One of EA's other marquee presentational changes is what the company calls "Living Pitch." Basically, the field degrades as athletes plod across it over the course of a match. Clips of grass whip through the air as you dig in for a shot at the goal, and streaks of dirt mark the path of slide tackles. Yep, we're talking about realistic grass, which you may not notice all that often while playing, though it may occasionally garner wistful looks from your inner amateur lawncare enthusiast. The battered field doesn't seem to affect the physics of the ball - it just looks nice. Seriously, this is where we are with the FIFA series.
The graphical leap isn't as substantial as the one in Madden, but that's mainly due to the fact that FIFA 16 was a great looking game to begin with. Madden has yet to match the sort of physical battles found in FIFA as players jostle for the ball, bump each other out of the way on set pieces, and generally bully lesser opponents with their size and strength. The shooting is getting more nuanced, too. On that breakaway goal, Catfish was able to just barely slot the ball between the legs of the on-rushing goalkeeper-an impressively detailed bit of animation that made for an amazing looking goal.
For once, the players feel unique, though. A quick winger will be muscled off the ball by a strong-arming defender; likewise, a slow center back will be left for dead by a Navas, Walcott, or Messi. The more lifelike physics mean that if you mistime a tackle, that player is out of the game. Ray Wilkins would love FIFA 16, because it’s all about staying on your feet and making it count. If you aren’t sure you’re going to win the ball, then you need to contain the attacker instead, or bring in a second player to hustle them away from goal as you step in for the tackle. I cannot stress how excited I was to see an exclusive partnership announced between EA Sports and the Barclays’ Premier League.
All 20 stadiums for the clubs currently in England’s top division are included, and they are as close to perfection as one can hope for. Subtle differences have been corrected, with the best example being at White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur’s home. In previous versions, the writing that wraps around the stadium with phrases such as “To Dare Is To Do” and “Come On You Spurs” were comically small and written in a very basic text that didn’t look anything close to the real thing. That’s no longer an issue with the detail that has gone into FIFA 16. The true essence of every Premier League stadium has been captured and is as exact as it gets, so much so in that the video boards on the pitch itself will have accurate advertisements that are seen on match day.
FIFA 16’s modes do more to invite in rookies, even the micro-transaction machine known as FIFA 16 Ultimate Team. For EA Sports rookies, FUT 16 is a centerpiece of the package in which you build your own team using virtual trading cards, with bronze cards being the weakest real players and gold being the strongest. Playing matches using your deck earns in-game cash to buy packs of new cards which can in turn be used for the team or sold for more cash.
The elevator pitch for FIFA 16 has been emotion and the “game story,” and that has been something I have noticed a good deal. There are a whole host of new animations and reactions this year, and the idea is that players will interact with all others on the pitch in a unique way. I’m really excited about where this feature could go if the dev team sticks with it, but what’s here adds a compelling layer to the action, as you’ll see defenders give each other nudges after a good clearance, strikers giving thumbs up for correct passes (even if they blew the shot) and some great goalie animations as they make saves or cheer on their team’s goals.
FIFA 16 looks pretty and has more options than ever but it’s still shallow. Full backs are clueless and your back line will never stay deep. The new ‘Park the Bus’ preset tactic is infuriating and cheap and most players still play with high pressure and all out attack while spamming the wings. There is no tactical battle in midfield as play-makers are never used effectively. Fluid Formation is the future, simple as. It’s also, broadly, the same as last year. Which is what I said last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. FIFA is built on a bedrock of design decisions that have become geologic in their permanence, and as unconsidered as the ground we walk on. I hope one day they get rid of all the shit underfoot.
