It is obvious Fifa 14 is an improvement immediately after you select your preferred language. The menu is quicker to navigate and the design is simpler than the complicated home menu of last year's incarnation. Changing players could be an infuriating process with unlucky 13, but it's swift in the latest offering. No longer does the ordeal resemble a stream buffering.
With its footballing franchise dominating in recent years, the need to reinvent FIFA 14 is less of an issue for EA Sports, who have instead opted to tweak and refine the action on the pitch and options away from it. The result is a release that doesn't give the beautiful game a complete makeover, but still manages to make it a slightly more attractive option for football fans.
The beautiful game has been made even more beautiful. And while those looking for significant overhauls to the FIFA recipe may be left wanting, subtle tweaks make FIFA 14 the most complete outing yet. Take the improved animation for example. Players move and feel like real human beings, transferring their weight convincingly and colliding with wince-inducing authenticity.
Overall presentation remains strong. Graphically, it’s almost identical to its predecessor, but pre-match introductions and the general look on the whole has been polished. During matches, for example, a flood of stats are drip-fed on to the screen – ranging from shots on target, possession and total number of saves each goalkeeper has made. Coupled with strong commentary and it all adds to a wonderfully authentic experience.
Other kinks ironed out include the delay when you're desperate to switch to ultra-attack after conceding in games. The superfluous scoreboard still appears, but it doesn't linger for an eternity.
The most notable difference in the gameplay is the passing and pace of the matches - which are slower. This can be altered, but it probably lends an even more realistic feel, especially since players are more confrontational, grappling and remonstrating with each other, as well as the referee.
