FIFA 15: good but not great for soccer nerds

A full month into the new season every year, EA Sports releases the newest version of its massive FIFA video game franchise. Sales have been particularly strong over the last three years in particular with the 2013 version of the game selling 14.5 million copies in its first year and its 2012 predecessor dropping 3.2 million units in the first week alone. There is no doubt that the FIFA series is and has been great for what seems like ages now but is FIFA 15 more of the same or is it a whole new experience for the masses?

The first thing you’ll notice in FIFA 15 is the quality of the graphics during gameplay. This is especially true if you didn’t upgrade from the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC versions (among others) that were released at the start of 2013/14. Those that reupped when the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 came out have already seen the benefits of the Ignite game engine but for those that didn’t move to what is now the current generation of consoles, the visuals in FIFA 15 will be like that “A Whole New World” scene from Aladdin:

”I can show you the world (of soccer in a video game)...
Shining, shimmering, splendid...”

Or something.

Every single blade of grass is defined and as the game goes on, the players’ footsteps appear on the pitch as you slowly wear away at the virtual grounds crew’s work. In the rain, your players kick up water and in the snow, you’ll be thankful for high-visibility balls as your screen is covered by big, fluffy snowflakes. Kits pick up mud after a few slide tackles and the list of nice little touches goes on.

Goalkeepers have a whole new range of save animations to boot. So, if you like flashy saves with plenty of hangtime, you’ll have a few more reasons to hope that the ball doesn’t hit the back of the net.

In addition to everything else that FIFA has brought into the 2015, there are also a ton of new face scans and player models now in the mix. The in-game footballers look more realistic than ever and during the cinematic sequences in stoppages of play, it’s cooler than ever. Unfortunately, it also takes us pretty far into the uncanny valley and it’s especially noticeable whenever you get in close to the action.

It’s all well and good when they’re celebrating goals but when you watch one of those instant replays where the camera is at ground level, it’s pretty easy to see the thousand-yard stare that they develop from being your puppet over what is sure to be hundreds of hours.

Yes, the graphics in FIFA 15 are incredible, unless you’re stuck on the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 (both of which retained the old engine). Everything looks good and it’s very nice to see the environments become part of the action. The player models are mostly solid but the nearly-lifelike faces, with “nearly” being the operative word there, can cause some awkward moments. Some collisions are weird and players may fly out of a tackle like they’ve been hit by a tank shell but actually, that may just be soccer.

The nice thing about FIFA 15 is that if you’ve played the game over the last few years, odds are that you are able to pick up the new version and get right into it. This is especially true with the new version of the game.

The user interface is almost identical to last years with cards taking up very familiar places. Navigating the game is kind of like riding a bicycle or using any number of other cliches that are about remembering things and that’s good because kick-off, Manager Mode, Ultimate Team, and online play are exactly where you expect them to be. That part of the game has barely changed with some alterations to the menu structure and graphical adjustments here and there.

On the field, it’s also much of the same and that is just fine because FIFA 15 builds on what was already a good thing. There’s new animations abound from the aforementioned goalkeepers to player reactions after fouls, injuries, and plays. FIFA 15 adds new tactical elements on set pieces from plays on corner kicks to taking control of the receiver on throw-ins. The home crowd reacts to goals and the screen shakes accordingly. Players get angry if you foul their goalkeeper. FIFA 15 is, in truth, about the little things and they’re all welcome additions.

If you were looking for a managerial simulator that lets you play through the seasons rather than passively watching them, you may want to turn around and walk away... kind of. Yes, FIFA 15 is fun. In fact, it’s really fun. So much so that it’s almost an arcade game. The new player models feature very muscular proportions and are more reminiscent of NFL Blitz characters than footballers.

Scheduling, pre-season, cup matches, and international management are all pretty much unchanged from last year’s game.

Pre-season feels just as useless as ever and rather than giving you a chance to test new team combinations on the fly, you may as well skip it and take your chances in competitive fixtures. Players are limited to just three substitutions which is a lot less than what happens in a friendly in, you know, the real world. As for international play, its also much of the same with the number of international squads providing a list that’s paltry at best. More than half of the teams in the game will make FIFA 15’s World Cup tournament and when you hear it that way, qualifying doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.

Transfers in FIFA 15 are still annoying as hell. To find a player, you must set up a scouting network with scouts that will give you an approximation of the player’s current statistics. They won’t give you much of a recommendation short of determining your team’s shortcomings and where you need reinforcements or replacements. With the sheer number of footballers listed in FIFA, it’s an annoying and frustrating process at best.

There are a lot of players in the game and odds are that you can find players that will suit your needs without them being a total dud. Scouting said players will get you an idea of their worth but an enquiry to the parent club will give you their value based on current rating, potential, and form, which is helpful.

FIFA 15 won’t simulate anything to the level of a game like Football Manager but it also really doesn’t try to. Tactics in FIFA will only get you so far and that’s also fine because the game is meant to be fun. Think of it as a lesser version of the Need for Speed series of racing games when they are compared to the much more technical Gran Turismo and Forza series.

FIFA 15 is a lot of fun and does pretty much exactly what it sets out to do. If you’re looking for tactics, in-depth press conferences, scout suggestions, and serious player movement, this game probably isn’t for you. If you want to do all that and still play through match after match, there really is no better option on the market at the moment.