See if you can spot the pattern. In FIFA 11, pace was overpowered. In FIFA 12, pace was nerfed. In FIFA 13, pace was overpowered. In FIFA 14, pace was nerfed. In FIFA 15, pace was overpowered. In FIFA 16... Yep, the world's biggest football game is back - and this time it's slower than ever! I'm oversimplifying, of course. The last five years have seen the series make as much, if not more progress than any similar period in its history. But, particularly for someone that's written about each match engine for the last six years, the FIFA feedback loop feels very real. One of the most important aspects of FUT is chemistry - how team members get along with one another. When you view your active squad you’ll see players connected to neighboring players with a coloured line - either red, yellow or green. A green line means they get on well and have good chemistry. A yellow line means they have a little less chemistry but may have similar attributes. A red line means they have poor chemistry.
Stadiums have also received an upgrade, with each match location having subtle differences than the next. Lighting and turf type match the real world stadiums which they’ve been modeled after. Crowd noises have been amped up and react appropriately while the replay system is far less cumbersome than in previous games. The replays also interrupt far less often than last year’s FIFA 15. This makes for a much more immersive experience, which is high praise considering how strongly the FIFA games rate among other games in the sports genre. With that being said, the Spanish commentary actually makes the game sound even more exciting. FIFA Ultimate Team returns and is as strong as ever, however the newest mode this year is FUT Draft which is almost an exact replica to Madden’s Draft Champions. You draft your side based on positions, like Draft Champions and play I a short tournament, winning prizes for your FUT.
The only difference is that FUT Draft costs virtual currency. The first go-around is free, however after it’ll cost you 15,000
FIFA 16 coins, or 300 “FIFA points,” the latter being bought for real money. FIFA Ultimate Team mode has also undergone a facelift with the "draft" mode allowing you to craft a team of all-stars and compete among friends/other online players, and I think that's where the future of the franchise has always been. The solo modes are addictive and will sustain you until next season but there's nothing sweeter than the rich pageant of online braggadocio. But unlike the Madden of two years ago that basically put all its eggs in one basket, focusing almost entirely on beefing up the defense, the new FIFA continues to focus on balance. The offense is better, too, and you can’t take advantage of some little eccentricities to give yourself the edge.
The best part is that so many of the battles take place at midfield, which makes more sense. Pushing the ball up-field is a matter of skill and timing; it may take you some time to master this more dynamic and more authentic style of gameplay. There will be many times where you get frustrated and begin to think it’s actually too difficult to get into any sort of rhythm. But like most robust and rewarding simulators, the satisfaction level skyrockets once you buckle down and learn. Pace is less of a win-button, but as a consequence FIFA 16 feels like it has upped the pace of every other player to an irritating degree. You can still outpace leggy defenders, sure, but it's rare to see an above average-paced winger outrun a below average-paced full back. And that feels daft.
But these issues are as minor as the tweaks and updates the game has seen, because the core experience - the actual act of 'playing the football game thing' - is still solid. Great at times. Frustrating at others. But never anywhere near bad. But it’s the action on the pitch that has me hooked. Controlling a ball and making a killer pass - these things aren’t easy. They’re remarkable and FIFA recognizes that. The goal that comes at the end of the move is often the easiest part, if the build-up is particularly well-worked and utilises the whole team. Football is about more than strikers and highlight reels, and now FIFA is too and all the better for it.
FIFA 16 also does a great job of feeling like a high stakes match when they indeed are. More than a few times the stress of the moment was palpable. With seconds ticking down before the half, scoring a goal in a crowded stadium against a rival to bring the score to 1-0 has never been more thrilling. The camera shakes as though the sound of the stadium was causing trembles in the gimbal, players rush to congratulate the shooter and rejoice in their lead. Few games can capture the stress and joy feeling of finally sinking the ball into the net and scoring successfully, but FIFA 16 nails it.
