Back in June, after playing preview code before E3, I stated that FIFA 16 could be the best in the series if EA didn’t mess things up. That sentiment (mostly) held true after I played it at gamescom too, so it’s fair to say I was very much looking forward to the final game. After playing it for a solid week, hours on end, it pains me to say FIFA 16 doesn’t manage to take that crown. In fact, on a gameplay level, it’s one of the most disappointing entries in the series to date. You see, it seems like EA forgot to balance or tweak the defensive AI to cater for a good experience when you’re not playing a human. Your AI opponents, no matter the team, will usually hold a very rigid, unrealistically solid defensive line.
This, more often than not, will mean you have to pass, pass and pass again in an attempt to break down two banks of four to create a chance or simple shooting opportunity. This might sound fun and “realistic” to some, but given that the pitch in FIFA is already quite small it makes for an extremely frustrating experience. 99% of the time, I felt like I had very little space to manoeuvre in and create nice, flowing passing moves. Even when I did, the opposition would home in and close down the space before I had a moment to think about my next move. Throw in some incredibly static attacking AI (you have to press a button to trigger teammates to run) and it’s just not fun. The majority of my games ended 0-0, 1-0 or 2-1, and I’m very few of them were the true definition of fun.
With more error in passing, the emphasis on dribbling is more important than ever. FIFA 15 introduced a new-found sense of freedom when dribbling as the ball was no longer glued to your feet. FIFA 16 has taken that approach and expanded upon it with “No Touch Dribbling.” With this new feature you can allow the ball to roll, feint and create the separation you need to beat your man. The CPU also uses this feature, to mixed results, as they employ a variety of dribbling moves in an attempt to beat you, a sign that they are becoming much more human. Many demo users complained of a “catch-up bug” where defenders would disregard speed ratings and catch up to attackers. At first this appeared to the case, but after becoming more familiar with the new dribbling mechanics I was able to vary my dribble (with the use of the R-Stick to tap the ball ahead) distances as well as put my body in front of the defender to ensure that if they wanted the ball they would have to go through me thus creating a foul.
And this is where FIFA 16 will undoubtedly survive, living off years of legacy while PES tries to convince everyone that a tepid generation of bad games is behind it. Good news is that no matter which end of the pitch you end up on, football is having a rather magical year in video games. Ultimate Team itself has received a small makeover with increased security and supposedly fairer coin prices, we’re probably going to have to wait and see with this one. Career mode has seen a revamp with training games brought into both manager and player mode in order to help increase attributes. You can also go on pre-season tours whilst the rest of the section has seen a number of intelligent improvements. It feels like EA are really sinking some time into Career Mode and this is nice to see.
As always, FIFA continues to lead the way in presentation and authenticity. Lots of new players have had their likenesses scanned into the game. Like Premiere League last year, this time around the German Bundesliga gets a presentation facelift, with TV-like effects. There's also more new stadiums, time of day choices, cutscenes, replay angles, and other visual tweaks that take the game ever closer to true TV broadcast style. There are even new weather effect nuances, such as rain and showers, fog, and so on. Small details are also neat, like referees using vanishing spray for set pieces. As always, the selection on the official soundtrack is mostly excellent. Commentary remains strong, with additional lines such as formation comparisons, and on wider topics like transfers, player performances, and so on.
