With the release of the most popular football game on consoles just around the corner, there’s no better way to get a taste of FIFA 16 than to download and play the free demo. You probably shouldn’t base an entire purchase on these findings but it’ll at least give you a little extra information on what to expect come launch day.
The demo itself includes Kick Off mode and a sample of the FIFA Ultimate Team Draft plus a variety of teams to play with/against such as PSG, Real Madrid and a couple of women’s national teams. And it’s the women’s side of things where I’ll start because no one knows how they’ll feel to play due to this being their debut in FIFA. I’m surprised that they’ve included them in the demo for the simple fact that the mystique surrounding them disappears once used. I’ve played as both the German and American teams, there is no difference whatsoever from using the men’s ones which is great. That’s the equality which was needed.
The only drawback were the loud shrieks of the women during matches, which can be heard over the crowd during play (are the crowds that quiet?). For a second I thought the sound was coming from elsewhere but it was definitely FIFA. Hopefully they sort that out.
As far as the gameplay goes, I didn’t anticipate much change to be felt, especially during a demo but it does feel quite a bit slower than its predecessor when it comes to the pace of the game. Players don’t seem to be half as quick as they were before, which could mean EA are leaning more towards encouraging better build-up play.
Other little tweaks I’ve noticed so far include the shooting being very much hit and miss, the goalkeepers are parrying a lot more and the new way to perform a driven pass is decent. It’s a worry when I’m attempting to smash a ball in from range with Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos, only to see it fizzle into the keeper’s hands like a timid pass back. Finesse shots have been tamed too; they barely lift off the floor anymore.
For the showboaters out there, the new feinting without touching the ball feature could be useful, where players will jiggle their body like they’re going to do a trick. I don’t see the benefit as of yet, mainly because I’ve only been able to play versus A.I. whereas I believe it’ll be more of a novel idea to fool humans with.
I mentioned before that the FIFA 16 demo also gives a small taste of FUT Draft; however I’m still not sure how much fun this’ll be. Assembling a dream team, handed to you through a selection of personnel choices, seems like Ultimate Team without any hard work put in. Most of the fun in Ultimate Team, for me, comes from building a great well-rounded squad over time and earning them through playing tournaments etc. I’m not sure I like the lack of formation choices it offers you before the players are introduced seeing as you get stuck with that until the next draft you do. That could be a pain.
Other than a slight improvement on the presentation side of things, that’s all the changes I’ve noticed for FIFA 16 based on the demo. Has it got me excited for the full game? Not particularly, but I’m not disappointed either. We only have to wait a little while longer to find out whether EA can deliver enough enhancements to warrant an upgrade from FIFA 15.
You didn’t mention all of the new features, I suppose because this was a review of the demo. Still, thanks for the review.
Yeah exactly, you can expect a full review soon 🙂
21 more hours!