Since the Christmas of ’93, EA sports have made quite a name for itself in the gaming industry with the FIFA series. Year after year we have witnessed the release of FIFA titles, each more thrilling than the previous! It can very well be said to be the next best thing after football itself. With fans getting restless waiting for FIFA 16 to arrive, it looks like the day isn’t very far.
According to the official page, the game will release across platforms from September 22nd in the US, as was revealed in the E3 presentation. The new features promise to add realism and instill a better balance between offense and defense. It has also taken care of the common complaints that EA had encountered from FIFA 15 or the earlier games.
A demo version of FIFA 16 is expected later this year, around two weeks before the game’s official release date on the Xbox One.
The new features that will radically improve the gameplay and place it beyond its previous versions are,
1) Swing Step Defender: Defenders will more efficiently mark skilled attacker for a more balanced game. Swing step will enable the defender to block the attack easily as the attacker attempts to make space.
This upgrade will bring more realism in defending as it will involve a skilled striker bringing additional balance.
2) Major Defender Upgrades: Through an AI upgrade, EA has enabled the defenders to play as a unit. We will also see better reactions from the defenders, if the opponent steals the ball.
3) Insane Sliding Tackles: Unlike sliding tackles in FIFA 15, the new animation and context in FIFA 16 will allow you to recover from sliding tackles and gain control of the ball. It might sound a bit too powerful, but EA’s demonstration shows Marcello defending against Messi and recovering from it to steal the ball away.
4) Midfield: The new upgrades in the midfield allow better interception logic and more interaction between the two players, making FIFA 16 even more realistic.
5) Quick pass: It is now possible to avoid the interception upgrades with a quick pass from anywhere on the field. Initiating a quick pass requires you to press pass and right bumper when in control of the player.
This sends a direct and fast pass to the desired player robbing the defense of the chance to intercept the ball, unlike a standard pass. It does have a drawback. The receiver of the ball might have a hard time controlling it and may mean a heavier touch.
6) Crossing: A new way of cross targeting enables a few new types of crosses that will enable u to get an edge on attacking.
7) Women’s teams: First time ever in FIFA you can pick characters from the Women’s National team. This new installment includes 12 Women’s National teams, which can be chosen on the match day, offline tournaments and online friendlies. A Women’s national team can only be picked against another Woman’s national team.
The 12 Women’s National teams in FIFA 16 are Germany, USA, France, Sweden, England, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Spain, China, Italy and México.
8) Goalkeeper upgrades and fixes: In the previous version of FIFA, i.e. FIFA 15, EA Sports made big upgrades to the goalie but it did not deliver perfection. For example, the goalie had a poor ability to backpedal leading to shots going into the goal, which would most likely be saved by a real goalkeeper.
Although EA hasn’t disclosed the details about the upgrades in FIFA 16, the makers stated that they were working to fix the issues that will deliver a balanced gameplay experience.
9) No Touch Dribbling: The new dribbling upgrade allows you to choose when you touch the ball as you close in on the goal.