EA started the presentation by showing us an improved defence. FIFA 15 has always felt balanced towards to attacker, the defender always having a hard time keeping up. In FIFA 16 they promise that it's possible to follow the attacker more closely. After a few matches, I'm not so sure it's the defence that's been improved, or the attacker who's been blunted. Next they show a new training function; it's said to be useful for both beginners and more experienced players. It works like this: while you're playing a match, the game will constantly tell you what you can and should press. If you're running along the edge of the field, the game will tell you that you can press square to kick a high ball or cross to make a pass. It seems like a nice little addition, but I don't think experienced players will benefit from it too much.
So, yeah, there you have it. It’s fair to say I left EA Guildford impressed with my first look and hands-on with FIFA 16. EA has focused less on the big name features and more on the core gameplay, the stuff that matters. It’s like an evolution of FIFA 15, one of the best games in the series for a long time in my humble opinion. Well, on the PS4 anyway. It plays an enjoyable, balanced game of football. You now feel like if you know your football and want to play a passing game; you can do exactly that. Unlike FIFA 15, the midfield in FIFA 16 exists and it’s not all about pace. Oh and you can defend with some confidence. Huzzah! I said this to the developers that were there, and I’ll say it here too. I’ve been going to these things for a good few years now, and this is the best shape I’ve seen FIFA in at this early stage. Now it’s just a case of not doing what EA somehow always do, toning things down or completely messing things up.
If they don’t do that, FIFA 16 could well be the best one in the series for years. Seriously, if anyone from EA is reading this, don’t… Just don’t. Please. When playing with a side like Barcelona you can spray the ball around with quality, dribble into the pockets and thrive in the spaces that you create. One thing I would say, FIFA's demos - in my view - never tend to reflect the true feel of the final product. However, if EA stick with this structure I think that this game certainly has potential - aside from a passing issue that many gamers have noticed, but we'll come onto that. We'll be looking at all of the positives, negatives, and the biggest talking points surrounding the demo's gameplay, providing our very own verdict on each change made to FIFA 16.
Many would argue that Per Mertesacker is not even the best defender at his club. But according to FIFA 16, the Arsenal man is the sixth best defensive player in the world and the number one centre-back in the Premier League. Nicknamed the BFG, Mertesacker is renowned for his lack of pace. That's a weakness of his game noted by EA Sports, the makers of the hugely popular football game. He scores just 31 on that front, incredibly low in comparison to Thiago Silva, who scores 74 in that department and is rated as the best defensive player on the soon-to-be released game. They’re not super-human on FIFA 16, though goalkeepers are now fantastic at punching away corners at every opportunity, but you do get an air of comfort when they do flail limbs that they’ll actually do their job an deny the attacker a cheap goal. They can still make mistakes from time to time, but it appears as though goalkeepers are a marked improvement on last year. Mercifully.
The FIFA 16 release date is now official! Here in the UK you can get hold of EA's new football game on 24 September 2015. That is a few days after our American cousins get their soccer fix, but we had football long before they did so I suppose it is only fair. The full release schedule is US and Canada on September 22, 2015, followed by more of South- and Central America, Australia, and most of Europe on 24 September, 2015. Huzzah! FIFA 16 comes to the UK on 24 September 2015. And the good people of Japan and Brazil have to wait until 8 October to get their hands on FIFA 16. Yes, it seems odd that Brazil gets a soccer game last of all. But it is hardly the worst thing that is happening at FIFA headquarters just now.
