The computing monster that is FIFA continues to grow stronger as the game keeps on getting better. Whatever way you look at it numbers are absolutely astounding. That toll is expected to increase further this time round. And of those 12, Japan - the US team’s rival in the last three major tournament finals - is conspicuously missing the Japanese men’s team is, too, due to licensing issues, but the absence is more strongly felt in the women’s game, where Japan is one of the world’s best sides.Sportsmail understands that on day one of purchase last year, approximately one million copies were snapped up compared to the 25,000 shifted by its nearest competitor PES (pro Evolution Soccer). FIFA 16 only features 12 women’s international teams, and there’s little to do with them except play through a generic tournament or exhibition matches. Where EA’s efforts fall short is in content. The realistic hair rendering in particular stands out, which has also benefited more than a few players on the men’s side. The visual presentation is fantastic, too, with convincing animation and player models across the board. It feels instantly, noticeably different than the men's game, and is often a lot more fun. Women’s soccer in FIFA 16 is a touch slower than men’s, but tends toward more open, less predictable play that can turn around quickly. Thankfully, it’s a successful implementation. Simply swapping the models out wouldn’t work EA has had to rethink how FIFA plays to accommodate the women’s game. The subtle tweaks mentioned earlier all relate to the engine powering the men’s game, which has benefited from years of evolution based on physics and animations designed for male players. The World Cup in Canada catapulted the women’s game to a new level of global prominence, particularly in North America, and the US team’s success will have further helped in what’s arguably FIFA’s biggest untapped market.Īdding women is a non-trivial technical task. It’s a move that feels overdue, but 2015 is a good year for it nonetheless.
That big addition is this: FIFA 16 is the first entry in the series to feature women’s soccer.
It’s a minor update that, but for one big addition, would be difficult to recommend to anyone other than hardcore fans who need the updated rosters. Within EA’s established style, though, FIFA 16 is just another small step toward the ideal.
That’s not the only way to make a soccer game - for a slower, more technical experience, I’ve heard great things about this year’s Pro Evolution Soccer. FIFA 16 is the first entry to feature women’s soccer
And the referee now uses that weird new white spray to indicate where defenders should form a wall at free kicks. Slide tackling is more effective than before. It’s not as easy to score by bombing down the wing and charging diagonally into the penalty area, for example. It plays a slightly tighter game in midfield and defense. Here we are now, with FIFA having taken the crown somewhere in the interim, and all that’s left to do is incrementally tweak the game each year.īut there's one big difference this time around.įIFA 16 has undergone the usual year-to-year tweaks. Ten years ago, I was playing Pro Evolution Soccer convinced that there wasn’t much more left to be done in simulating the sport. Association football, or soccer if you like, is a sport that was codified at some point in the 19th century as “The Simplest Game.” We’re pretty good at digitally replicating it by now. Player modeling is more comprehensive sides like Southampton, the greatest yet somehow most underrated team in the Premier League, now have most of their members replicated with the same level of detail lavished upon the likes of Lionel Messi. The graphics are a little better, with more dynamic lighting and, if I’m not mistaken, slightly shinier balls. Today we will discuss the latest instance of the latter.įIFA 16, which came out this week, is pretty much the same thing as FIFA 15. FIFA is two things: an international soccer organization whose staggering corruption collapsed into self-parody earlier this year, and a multi-million-selling series of sports video games made by Electronic Arts.