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Each annual release of a new FIFA iteration is a bittersweet event. The FIFA series has evolved substantially over the last few years, and with evolution comes tweaks and modifications that sometime greatly improve the game, and sometimes those tweaks break a mechanic that was already working perfectly fine. FIFA 14 is no exception to this rule, and while it does take a significant step forward in some areas, it takes a step back in others.
Good changes from past years:
1.Offensive AI: Players make intelligent runs that offer a bevy of attacking options
2.Defensive AI: The physical interactions between defenders and forwards are much more realistic. Gone are the days of simply running past or around defenders with Theo Walcott or Welliton (cursed be his name). Defenders block forwards and position themselves to make tackles before the forwards can really build up speed. Most of the time.
3.Shielding the ball: Finally, you can pass the ball to a teammate and the player can shield the ball and maintain possession. Players in possession of the ball fight harder to maintain possession.
4. Player movement and acceleration: Here's a topic of debate, but I honestly feel that EA made the right call to change up how this works from past years. The first few steps a player takes are slow; players don't take one step to reach full sprint speed like in FIFA 13. Slowing down player acceleration definitely reduces the fluidity of the game, which will certainly take some getting used to.
Things EA broke:
1.PASSING!!!!! It's horrible. Atrocious. Reprehensible. Broken. It's slow, weak, and inaccurate. Even the best players struggle to complete relatively simple passes consistantly. No, it's not as if EVERY pass misses the target, but players make awful passes with far too great of frequency. FIFA 13 passing worked great, they should've left it alone.
2. First touch: This is the mechanic that adds variability to how well a player traps the ball when receiving a pass. FIFA 14 has taken this idea a little too far, to the point where players fail to control even very simple ground passes. Once again, I think FIFA 13 mostly got this mechanic right, but it simply isn't working this year.
3. Player collisions: Players from the same team trip over each other all the time; it was annoying in FIFA 13, and EA failed to fix the problem with 14.
4. Offsides: Defensive AI is better at springing the offside trap, which is a good thing. However, the result is that strikers are getting caught offisde CONSTANTLY.
As a diehard FIFA fan, I really wish I could say that I simply love FIFA 14 without any reservation, but that's simply not the case. I really like some aspects to the game, and I'm quite fond of the improvements I mentioned above. Honestly, if EA can just patch the passing system, I can live with first touch and player collisions as they are. But soccer/football/futbol is a PASSING game; if that isn't working, the game isn't working.
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Minor changesStrength is really important (poor neymar)
Speed is less important
Defending is easier
Scoring goals is harder
Ribery and Ronaldo won't be able to pass defenders just because they are faster, you have to be more tactical, ratings are a bit off rooney is overrated other great players in small clubs are underrated.
it's fifa though and no matter how much I complain, I'll end up playing itI picked up FIFA 14 on launch day. Traded in FIFA 13 for it. After my first two games, I felt like I wished I still had FIFA 13. As a matter of fact, I had planned to spend my entire day Tuesday going hard on 14, and after two games put the controller down.
On first play, it has a different feel to it. The AI midfielders and defenders are almost like a swarm. You can't take speedy wings or outside midfielders down the line as far as you could in previous FIFA games. They cut you off. They play hard, get very physical, and just overall play better team defense.
The menu lags, like other people have posted. It lagged a little at times in 13. The menu lag in this one is worse.
I also agree with another reviewer on scouting players for career mode. Before, when you are doing a career mode as a manager, you could see what people are rated, and what their skill levels are. Now, you get not one thing about a player unless you send a scout. And your scouts skills to recognize their actual numbers vary. If my whole life revolved around this one game, I guess that would be ok. But I have a life, and a son and job, and I find this time consuming, annoying, and this was a bad idea in my opinion.
So Wednesday, I accepted the changes in my head and gave it another go. A few games into a season now and I'm doing much better and you will too if you give it some time. Like others complaining on here about passing to someone and it bouncing away from them right to the other team, I had that going to. The answer is L1. There are different variations of receiving a pass using the L1 button, with some other combinations to do more advanced things. But if you pass, as soon as you control the person receiving the ball, just simply hold L1 and they will control it, instead of it flying off to the other team. It's all right there listed in the moves/controls section of the game. I didn't know either until I checked it out.
I thought 13 was pretty realistic. 14 IS realistic. If you watch pro soccer, you have to play this video game with the strategy of a pro soccer game. It makes you realize how much 13 was like an arcade game, which wasn't my opinion until now. Like I said, if you understand soccer, play this game with the understanding of the game to succeed. I am enjoying it now, which I didn't think I would after my first two games. I will say however, that even though I am getting used to it, and all the realism that it brings, in all honesty, I liked the slightly less realism of 13 better.
Four stars. Docked a star for menu lag and this new way to have to scout everybody to find a fit for your team. I don't have time for that and it will irritate me for the next year. Please EA, don't do that again.
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I'm a big fan of the FIFA franchise and this year it is very disappointing with little to no improvements over last year's edition.Pros:
The cut scenes are improved
Player images are more realistic
Great music as always
Teams are updated
Cons:
Players respond very sluggishly to your commands.
Passing is inaccurate at times(i.e. your passes doesn't go to the desired player or direction).
Something that was fixed in FIFA 13, but is a problem again Simple passes often bounce off players making one touch passing or a "give and go" passing next to impossible.
The new menu/layout looks nice, but moving around is very frustrating. Often times your desired selection is skipped over.
In Career Mode the changes to scouting/transfers was probably a nice idea in a meeting, but in reality it is overly complicated and can be frustrating.
Overall:
If you have FIFA 13 and are happy, FIFA 14 isn't worth the $60.I don't understand the line of thinking at EA anymore. The past 2 FIFA games were fluid masterpieces. Upon purchasing this I expected another great game. After playing 1 match I was severely disappointed. While the visual aspect of the game has slightly improved the game play itself is a joke. The most talented players with high ranking skills have been reduced to bumbling oafs. Even the most basic passes give players trouble. Controlling the players is a chore and smooth movements have been replaced with jerky motions and choppy play. Even the AI seems to have regressed. It is no longer about building to a climactic finish as it is about getting random lucky bounces since players don't move well with the current AI. I never thought I would say this about FIFA but don't waste your money on this year's title. Either wait for the PS4 version or seriously think about giving PES a chance. I've never played PES but if this is the best EA has to offer it may be time to give it a shot.
EA just loves to make a buck without actually improving anything anymore. Very pathetic.
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