FIFA 14: 5 Classic Forgotten Features We'd Love To See Return
one of the main pieces of feedback the EA Sports team in Vancouver has received since the release of the phenomenally-successful FIFA 13 is that matches can, at times, feel too open, too back-and-forth. It's undeniably exciting, but perhaps unfairly favours route-one football. The changes introduced in FIFA 14 attempt to nurture the art of build-up play, of crafting an attack through the centre of the park, with the hope that the resulting goal will feel all the more satisfying.fifa 14 official ea sports trailer link
Dribbling is reliably one of the most exciting aspects of the sport –
that engrossing combination of athleticism and arrogance required to
beat an opponent – yet that thrill has always been difficult to capture.
FIFA 13 definitely made an effort to rectify that with the introduction
of Complete Dribbling, the ability to manipulate the ball in
all-directions while standing still. FIFA 14 takes the next logical step
– you’ll now be able to move freely while sprinting with the ball at
your feet. It’s correcting something that’s long been an accepted but
archaic feature of football games: sprinting players are restricted to a
measly turning circle of 22.5 degrees. Real-life players aren’t limited
by this arbitrary value, however, and can twist and turn in a variety
of ways, bamboozling defenders with mazy runs. To introduce this
feature, and keep things realistic and more importantly fair, FIFA 14 is
also introducing its players to the physical force of momentumMomentum does not care for dribbling, and will do it's very best to stop players from doing anything too outlandish. That means players won't be able to change direction instantly without consequence. And you can even see the invisible force working upon the players – new animations let players shift their weight from side-to-side, throwing their arms out to maintain balance. Running with the ball definitely looks more fluid and realistic than before.
Accompanying the introduction of any new
feature that benefits attacking comes the worry of making the game
unfair to those stuck defending. But the new fluid dribbling system is
offset by what EA is calling 'variable dribble touches' – basically, the
ball won't be stuck to your player's gluey toes. When sprinting at
full-pace, the distance of the ball from the player's foot will vary,
depending on the heaviness of the touch. It'll give defenders valuable
opportunities to win the ball back, preventing this new approach to
dribbling from becoming totally unstoppable. Naturally more gifted
players – think Messi, Ronaldo, Bale – will be able to keep the ball
more tightly under their spell than an intrepid centre-half wandering
into the final third.Build-up play is not only being supported by what you can do on the ball but what your teammates are doing all around you. There’s been a drive to make them much smarter. Marking is much tighter with players making more intelligent defensive decisions right across the pitch. Previously, defenders made judgement calls based on single frames of animation, but that wouldn’t always cope so well with players who check their runs or more complex attacking plays. FIFA 14's defenders now make decisions based on multiple frames of gameplay, resulting in more reliable, less impulsive decision making.
Your team will also defend much more
cohesively, boxing in players, denying that easy outlet pass. This
intelligence is also present when you’re attacking, too – players will
now cannily check their runs, turn defenders, run along the defensive
line. They’re all handy visual cues, subtly letting you know what
options are available. It not only looks closer to the real game with
lots of incidents happening across the field, it's hoped that it'll also
provide a more intuitive way of conveying information to the player,
especially those unfamiliar with the series.
The intention isn't to make the game more challenging but all that
more satisfying. There’s that word yet again. If last year was all about
‘unpredictability’, FIFA 14 is definitely about creating ‘satisfaction’
and nowhere is this more evident than scoring goals.Ah yes, that unrivalled moment of pure elation which defines the sport. Scoring in FIFA isn't always easy. It shouldn't be, but sometimes you're left baffled as to why your shot was so hopelessly, embarrassingly off target. If you're a FIFA aficionado you'll probably know exactly what you did wrong, but other people aren't so sure. One of the reasons for this confusion is the lack of visual feedback given to the player – that is, the character animation in FIFA 13 doesn’t reflect what you did wrong.
Players in FIFA 14 contextually adjust to their feet and stride length to prepare themselves to shoot. FIFA’s producers refer to this as ‘getting into phase’. So if the ball is stuck under your feet or you’re being closely marked by defenders, the resulting shot will reflect these pressures – it’ll be snatched or taken slightly off-balance.
The biggest overhaul to shooting is probably the ball physics themselves. EA Vancouver has decided to adopt a "non-linear drag coefficient which more accurately imitates the flight of a ball than the extant linear deceleration algorithm". Got that? Yeah, me neither, but what that actually means is that balls now fly through the air with greater realism. It allows for a variety of new shot types (you can see some of them in action in the video above). There’s nothing predictable nor plodding about the ball's trajectory – it'll dip and fizz with all the erratic energy of a modern ball. These physics are specific to shooting either - you'll notice the effects in long-ball crosses and so on.Those are the big marquee features – dribbling, shielding, team-mate intelligence. But there promises to be a glut of tweaks to fundamental elements too, such as curved lofted through-balls and second-chance tackles. Elsewhere, career mode will benefit from a cleaned-up user-interface and a refreshed approach to scouting, which simplifies the process of finding the exact player you need for your side.
FIFA isn't broke – 65 million games are played globally each week – so there's no pressing need to 'fix' it. In fact, there's a bigger risking of alienating that audience by making the wrong change. It's far too soon to know if EA has succeeded in creating a more satisfying experience but I'm already waiting for kick-off.
FIFA 14 has so far only been announced on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC for release later this year. Currently there's no mention of it on handheld or next-gen platforms.
.
