Ever since FIFA International Soccer launched back in 1993 fans have regularly heaped praise on EA for the realistic gameplay, belting soundtracks and inventive options like FUT 16 that have set the standard in sports gaming. Equally fans have criticized the developers EA Sports for the lack of depth and seemingly incremental tweaks, while needless changes to things like defending have frustrated even the most carefree players. In a third scenario, if you define a price that is slightly higher than the price you paid plus the 5%, it’ll take ages for you to make some coins. You’ll definitely sell a lot of cards but the profits will be so insignificant that you’ll never dream of having that top team.

 

Football has become a drama on and off the pitch, and FIFA is one of the most dry experiences out there, removing all the charisma from the off-field action. Wouldn't it be fantastic if EA took a leaf out of Football Manager's book, and pitted you against the press in a conference pre- and post-match? Imagine how interesting this could be, with the budget and graphical grunt EA has for its titles. If players could control more of the club's output (sponsors, fan interaction) then there would be a far great feeling of immersion: you are the manager of this club, and you can stamp your authority on it.

 

Every scuff, sliding tackle, twist and turn leaves a lasting legacy on the pitch during a match. It makes no difference to the action itself, but as the game progresses, the on-screen effects bear a striking resemblance to the real thing. It helps immerse you in the game world even more. Brand new (and thankfully brief) player animations also appear before you take a free kick or a goal kick, which banishes the ever-annoying online problem of pressing A to skip a cutscene, only to accidentally do a short pass which (in all probability) then went straight to one of your opponent’s players. I did still find that raw speed could break some of the AI from time to time, but the pursuit is just better in these situations. I’ve also seen a lot more fouls committed by the AI this year, so that’s very welcome.

 

The biggest change I’m loving is from the AI (and this goes for offline play and pro club AI). Fellow teammates will now actually pursue speeding opposition and execute defensive charges with some level of competence, and they sky up to reach headers, even defensively, much more than they have in the past. Even playing on world class difficulty, it was a pleasure watching my Hull City squad compete for headers off of crosses and smartly clear out the ball to the sidelines (finally) when trouble arose. Even lob through passes, which have been a staple of FIFA for years, are much harder to complete on offense and easier to stop on defense, as the AI just won’t get caught how they did before.

 

PES 2015 is superior on the pitch in several key areas because it makes you play football. Passing requires greater skill enabling you to thread pin-point balls that split the defence. For once in PES and contradictory to FIFA 16 there doesn’t seem to be a overpowered type of pass that’s guaranteed to work - chipped though-balls can be devastating but can be easily defended if you spot the run; similarly playing it wide draw defenders out, giving attackers more room in the box, but skilled players can now cover themselves more easily.

 

The change has been partly supported by the decrease of pace in defenders, or the increase of pace in attackers. Sturridge can now sprint past defenders with the ball at his feet exactly as he could in real life, without having to worry about slower defenders somehow being able to catch up with him. This means that, in lieu of the all-powerful cross, you can cut inside and make breaks through the middle much more easily than before.

 

If you’re like me, you love getting some mates round for a good old tournament. It’s more of the same here, but still great to host a tournament with your friends to see who can really earn FIFA 16 bragging rights. Add in the usual exhibition and practice mode, FIFA 16 remains a modern FIFA title with more of the same, yet still essential when friends are over.