Before I delve in to the merits of FIFA 16 this year, I want to start with some gameplay advice. The first thing you should do is set the game speed to Slow for offline. FIFA 16 is slower than previous games even on its Normal setting, but I still believe that Slow offers the best all round experience. The second is to make sure you’re using the Tele Broadcast camera option. The default camera in FIFA 16 isn’t great, and can make things feel really tight and zoomed in. I could give you my David Brent “You’re not looking at the whole pie Jenny” analogy, but I’ll spare you. Like Nike; Just Do It.
The controls are better, but there is so much happening that playing on a small screen makes it even more difficult and challenging. Moreover, graphical improvements like player appearance, movements, detailed stadiums and unique player reactions need at least a 5.5-inch device to be fully appreciated. Online gameplay continues to be a sore point. Connectivity issues at any point just take the game back to the homepage.
That last bit is especially interesting in light of the not-entirely-positive reaction to the roll out of price ranges last year. EA said at the time that they would help "to ensure a level playing field for all FUT fans," and claimed that they had in fact helped reduce illegitimate coin trading, but quite a number of FIFA players were vocally unhappy about the change. We don’t see too much enthusiasm for soccer in the US. In fact, we call it soccer instead of football just to show how much we don’t care what the rest of the world thinks. Classic America, right? At any rate, FIFA 16 Ultimate Team is out on Android, and I’m going to do my best to explain what it’s all about.
After playing the full release of FIFA 16, I still believe that this is the case, however, EA must make sure that this mechanic doesn’t become too over-powered. I’ve been involved in matches where it is near impossible to string together more than three passes before they get intercepted. The result of this affects the flow of the game, often leaving a disjointed rhythm. Personally, I believe that EA need to incorporate interceptions as an ability or trait that only players with high defensive attributes can pull off. Otherwise, like I said, it happens far too often.
If you need help getting to grips with any of the new gameplay mechanics, the optional Fifa Trainer is a worthwhile addition. This puts an overlay on the screen near the player you’re currently controlling, suggesting different button pushes for the situation you’re in. It starts off basic and can become more advanced when you’re ambitious enough to take on some of the more complex moves that require an octopus-like level of dexterity.
Each year the tuning done to the Fifa engine by the EA team changes the overall ‘feel’ of the action. This year’s play is slightly slower and more considered. Possession football is the name of the game. Perhaps Louis van Gal has been used as a consultant this year. Generally, figuring out FUT mode was a chore. New players will probably find the myriad menus and options absolutely impenetrable, and even those who’ve played before (if not extensively) will likely be confused. Once you wrap your head around it the options make sense, but actual structure of where cards have been moved or what the hell you just did is fundamentally mysterious.
Overall FIFA 16 is vastly improved this year. The inclusion of interceptions and the increased agility of the defenders has created a much closer battle between defenders and attackers that’s been missing for quite some time. The gameplay, once again, feels far more realistic as it does each year, but it’s the other modes and features that need to be focused on from this point forward. The new training featured shows EA going in the right direction, which is very pleasing to see.
