In the midst of the buzzing EA booth over at E3, I managed to get some time with Nick Channon from EA Sports to talk about this year’s upcoming FIFA 16. It’s a given that each year yields another addition to the franchise, but this time around the developer’s have admitted to having more time to explore the capabilities of the new generation of console. The results are clear to see, with many of them being obvious visual improvements. Servers issues. Recently, it becomes normal that FIFA 16 servers are broken down. It is certain that more and more people step into this game, so it becomes eager for EA to introduce more dedicated servers to meet the demand.
End-to-end game play. Some players claimed that FIFA 15 was defense oriented whilst FIFA 16 is more forward based. They all deviate from the nature of FIFA titles. So in FIFA 16, EA need to balance these two and make the game close to realism. In the DNA Podcast I have been calling for FIFA to make some big changes and improvements if they want to stay relevant with the return of Pro Evolution Soccer. They are certainly creating a lot of hype around FIFA 16 that could turn it around for the series. E3 will be huge for EA and with the convention right around the corner, keep it locked here on The Digital Nerd Advocates Network for the latest news and stories!
After experimenting with the women’s teams, it was time to get back into something I was very familiar with: the men’s game. The game had a considerable change in pace and momentum as compared to the women’s match, and while it took a little while for me to grasp the new player movements and the improved collision system (which is by far the most noticeable improvement), it was very much akin to that of FIFA 16 in the way that pace and momentum play key roles in the winning and losing of matches. After playing as Borussia Dortmund, who are armed with players such as Aubemeyang, Reus, and Mkhitaryan who have a considerable amount of pace, and contrastingly players like Hummels, Subotic, and Gundogan who lack pace, it was interesting to see how important it became for players without pace to work on hold up play instead of running at defenders, as more often than not that ended up in the loss of possession.
Pinging the ball out to the wide players and utilizing those with pace to get past defenders became key in creating opportunities for the team, and it’ll be interesting to see how the gameplay improvements and changes impact the way matches go online. As compared to FIFA 16, the game feels quite slower, but that doesn’t deter or deviate from the core of what FIFA is about: scoring beautiful goals and using pace and trickery to fool your opponent. If you’re not accustomed with the complex controls of the FIFA series, then this year EA have introduced a brand new in-game mode. Easily turned on or off within the pause menu, the trainer mode is an on-screen prompt which will surround the player-controlled character. Simple things like prompts to pass or tackle start you off, but as you become more familiar, the trainer introduces more complex commands, like low crosses, through balls or step overs.
Whatever your skill level, you're certain to learn something you perhaps wouldn’t have known without this mode. Bringing notable innovations to sports title is not an easy task. After you’ve established the sport simulation, there aren’t many places left to go for the franchise, beyond making various gameplay tweaks and adjustments. With FIFA 16, EA Sports has chosen to offer something truly new - women’s teams. This includes new movements, animations, and a notably different overall experience. It doesn’t end there - we had a chance to hear about the details and play FIFA 16 at this year’s E3.
EA Sports FIFA takes advantage of the increased power of new mobile devices to deliver stunning console-quality game play. Fans will enjoy our most realistic mobile football game yet, with a wide variety of game play animations, a sophisticated A.I. on both ends of the pitch, new star heads, a full range of skill moves and for the first time ever on mobile - celebrations. To complement the new depth in game play, hybrid touch controls have been enhanced to give fans more options while keeping the game simple and easy to play.
