EA Sports has two franchises that currently stand out above the rest. With both Madden and FIFA brands in its wheelhouse, EA Sports has created juggernauts that buck the trend of being a simple roster update each year. Goalie play received an upgrade in this year’s FIFA 16, and the host of new animations combine excellently with newly designed ball physics to create some white-knuckling rebound situations in front of the goal. Many times I’ve gotten loose with a nice touch, driven a shot off the hands of the goaltender, only to have it bounce around in front of the goal as the defenders and my players scramble to get a foot or head on the ball. It makes for a thrilling moment, and is an accurate reflection of how goals in soccer are sometimes a feat of brilliant skill, and other times the result of a chaotic scramble.
EA's FIFA series is probably the next best thing out there after the original game. Sure, there's a Konami-made PES releasing each year, but it still has some way to go before it can boast the sort of cult status that the FIFA series from EA has attained over time. While the game is all set to make its way to the store shelves later this year, we are still waiting to find out how each player in every team will be rated. As expected, ratings will differ from what it was last year, with new additions to the roster after making successful plunges into the transfer market.
Every September we’re treated to a new FIFA title, and thank goodness for that. The chances are that if you’re both a fan of football and of gaming then it’s the highlight of the year for you – I know that it is for me. For me, FIFA is the most important purchase of the year, as I know that it is without question the one title that I will still be playing in 12 months’ time. Enormous, brilliant titles like Skyrim and Grand Theft Auto may be ‘better’ games in their own right, but even the most dedicated of players would struggle to still sit down and play it every single day for 52 weeks.
Getting FIFA 16 to run at 60fps without stuttering, on a PC that exceeds the necessary specs by some distance, is no simple feat. It may even be impossible. Thousands of PC players have been affected by bizarre micro-stutter, and you’ll find hints and guides across the internet with suggestions on how to address this. At the time of writing, anything approaching smooth play is only possible for me with the application of GPU tweaks and third-party software. For some people even these external solutions don’t work. This is not even close to acceptable, especially for a title with relatively low system demands.
FIFA 16 is probably one the least noticeably different updates to the series for anyone who played last year’s effort. But it’s the subtle things that really lift the game. Graphically it isn’t dramatically improved, but facial detail is more defined and you’ll notice players facial expressions now. EA claims there are 600 emotional reactions that can be potentially seen during the game, and while this seems a tad exaggerated, you will see defenders screw up their face in anger when penalized for a tackle, or see strikers fume when called offside.
Likewise, in terms of attacking, shooting has also been improved upon, as hotspots are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Finesse shots, which almost guaranteed a goal in last year’s outing, are less effective, although 30-yard screamers are a lot more common. What's more, the Run Touch Dribbling system is another great implementation, giving players more control over the ball while dribbling. As any fan who has stayed up until 5am to have their hopes and dreams crushed by a bunch of feckless millionaires knows; football is a game of emotions; and the flagship feature in FIFA 16 is the introduction of what EA claims are more than 600 emotional reactions to in-game events.
EA Sports currently offers 6 playing modes for all soccer fans. Each match you engage in, earns coins depending on your achievements. These coins can be spent in the Store and Transfer Market sections of the game. FIFA 16 is practically a combination between a soccer simulator and a football manager. You start off with a noname team and manage it until it becomes a famous as FC Barcelona or Real Madrid.
