FIFA 15's player movements are more fluid than the previous version

Among all the sports games on the market today, FIFA may be the most beginner friendly. Are you going to pick up the controller and blow out a vet who has been playing the franchise since FIFA 95? No, but the basics are a breeze to pick up, and you'll be working from one end of the pitch to the other with ease by the end of the first half. It's hard to say that about basketball, football and hockey games.

I've seen some complain about the frantic pace of play in FIFA 15, but I didn't find issue with it. Methodical is not a virtue I look for in video games, and the breakneck gameplay is enthralling, especially against the gorgeous backdrops. Everything in the arena is thought out, from the turf to the fans, who are programmed with team specific chants. Even if crowd atmosphere is not your thing, you can't help but appreciate the realism it brings to the game. FIFA 15 is a must-have for beginners and veterans alike.

From the default broadcast view, FIFA 15's player movements are slightly more fluid than the previous version, which is always welcome. However, close-ups portray some players in an absurdly muscular way, with shirt-stretching, burgeoning shoulder muscles. Football players are fit, but the player redesign is over the top.



The player strength statistic changes tackling and running with the ball in quite significant ways. Go into a tackle with a player who is slight of frame against a player who’s no stranger to the weights bench and you’ll probably just bounce off him. You’ll likely fall over too. It doesn’t seem to matter how perfect your timing is in these instances, you’re always going to struggle to dispossess a very physically strong player with a very light, weak one. Even a well timed tackle that wins the ball might not ultimately be successful for you if your smaller statured defender happens to clip the strong attacker after the initial challenge – he’ll fall over or stumble off balance just as readily as if he’d missed the timing of the tackle completely. Tiny, fast players no longer have as unfair an advantage because of this – you’ll just need to play slightly differently with the varying types of player in possession.

In single player, against an AI which can be predicted to a certain degree, FIFA 15‘s defending is a case of keeping your team’s shape, knowing when to jostle or press for the ball and picking a moment to dive in for a tackle. It’s tough, but in a way that I’ve found satisfying to learn and look forward to mastering. While EA Sports luxuriate in Ultimate Team wealth and licensing heaven, they’re doing the bare minimum to maintain the series' technical aspects. FIFA 15 still plays decent football, but with the same (increasingly inexcusable) bugs and instabilities of the past few seasons.

Worryingly, these players have actually had their previous scans removed from the game. Obafemi Martins, Rafael Márquez, Giovani dos Santos, Stephen Caulker, Ricardo Quaresma and Antonio Candreva are also all the same. Again, it serves no real functional purpose but it certainly dents your emersion to see a generic create-a-player running around pretending to be an Italian international.

The lighting effects are outstanding during the day and night, with different times subject to adjustment as late morning, early afternoon, dusk and night. The lawn reveals the consequences of the "pitched battle" with natural wear as follows starting with grass clippings plucked up by kickers and cart entries. After 90 minutes the pitch mirrors obvious signs of competition. Then there are still effects such as rain or snow, although here with little new to retain.