EA Sports has done a fantastic job with FIFA 14, especially on the PS4 and Xbox One, to impress us when it launched last November and we actually cannot stop playing it. FIFA 14 on PS3 and 360 was already a great game and the added animations and visual upgrades were the icing on the cake for the Next-Gen versions but with FIFA 15 we really want to see some more features – yes, we always want more!
1. Presentation improvements
Yes, I know FIFA looks very good and especially on the PS4 and Xbox One the game is great looking but it still doesn’t match up to games like NBA 2K14 for example. When we say presentation, we don’t just mean the visuals but also the way the game is portrayed overall. While the broadcast style presentation is nice and has done well over the past 4, 5 years or so, it is time to add some more glitz and glamour – we’d like to see things like press conferences, Team Buses arriving or some news clips showing what has been happening around the club, national team or around the world. FIFA 15 should be a game that makes us say: ‘Yes, I have never seen anything like this before’.
2. More variety in Animations and Replays
When it comes to FIFA’s animations, the next-gen versions of the game have stepped it up quite a bit. Players ducking under shots or landing off center for example show the new powerful consoles are a step above but FIFA 14 still displays some shortcomings. There are still not enough animations after actions that happen on the pitch like a missed shot, a foul or a throw in. When watching a real football match there is a lot more of these little instances that would add greatly to the game. After seeing the same animations 10 games in a row, it takes you out of the experience a bit. Please give us more banter between players, coaches and team mates, including some sideline audio similar to NBA TV broadcasts that show replays during time outs, etc.
3. Make Pre-Season sexy
Sadly most fans of FIFA agree that the pre-season friendlies are somewhat boring and are mostly skipped by players to get to the meat of the season. What we would like to see are some modifications to the pre-season where players can choose to participate in different locations across the globe like the US tournaments, the Emirates Cup or the Ajax Tournament. Also, pre-season should look different for less successful teams or lower division clubs than Barcelona or ManU as they travel the globe in the summer. What about a training camp in sunny Dubai during the winter break? We would like a reason to play pre-season games and not just skip it all together.
4. We need a Team Headquarters
When the Bayern Munich players head to practice, press conferences or meetings at the head quarters on the Säbener Straße in Munich, they are met by an awesome Club Headquarters with top of the line facilities, pitches and fans coming to see a glimpse of a new star. In FIFA there is no such thing. As part of the Be A Pro mode, we would like to experience these things in some way shape or form during the season. Maybe then we wouldn’t want to leave a club after a season to play for the next big thing. Having fans scream your name or hold up posters with your Game Face on it would add to the immersion and identification with the club you are playing for. With that said, I would like to see some more verity in names to choose from that are backed by audio when the commentators are calling the game.
5. Make Transfers more exciting
The Transfer system in FIFA has come a long way but I think it is time to add some spice. Sure FIFA 14 has a decent transfer system but lacks the excitement and behind the scenes stuff we read about in the press. For example, we know there are certain clauses or deals made to get Neymar transferred to Barcelona or make Ronaldo unattainable for anyone but this isn’t part of FIFA yet. In some ways, we want to see behind the scenes of negotiations via an agent or manager. Especially as part of the Be A Pro mode it is sometimes not enough to hear, ‘we won’t let you leave’ or ‘you are not performing’ over and over again. In FIFA 15 we would like to see more depth behind how the sausage is made when it comes to transfers.
While I may have sounded a bit ungrateful here, I am not. Truly. But we have gotten to a point where the technology supports new features that make the game more exciting and keeps up with the NBA 2K series which has been setting high bars when it comes to gameplay and everything around it. Leave out the micro transactions though, thanks.
