another edition of EA Sports’ FIFA ultimately follows. And the hotly-anticipated FIFA 16, out worldwide, brings the consumer new game-play additions, teams and game modes to help solidify it as the best soccer game on the planet.

 

First up, game play is much slower than in previous years. The pace of the game gives the user more time to think on the ball. Buildup play and patience is key in getting the ball forward. Regular passes are slower, but you can speed the game up by using a faster pass (Right Bumper + A). The trade off being – yes, you can play a quick and hard pass – that the player will not be able to control the ball as well as they want to. But this does save time when it comes to fingers pressing buttons. Instead of having to press ‘X’ three times to play in a low cross as the player approaches the goal line, a simple ‘Right Bumper + A’ will do the trick.

 

This year's edition of FIFA introduces its usual handful of smart additions and gameplay tweaks, its most notable additions being the FIFA Ultimate Team Draft and women's teams. On the field, it plays much the same as last year, with perhaps a bit less emphasis on pace. Interceptions are way up, but that's countered by the fact that it's easy to keep the ball on your field while sprinting, which makes for a lot of breakneck counters - a FIFA staple. I'm not going to lie, it's a lot of fun, but Pro Evolution Soccer supporters have a point when they point to that sim's more nuanced and reserved pace as a positive. The crazy back-and-forth verges on feeling unrealistic at times, especially when playing the computer, which rarely attacks the ball with anything resembling vigor unless you're playing on World Class difficulty or above.

 

All of these great changes have had their edges dulled in the time between then and now: a real shame. It seems that too many cooks spoil the broth in the name of 'balancing', and what we have once again is a marginally better offering that in actuality could have been leaps and bounds better. Yes, FIFA 16 is better than FIFA 15, but in light of what Konami has brought to the table, the improvement feels hollow, as PES 2016 is so far ahead of its rival. It's been almost a decade since the battle between PES and FIFA felt like a contest. While FIFA has changed minimally in recent years, PES has taken a back seat, overhauled its engine, and come back this year better than ever. With FIFA's incremental updates, the series has aged dramatically on the new-gen consoles.

 

What "FIFA 16" markedly improves is the realism of the in-game physics. Don't get me wrong; it was great in past "FIFA" editions to simply exhaust the "sprint" button and decimate teams with a surge of pace, a well-aimed cross and a thumping header multiple times a game. It was equally satisfying to never miss a slide tackle regardless of my angle, timing or path to the ball. Opponents cowered at my affinity for never misplacing a pass. But the remodeled player locomotion and AI make it a much more hit-miss proposition, as it is in real life. Defending requires maximum concentration instead of cocky, reckless button-mashing; it's an eerie approximation of how Eliaquim Mangala must have felt during his difficult first season at Manchester City.

 

And yet, undoubtedly, FIFA 16 will dominate the sports game charts as it has done so successfully for so lon-the brand alone will ensure of that. This is a great game for delivering a quick fix of football action wrapped up in the sharpest of visuals and the flashiest of presentations. But releasing a game as safe and as conservative as FIFA 16 while rival PES continues to push the boundaries and diversity of play means that, for the first time in a long time, FIFA isn’t the best football game out there. FIFA 16 is as good as FIFA has ever been, but that's exactly the problem. While it offers the same vast array of content, PES 16 has it beat where it matters most: on the pitch. Suffice to say, the series now has a lot of catching up to do.