FIFA Soccer 14

In recent years, FIFA has benefitted from big changes. Tactical Defending, Player Impact Engine, First Touch: they all advanced the series by rewriting the fundamentals. But FIFA 14 doesn’t really have a big marquee feature. It feels more like a consolidation than a reinvention – an opportunity to cement what has already been successfully laid down. This year’s changes are smaller, more subtle, but they bring out the very best in in FIFA, which is already a fantastic experience. This time around it's more attacking, more polished, and will keep you coming back throughout the season.

Initially, most of FIFA 14’s innovations appear superficial. The way players move and shoot have both been dramatically improved, and there’s a new level of realism to the animation on the pitch (cutscenes look a bit robotic in comparison). But the longer I played, the more I realised these additions subtly affected how matches played out, and the style in which I played.

Improvements have also been made to shooting. Pulling the trigger now produces a range of different shots – balls dip at the last minute, gradually rise into the top corner, or are thumped low and hard. Combined with the improved ball physics, I found myself scoring types of goals that I never saw in FIFA 13: there are more rebounds, more balls falling marginally over the line, more deflections, more venom. It adds pleasing visual variety, but it’s ultimately determined by factors largely out of your control.

Meanwhile, passing definitely feels like it’s in need of some attention. It’s just not as clean or as precise as it is PES. Playing a cross-field pass should feel more graceful than it currently does and close, one-touch passing should be faster. It’s never really been as central to the style FIFA has tried to recreate, and this year it definitely feels a touch behind its other fundamentals.

My favourite aspect of FIFA 14, though, is unquestionably the improved AI of teammates. When going forward, I always had plenty of options. Players intelligently run into space, demanding the ball played into their feet or down the line. I’ve always been a fan of the lobbed-through ball, and in FIFA 13 I obstinately use it to no great effect. But in FIFA 14 there’s someone there, making the run I always wanted. And I find putting them through just as satisfying as scoring a goal. This intelligence is also present when defending (players don’t get sucked towards the ball so easily), but I definitely found it more useful going forward. Perhaps it’s a consequence of having a more inquisitive forward line, but I experienced more dubious offside decisions than in previous seasons.