There’s a simple fact about the FIFA series: it hit a peak a few years ago and has been coasting since. That’s not a criticism, it’s just how things are when you’re at the top of the mountain: there’s nowhere else to go… well, except from down. But let’s ignore that, because it ruins my metaphor. Still, we were told during the usual pre-hands-on presentation at EA’s UK headquarters that there is something new in FIFA 16, a “major new mode” no less. It’s an addition to the hugely popular Ultimate Team bit of the game, and it’s called Draft Mode.

 

The most obvious change of fifa 16 is in the middle of the field, where AI players more aggressively attempt to intercept risky passes. Stupid passes through the middle of the field - especially in the defensive third - are gobbled up easily by agile attackers, and force more tactical play styles. Utilizing your formation’s strengths has become more important, with angle passes to advance the ball or square passes to switch play often being the sensible option - like in the real sport. “You’ll still feel like a dolt when Messi burns you because of a poor tackling attempt, but at least it’ll be because of your own inadequacy, rather than that of the game’s systems.”

 

Career mode is deeper than ever. The meat and potatoes of the offline experience comes in the form of a revitalized career mode. Remember all those skill games that were fun to play while a match was loading up? Sure, they're fun to take on but they didn't really serve any kind of a purpose other than to get a few practice swings in before a match started up. Well, now they mean something. Week-to-week training and development might be the most exciting addition to career mode. Each week, a player can assign up to five training sessions for any player that is on the squad. There are some limitations in that only certain levels and certain types of training can be used once or twice in a week, but there's no real limit on who to utilize them with. For example: In my manager save with Tottenham Hotspur, I decided to see just how strong I could build up 19-year-old midfielder Dele Alli, who starts out the game at a 69 overall but with very high potential.

 

While potential only seems to go off of in-game performance and standard year-by-year growth, the training is a way to supplement that. That being said, I spent the first six months of season doing nothing but pumping every last bit of training into Dele Alli. A player has the option to simulate sessions or play them out. Growth occurs at a rate based upon the grade earned in each training. Find the right mixture of skills to master and a bunch of "A" ratings every week mean for exceptional growth. Because Alli started off below a 70, each one of those key stats would grow the player faster. Before long, I had a mid-70s midfielder who had joined the starting XI and was only getting stronger. If there's one issue with the training is that it is very easy to forget to stop a simulation to do the sessions, which can only be done on non-match days. Plan on stopping your simulation on every Monday and you'll never forget.

 

When you eventually discover all you can do with FIFA 16, you will realise that you have all the tools necessary to put some high quality football into practice. The dizzying pace of FIFA 15 has been reduced considerably for the new edition, many (but not all) of the problems regarding physics and animations have been resolved, and the gameplay has become more balanced, cohesive and realistic. In other words, FIFA 16's gameplay is magnificent... when you are allowed to play. Whereas many video game sports franchises have had their ups and downs in recent memory, FIFA has been nothing but consistent. After years of being in Pro Evolution Soccer’s shadow, FIFA has emerged as the clear go-to for fans of soccer. Despite its great action on the pitch, the series has been itching for a big new feature for a few years now. This go around, EA is heavily promoting its inclusion of the women’s national teams, along with some improvements to Ultimate Team and Career mode. With the addition of female teams being long overdue, many were curious if this iteration would bring about enough excitement to warrant another $60 purchase.