Flip things around and it’s noticeably harder to break through the last line of defence without having to fend off a shoulder-to-shoulder or coming together. You can put your body between the opposition and the ball, use their position to gain height to win headers or even subtly tug their shirt to shift momentum back in your favour. FIFA 16's defending is much the same in this regard. As we saw during this one-on-one contest in Manchester City’s recent 2-1 loss to West Ham United, being able to outmuscle and outwork one of the world’s best strikers takes complete concentration. Now, the game is better equipped to allow the powerful defender to utilise his body in the same manner as his real-world counterpart. Winston Reid was only going one way in FIFA 15. This means a pinpoint through ball towards speedsters such as Loic Remy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang isn’t going to result in a bulging net as often as it did last time out.Įach player now possesses a physical presence, too, with movement and decisions off the ball making a real impact on how matches progress.
The effectiveness of pace has once again been quashed, with physical contests and 50-50 challenges taking on greater prominence.īoth the opposition and your AI-controlled team-mates are quick to cover obvious gaps. Proceedings are interestingly pitched when the action begins.
#Fifa 16 logos series#
EA’s series doesn’t need to be the most technically gifted or realistic to dominate the two-horse race currently being waged in the video game world (let’s all forget Pure Football happened). Yet, most players know this and have been enjoying the game for years (myself included). The sport’s intricacies aren’t intelligently replicated, tactical battles are simplistic and game-winning patterns are easily forged. Putting it bluntly, FIFA 16 doesn’t play a better game of football than PES 2016, nor does it come close. However, with PES enjoying the kind of rapid development that makes Harry Kane look a slow burner, it’s fair to say FIFA hasn’t had to look over its shoulder so anxiously for years. The FIFA property is a commercial juggernaut, one that will always sell vast quantities until the day a cheesy-grinned Sepp Blatter is placed on the cover.