It’s that time of year again when we have our annual release of FIFA. I think it’s fair to say that FIFA 16 didn’t quite live up to the expectations we have of the game. With many of our league members here on AbsoluteGaming expressing their frustrations at the games shortfalls. With a new engine in the shape of Frostbite in place for the latest iteration of the hugely successful franchise, will FIFA 17 be able to improve on what 16 gave us last year?
Obviously the core of the game needs to be gameplay. My worry over the last few years is that EA have focussed more on attempting to improve modes within the game (with specific emphasis clearly on Ultimate Team), and have forgotten to progress enough with the actual gameplay itself. I can happily confirm that there is definite improvement present here. Whether they will be to everyone’s taste though is to be seen. Passing takes centre stage on FIFA 17 with the game rewarding you for patience and team play. Quick exchanges in midfield and movements off the ball allow for gaps to open up in attacking play. Already I have found that this allows for plenty variety when playing a game with regards to how each attack builds. I was concerned when playing the trial that scoring had become a bit too easy, but keepers seem to have improved since then which is a welcome sight. Defensively it is much the same as last year, but thankfully the over zealous referees have been toned down a bit with less free kicks being awarded for soft challenges.
Other noticeable changes are the free kick and penalty systems. Both of these seem a lot more difficult to start with, and the new (changeable) free kick camera angle can be a bit naff. But with some practice pulling off a successful set play, or smashing the ball in from the penalty spot seems a bit more rewarding than it has in the past. Visually the game has had an upgrade aswell, nothing too drastic on the face of things, just everything looking a bit crisper, but close ups of the players shows the work that has gone in to input their likenesses into the game. All in all the transition to the Frostbite engine has been a success, and I’ll be totally honest and say that I wasn’t expecting to say that when I first heard about it.
Game modes wise the obvious big addition is the new ‘story’ mode called The Journey. Where you take control of youngster Alex Hunter as he seeks to live his dream as a professional footballer. You pick a Premiership team to join and it goes from there playing matches, taking part in training sessions and making some dialogue choices in cutscenes varying from post match interviews to chats with team mates. There is a lot of potential in this mode that I hope EA will expand on in future releases but in it’s current state it fizzles out. You only play one season, and a it becomes quite repetitive in what you do. Options to explore the choices off the pitch such as purchasing houses, cars and social options would have been welcome. Currently there is an ‘earnings’ figure which is used for nothing. That all being said it is a welcome new game mode that will hopefully continue to improve.
Other modes have been updated as expected. Ultimate Team fans will be happy to find even more ways to remain addicted to the most popular mode on FIFA. Squad building challenges will put your ability to put a squad together to certain requirements to the test. With rewards for success at the end. These look as though they will be updated over time aswell to keep it all fresh. You also have FUT Champions game mode which can come with big rewards if you’re able to qualify for the weekend competition and win enough games. Your normal Seasons and Tournaments are also still here. Clubs, the popular online mode is much the same as before, but with more options to personalise your club, from the badge to the kit, rather than using pre-existing ones. While the options aren’t extensive, and there seems to be a slight issue with kit clashing currently, it is a welcome new feature to the mode. With the new engine in place there is more emphasis than ever on team play. So you may want to leave you wannabe Ronaldo friends on the bench. Career mode is here as usual, with a few additional board expectations to hit as a manager, such as considerations for youth and financial status.
Overall EA have put together a very solid football game. The true test of a FIFA game though, is how you feel about it a few months down the line, but so far so good. And while I’m sure there will be a few exploits here and there (I’ve already seen videos of a certain free kick technique) I’m happy with where we are at currently with FIFA ’17. It is not perfect, and there is still some work to be done to improve on The Journey, but there isn’t a better football game on the market today.
**Thank you to XCN for providing the review copy of the game**