Game Review: Fifa 15 scores big

There is just no anticlimax when it comes to video game series Fifa, and the latest offering from EA Sports – Fifa 15 – has again pushed boundaries.

Released last month to much fanfare, the developers even got UK English broadsheet The Daily Telegraph to pay attention.

In their recent review of the video game, while it was still at the demo stage, the paper wrote: “It is starting to look more and more like the games we watch on TV.” That’s no understatement.

I played this game on the Playstation 3, and even on the older hardware the game looks better as players react to tackles and bad refereeing and goals come to life.

The fellas over at EA Sports have focused more on how the players are built as they’ve put in work on the athleticism of say, Gary Cahill, the Chelsea defender. Every FIFA addict is always on the look out to see how much work has been put on making sure the figures on the video game are identical to the real life football players. You want Wayne Rooney, Mario Gotze, Eden Hazard or Steven Gerrad – you’ve got them.

In previous editions, when players took a tumble following a hard challenge, it often looked too conservative. Now, they have nailed down the theatrics to a tee, even though the diving is still a bit too excessive. The old man celebration made famous by Samuel Eto’o while at Chelsea last season has been added to the collection.

Having tied down Lionel Messi – the world’s best player if you don’t ask Cristiano Ronaldo for his opinion – as the face has done the franchise the world of good. You are greeted by the serious expression of the Barcelona star when you begin your journey on FIFA15 and that pretty much sums up the effort put on the interface.

Suddenly, you are the BOSS. It is your turn to transform Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal into world beaters and Barclays Premier League champions if you so wish. You can buy a central defender for Manchester United’s Louis Van Gaal when appointed manager.

And just to spice things up and add some amusement, one of Jose Mourinho’s favourite tactics has been added to the queue – you can park the bus, a term made popular by the Special One when he’s clearly employing defensive strategies for a specific result.  

One of the biggest criticism on FIFA14 was the difficulty in searching for top quality players. That’s been rectified – looking for bargains and formidable players off the top of your head has never been so easy. They still cost a ridiculous amount of money though. But have fun, it’s not your money.

The good

The graphics just keep improving and one can’t wait for the next edition already to see how EA Sports raise the bar. You can’t ignore the soundtracks compiled on this version, even though you only get to hear them when your next match is loading. Dribbling is easier, and that subsequently leads to more goalscoring opportunities. The human error element from the referee gets you ready to smash your TV, but it’s actually an improvement to make the game more real.

The bad

Chances are there, but scoring has never been so difficult. There are different levels on FIFA15, from amateur, semi-professional, professional, world class and legendary. Forget making it all the way up to the legendary difficulty level as the game has gotten harder. Defenders regularly go on a walk-about and so do goalkeepers. In the previous edition, there was plenty of awareness even if you did not control them.  

Rating: 8.5