FIFA 15 is undeniably entertaining and subtly different in many ways to FIFA 14, but EA’s latest series of tweaks might not be to everybody’s taste. Where Pro Evolution is the equivalent of a ponderous Serie A heavyweight matchup, FIFA 15 is Liverpool vs Chelsea. It’s pace, it’s power, it’s technical skill and performance at breakneck speeds. There’s little time to dally, and little time to think your way through the midfield without specifically selecting slower, mid-tier matchups.
There is actually very little different in terms of the gameplay from 14 and, after the madcap World Cup edition, EA Sports have reverted back to the serene pace that has served them so well over the years. Like football, Fifa has become more tactical but, unlike The Game, it has not endangered the fun factor.
It’s beyond argument that time and technology have made football games better, giving us lavish broadcast-style presentation, minutely detailed physical representations of players, and a complex causal physics environment which accurately recreates not just the sport of football but, by extension and existential implication, the fundamentals of our entire universe. And yet, awkwardly enough for the guy whose job it was to program that universe, it’s difficult to argue that this advancement has translated into more fun.
After all the hype about a new game engine, I have to wonder about the accuracy of that promise. The above issues instead point to the use of the exact same engine, albeit with enhancements. Now to be fair on the enhancements side of the equation, there are a bunch of them. The interface enhancements are much needed and provide a refreshing view that is reminiscent of a Windows 8 feel. In terms of interface, I especially enjoyed the new method of making substitutions and/or team formation changes.
