Which side are you on?

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For

To quote everyone’s least favourite Harry Potter character, Dolores Umbridge, “progress for progress’ sake must be discouraged.” FIFA 14 has arrived, and while the reception has been good, as expected, the same old tired clichés have begun to emerge, a rhetoric that talks of stagnancy and boredom. FIFA is not Pro Evolution. It is widely accepted, and commercially and critically supported, that EA Sports’ ultra-realistic style wins out over the arcade stylings of Konami’s offering and yet, people complain about a game that has got closer than ever before to an accurate representation of ‘the beautiful game’. At this point in time, any changes that need to be made are minimal, tweaks rather than an overhaul, evolution not revolution. That is simply the nature of the beast that FIFA has become.

With that in mind, I would suggest that the tweaks made to this iteration by EA do justify the widespread critical success FIFA 14 has received. Aside from another development to the heightened realism of the gameplay, the redesign of Career mode has freshened up a concept that was in danger of being left behind. This improvement has been coupled with the continued growth and popularity of Ultimate Team, one of FIFA’s biggest USPs at the moment. The addition of ‘UT Legends’ featuring the likes of Pele, Dennis Bergkamp, Marco van Basten and Lothar Matthaus will only further Ultimate Team’s reputation and makes for a game that should satisfy both hardcore veterans of the series and fresh-eyed gamers making their first foray into the addictive and time-consuming world of FIFA.

So to the naysayers, I would say this. If you want radical change year on year, buy Pro Evo. But in doing so, you will be missing on what has become a seminal series in the history of sports video games, a series that looks set to carry on its dominance for years to come.

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Against

There is very little to add to the comments that have already been made about FIFA 14. The typical, subtle alterations of gameplay that still manages to captivate a football mad nation leaves us grasping at straws as to what has changed- what makes this game better than the last? Tell me? According to other gaming publications, FIFA 14 gets a 9/10, with “great graphics” and “improved gameplay.” Come on now IGN, you said that last year. Is it all repetition though, or is there some merit to claims of annual high scale improvements? I’d be lying if I told you that the gameplay has not furthered FIFA’s pursuit of perfect ‘realism’. The first touch no longer enables precise control of that beautiful 40 yard through ball, the best ‘right bumper and Y’ you’d ever performed. That inspired vision-of-a-pass will rightfully lead to goal scoring opportunities no more. The sprint system has also been debunked. Theo Walcott cannot enjoy accelerating instantly past his defender before majestically misplacing a cross to the far post.

These are but a few of FIFA’s developments, another year, another football game a little more like ‘real life’. After all, as so many people will tell you, how much can really change in a game designed to imitate another game? There are only so many directions that FIFA can take. Right?

In fairness, EA have tried to innovate and improve various aspects of the game. A more detailed carear mode system, and a promising new ‘legends’ mode adds a fresh look to, what some would argue, is a proven formula.

However, it is in trying to innovate so much each year that FIFA have slipped up. The ‘for’ section will argue that there’s no need to fix what isn’t broken, and in some ways I agree. But the truth is that in attempting to gently change an already impressive gameplay system, EA has gone backwards.

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