FIFA 14 Gameplay Review by hibidi

 

 

FIFA 14 was always meant to be an interim game before the release of next gen FIFA at the end of the year. As such, fundamental changes to the game engine haven’t been rolled out, but the changes that have been made have served to make FIFA 14 a much harder game compared to last year’s version. Hibidi takes you through several key features in FIFA 14, and explains why he feels it is a less noob-friendly game than FIFA 13.

 

Momentum

The major change has been the introduction of the momentum engine. Players running at speed will no longer be able to make abrupt 180-degree cuts, and so the pace control button will have to feature heavily in defending. FIFA players who used to love sprinting to the ball carrier will find that they can be dragged horribly out of position with a simple cut from the player in possession, giving a distinct advantage to skillers and dribblers.

 

Players with high balance stats like Ribery can make more abrupt turns this year

 

Crossing

In FIFA 13, a wide-open player attacking a cross had an incredibly low conversion rate. Jumping was inconsistent, and so were headed attempts. The FIFA 14 developers have made drastic improvements in this area, so expect to see far more headed goals in competitive FIFA this year.

 

Passing

Ground passes move along the turf much slower than they did last year, as developers revert to the more stable passing mechanism that was present in FIFA 12. Ping-Pong passing moves are less effective with this feature, which forces players to plan passing attacks instead of blindly mashing the X button.

 

Shooting

Shooting has been improved as well this year. Finesse shots and chip shots now have higher conversion rates, and players will be able to beat onrushing keepers with ease compared to previous versions. With distance shooting gaining momentum, high pressing defensive strategies correspondingly become more risky.

 

Players will now be able to execute a wider variety of shots

 

 

Best Teams

The usual suspects are present here. Real Madrid obviously tops the list with the Ronaldo-Bale-Di Maria front three, but teams like Bayern, PSG and Brazil arguably have stronger midfields and defences.

 

Overall, FIFA 14 feels like a more balanced game compared to its predecessor, with the emphasis on skill rather than luck. Results in the 2014 season should return to normalcy, with fewer upsets for the pros in competitive games.