FIFA 15 Guide for Team of the Tournament
Figures published by UK-based retail analyst GfK have revealed that FIFA 15, the latest (and, arguably, greatest) entry into EA Sports’s seemingly evergreen franchise, has held on to the number one spot for the fourth consecutive week. In doing so, the footie sim held off strong competition from the recently-released The Evil Within and Gearbox Software’s Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, which debuted in second and third, respectively. Before I start this review, I’ll be honest and announce that this is the first FIFA game I’ve played on a current-generation console. I did, however, review both FIFA 14 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil game on last-gen consoles. As such, this was my first time seeing what more powerful systems have allowed the development team to do with its grass-based gameplay.
TOTT, also Team of the Tournament, a name given to a selection of In Form players released at the same time at the end of an international competition. A group of players that get new In Form cards for their good performance in the specific competition. It is impossible to find these kind of cards in the market since they are not new In Form cards.
Only one TOTT is scheduled for FIFA 15. That is the Africa Cup of Nations. According to experience, EA will announce the FIFA 15 TOTT this Friday, February 13th 2015 at 3pm (UK time) and it will be released in packs three hours later. TOTW 22 and TOTW 23 will not be affected by the FIFA 15 TOTT release. While the player upgrades will be postponed for February 20th, one week later. As far as we are concerned, Orange and Black cards will be released for the TOTT. Basically, EA Sports release green cards only for top tournaments like the World Cup. The In form players of the Africa Cup of Nations are rewarded with orange cards and are grouped in the TOTT.
That takes a while, but not as long as in some other team-building sports titles. For starters, the game has no energy system or restrictions on play of any kind. If you want to sit down and grind out a two-hour-long session on your iPad or Android tablet, you’re free to do exactly that. And you’ll need to in order to get really good players without spending additional money, because Ultimate Team mode remains a grind for coins to buy more packs of players just as it’s always been across the whole EA Sports range. One really important addition means that you can play through matches faster than ever before. The Quick Simulation option puts you in the manager role, guiding your team from the touchline instead of controlling the players. As management sims go, it’s very lightweight — your only in-match controls are to choose an attacking, neutral or defensive style and pick an intensity level via sliders — but it does get you to the next match faster and can be a good way to dispose of teams you know your squad will beat without much effort.
In FIFA 14, the movement of players seemed somewhat restricted and tough, like players were tied to heavy chains but all of that has been changed in FIFA 15. The movements of players are more fluid and realistic. The controls don’t feel restrictive and movement becomes easier in the game, allowing us to do so much more. Coupled with this is the improvement in passing, which feels crisp and accurate, and more realistic than ever before. EA has also put in a lot of work for in skills and dribbling in the game. Players can now do more impressive tricks and manoeuvre through defences with precise dribbling abilities. The dribbling feels realistic and is better than how it was in the previous games. However, as with everything in life, not all can be perfect. There were a few things we wouldn’t have missed if they not been included but nothing big enough to tarnish the game.
One of the biggest problems is just how little protection the AI offers against counter attacks. Every time you lose possession it's just so simple for your opponent to pass the ball from their penalty area to their attackers, who will not be marked and who will receive the ball uncontested. From there, and in no way aided by defensive midfielders who seem to have no interest in defending, you have a nightmare on your hands to deal with the now ultra slippery attackers.
Even if attacking does feel better than ever this year, it doesn't really make up for how unenjoyable defending is. Despite making up 50% of gameplay, it feels like EA gives it around 10% of the attention, and it really shows. You're caught between babysitting teammates who are falling out of position almost constantly, and trying to use loose awkward controls to fend off dribblers. You never feel in control, always just a moment from disaster, much like in a plate-spinning act. It's not just the AI that needs changing, the whole system EA has provided us with which we defend feels unfit for purpose.
