Been playing footy games in earnest since FIFA 98/ISS 98
FIFA has always been an enjoyable, easy to pick up and play until, inevitably, the game showed its limitations on the pitch when the same patterns led to surefire ways to score. This prompted my move to the ISS/PES/WE series and I have never looked back only buying the odd FIFA to see the improvements.
When I bought FIFA 14 NG for PS4 I was sceptical of any major improvements that whould make me switch camp to EAs, fully lcensed juggernaut.
within minutes of booting up that belief was tested with awe inspring HD goodness
This game looks phenomenal! not quite NBA2k14 quality but full 1080p and 60fps is what football games were begging. Although PC players have this already theconsole players were stuck on 720 p
The player models - bye bye baboon walking man, the stadia, pitch texturs and 3D crowd look phenomenal. Sound is brilliant and the commentary gets updated almost daily so you sure to hear new soundbites when you boot up. This all adds to immersion we have not had on football games before - you would easily be mistaken for thinking you were tuned in to 213 on DSTV. The presentation reminded me of FIFA 10 WC game but at a much higher level.
The training modes and pre match minigames are superb and can easily eat into your playing time as you try to knock off your friends list standings. The formation screens are still the same but fast and seamless, unfortunately its sorely lacking in the ability to use tactical depth like PES has in this area.
Once the action starts on the pitch the new Impact engine shows its stuff with player movement and physics. Truth be told PES2014s FOX/Havok engine on the PS3 trumps EAs engine and this should be concerning for EA as they had the headstart. FIFA still lacks that randomness you should have in every sports game. A ball going out of play is always going to be met with a player sliding to keep it in with the same animation and outcome. You also never see a player lose balance and regain it or moments of randomness that you want to replay to see what you missed. The players arent AS floaty on the pitch and there is a somewhat superficial level of momentum and inertia on the players. If you for example run full throttle and decide to stop either to wrong foot a defender or stop a ball going out of play, there is no weight so you dont see a player lean back to regain his balance or tussle with a defender to keep control of it. Whilst it is slower than FIFA 13 I still felt the need to drop the pace to slow setting to accomodate my style of play.
Ball physics are not much better. I have not had a shot beat a keeper with swerve or even a deflection - it seems to follow a predetermined path regardless of who hit the ball or the spin or swerve. It does not feel like the ball is a free entity rather following a limtied script with few outcomes.
The AI is forgiving till you push it up to world class, difficulty where you will be crucified by great Opponent AI. This is an area FIFA have improved on - playing against, for example, Arsenal you could feel Wilkshere pulling the strings from the middle of the park and being a proper nuisance. The star players in the team have a impact on the game but again it seems more scripted than through their natural ability.
One of the absolute pillars of PES is its player individuality and team variation or playing styles.
When you play a game like Gran Turismo - you start off with a golf GTI did some mods and you could feel the power coming through, or take a ferarri to the track and feel added oomph it brought - bring on your Dodge viper and feel that immense power but unforgiving rear wheel drive as it caught some sand for your inevitable spinout.
FIFA robs you of this in its entirety - while small skilled players like Messi, Valbuena, Aguero, Iniesta and Neymar have good speed, there is no ball technique - they have the same touches as Busquets whilst dribbling, the same amount of burst when you sprint with the ball, the same amount of mometum when they turn with the ball and dribble with either foot regardless of the nature of their real life counterparts. For me this is a killer it absolutely kills my need to try and play with different teams and players looking for those hidden gems in world football.
PES through the years you would play a master league and found this gem of a player in South America called Riquelme and looked out for him IRL to see he eventually made a name for himself IRL. Its bizarre but ask any PES fan and they would know exactly what you mean.
Goal keepers are great when you play against them but ask your goal keeper to save a shot on world class and be dissappointed he wont help you - the ball seems destined to go to the back of your net regardless of what you do about it. They seem to parry into the dangerzone far too often and again the AI jumps in to create a goalmouth scramble rather than it happeingin by chance.
Online is absolutely butter cream smooth - I have NEVER experienced this level of lag free goodness on a football game before. The FUT is a huge mode that I honestly have no desire to play LOL but I can see the attraction. The lobbed throughball is everyones favourite party trick online which is dissappointing.
All in all, I do not think EA are trying to win anyone over with this game it is made for its fans and will attract the necessary revenue - what should concern EA is the lack of innovation, putting an HD coat on the same game is going to backfire on them at some point. This is the first outing on the next generation but I doubt I will see the changes I would want because, quite frankly this game isnt made for me. Its made for FIFA players who want immersion with what they see rather than what they play. The licenses they have will ensure they have market share but even that could come under strain in future.
I could go on for hours about FIFA and its strengths and another week about its weaknesses but from a PES fan this game gets a trophy for most improved. It gets a near perfect score for off the pitch stuff except the lack of tournament modes which IMO is ridiculous in a sports game. ON the pitch its very outdated and in my opinion a gamebreaker.
Final score
7/10 good game EA
PS I am still about for a game for those that have added me over the last few weeks.
