It is time for the new football game, as is tradition. The correct number of pigskins have been delivered and the appropriate grass laid for digitised men of various stats to once more simulate season after season of football, packed crowds forever cheering their associated victories. Best of all, it looks like it’s rather good – press from around the block have been impressed by what FIFA has to offer this year.
Read more: the best games of 2016.
Between improvements to engine and the introduction of a single-player mode, it’s the most positive press have been for the game in some time:
- IGN – 8.4/10 – “The Journey gives FIFA something unique and rewarding.”
- Gamesradar+ – 4.5/5 – “Still unmatched in the genre for atmosphere, licenses, and finer details.”
- The Telegraph – 4/5 – “A veritable feast of football that will keep its players busy for the next 12 months.”
- USGamer – 4/5 – “ EA Vancouver has managed to nail the balance between being a simulation and being fun time and again.”
- Polygon – 9/10 – “A reintroduction to the things that have made this series EA Sports’ pride and joy for the past eight years”
The Journey features in many reviews as a highlight, impressing in its design though not always in its story. The overall arc seems to be good, but not always specific enough to the club in question. Still, as a first try at a ‘proper’ campaign mode for a football game, people are impressed.
Another common theme is that while FIFA gets the presentation, licenses and single-player right, it’s still beaten in gameplay by PES this year. That classic battle seems to continue.
Worth noting these reviews are all console-based, with no word on PC performance as of yet. It being on Origin over Steam means the ever-reliable user reviews can’t come to the rescue with a 30% rating for daring to drop under 60fps, but nowhere else seems to be alight with complaints either.