FIFA 16 Review

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]’ve always been in two minds about the FIFA franchise. For a long time it’s been the premier football experience available – an opportunity for those of us born with two left feet to see how the beautiful game should be played. But on the other hand, that’s all there is to it. That a FIFA game will never surprise you is perhaps its greatest strength and its biggest weakness. With that said, it’s time for a slightly different look at the latest edition.
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The last copy I owned was FIFA 07, which is why I was surprised to find myself buying FIFA 16 within two weeks of its release. This gap has been, in no small part, due to the until-recent lack of PC support for the franchise – I never had a seventh generation console that didn’t rely on Italian plumbers to bring home the bacon.

I hadn’t intended to end my FIFA drought this year, but my resolve broke when I found it selling at £27. This felt much less sinful than paying full price – I think shelling out £50 for a football simulator is quite abhorrent. Available to play exclusively through Origin (EA’s PC platform), I quickly dropped all pretences of preparing for third year and was soon playing my introductory match. It’s a nice touch to have adaptive AI recommend your difficulty level – a good way to introduce greener players to the game.

I was struck first by the appearance of the simulation. Animations are smooth and largely realistic, and the surrounding stadium and fans aren’t bad either; at a very quick glance I could mistake it for a real football match. In an era dominated by hyper realistic graphics, FIFA 16 doesn’t shine, but nor does it really need to.

The precision that the game demands is incredibly fine, but this only serves to make the game more rewarding; slipping your striker through on goal is a good feeling, but when the computer doesn’t help you, it’s a great one.

Moving on, I quickly noticed that almost eight years out of practise had left me quite inaccurate with my passing. The precision that the game demands is incredibly fine; especially when the control assistance is turned off. However, this serves only to make the game more rewarding; slipping your striker through on goal is a good feeling, but when the computer doesn’t help you, it’s a great one.

The extent of tactical options available is much greater than I expected. It falls short of the standard set by Football Manager and similar titles, but such a level of control would be superfluous in a game like this. So far, I haven’t really experimented with most of the options available, so I can’t say, how effective they might be, but I like that they’re there.

I have one complaint to make about the game in general; the menu system feels, for want of a better word, gooey. It takes a little too long to get anywhere, and I’m still not clear on where a lot of the options and settings live. Not a huge complaint, but this is a game where a lot of time is spent with the interface. It adds up to an experience that doesn’t leave me frustrated, just disappointed. Menus shouldn’t be noticeable for anything, and I am not sure why so many games still fail to get them right.

The inclusion of 12 Women’s international teams, including Spain, above, is one of FIFA 16’s newest features

After some warm up games, I dove into a career with my beloved Birmingham City. I was pleased to find myself playing a preseason tournament– a useful addition to Career mode – although I was less happy with the results of my short-lived European tour. There is a good level of control available of all aspects of your club, while anyone wanting more should be looking to management simulators. My favourite feature is the individual training sessions available, allowing you to directly influence the growth of your rising stars.

Rivalling for the lion’s share of the play time is FIFA Ultimate Team, a newer edition to the franchise and consequently one I had never met before. In FUT, you start out with a rag-tag selection of player cards from across the globe. Earn coins through competing in leagues and cups to unlock packs of new player cards, and thus slowly build your dream squad. The beauty of FUT lies in its simplicity; you needn’t worry about managing the day to day affairs of the club, and can focus on your squad, chemistry, and playing matches. Personally, I prefer Career mode, but only because the management aspects appeal to me. For most, I can see clearly why FUT commands the attention it does; it’s simple, easy to play with friends, and many of the limitations of “realism” are taken away, giving it more of an arcade-y feel.

The last feather in FIFA 16’s hat is the well publicised inclusion of women’s football teams. At time of writing, I found no noticeable difference in gameplay. The inclusion of just 12 national squads (world cup finalists Japan the most notable exceptions) feels like a token representation of women’s football, but you have to start somewhere; hopefully future editions will rapidly expand the database of players and teams.

I enjoyed playing FIFA 16. I will continue to do so, I imagine, possibly at the cost of a few hours of work. My return to the franchise has been a pleasant one, and I can’t really pick out a major fault with this edition; it’s a good effort; well put together and, quite simply, good fun. It won’t change the world, and I don’t think it’s worth breaking the bank for, but as a football fan, it’s alright by me.
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Fair Play – Read more about FIFA 16’s inclusion of Women’s teams here