How do you redefine something which is already a success? Well, if you are EA you don't. EA's latest offering in its highly successful football simulation game series does not break new ground. It just smoothens out the rough edges and the bumps and cracks in its previous title.
Upgrading from FIFA 13 to FIFA 14 is quite like going from your old smartphone to a new one. Don't expect anything radically different, just a few more megapixels, a sharper display, a faster processor.
So in FIFA 14 the game play is smoother; the graphics sharper. The menu has been redefined so the opening screen offers you your favourite modes on top. It's a bit like the windows tile design, easier to surf, directing you straight to your favourite hangout destination.
EA's endeavour for some years now has been to make FIFA more 'realistic', F14 is a big jump towards achieving that goal. The pace of the game is much slower than its predecessors; you can't simply pick up the ball and make those runs around defenders like you used to. Defences are much tighter, defenders pressing better and sticking to their opponents. A player with a higher pace attribute will still outrun a slower defender but to his credit the defender will not simply fall away.
A tighter defence slows down the game, and might 'kill it' for a few, but on the whole it is an improvement as it makes the experience more challenging, a goal more rewarding.
Footballers are vain, and to an extent, so are gamers, showboating is an essential part of the football experience and that is much easier in F14. The modifier button has been done away with, and a few twists and turns of the right joystick will make your player do some fancy stepovers, body feints and ball rollovers. Same goes for goal celebrations.
Shielding the ball is also much easier which again helps you keep possession and build an attack rather than simply run with the ball.
A slower but more realistic option. In FUT, EA now allows you to purchase items from the club catalogue using your FIFA XP, an excellent way to pick up some hard-to-find items like classic kits and 99-game player contracts.
It's FIFA's most popular mode and there is greater integration with the web app and EA has also come out with a phone app, so you can check on those transfers on-the-go.
The Career mode too is more refined with regular scouting reports and customisable transfer windows. EA regularly synchs its squads with the teams' performances on the field and that reflects in the ratings of the players.
An in-form player will see a rise in rating, while a player that does poorly over the weekend will a red arrow against its name.
The only issue is EA's poor server maintenance. Too often connections are lost and you get denied of a win. Just irritating. On the whole however, its an issue EA is attempting to resolve and is not something which affects the overall gaming experience.
Platform: PS3
Rating: 4.5/5
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