FIFA 14 for Xbox One/PS4 review
FIFA 14 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are the only versions you're ever going to want to play. After tasting what the next-generation can offer for football games there's really no reason to go back. They're filled with better graphics, more varied animations, much-improved crowds and faster loading times to name a few things. Simply put, FIFA 14 on next-gen is the pinnacle of the series so far.
EA Sports touted the Ignite Engine with much aplomb throughout last year, claiming that this latest engine for the new consoles would be able to achieve things that just couldn't be done in previous games. It wasn't just boasting, this is the real deal, and you can easily tell the difference when making the step up from the Xbox 360 to the Xbox One.
For a start, look at those crowds! They actually look alive now instead of having cardboard cutouts sitting there and moving every few seconds. The whole presentation is much improved, even from the start of a match when players are first coming out onto the pitch. Broadcast cameras zoom into certain spots of a stadium to help with the build up, the faces of the players look so much more lifelike; everything has just been taken up a notch.
Things also run a lot more smoothly when the action starts. There are a ton of new animations and moves to see, and players are much more responsive to your commands. Continuous gameplay also means that things don't have to stop when the ball goes out of play. If a throw-in is given and the ball has been knocked away, a player could run over to it and kick it back to the throw-in taker, all without any breaks. It leads to a much more immersive experience.
EA Sports claims that four times the amount of decisions are being made by players on the pitch compared to the Xbox 360/PS3 versions, and it's hard to argue with that. There just seems to be a lot more going on off the ball, and even players on the other side of the pitch appear to be thinking in great detail about where their next runs should be.
As far as improvements to gameplay when your team has the ball, dribbling seems to be one aspect where things have been radically enhanced. Now players feel like they have a bit more control when it comes to taking the ball by an opponent, and you have a bit more confidence when trying to pull off an amazing Barcelona-type goal. It still hardly ever works, but it feels like you have more of a chance.
Elsewhere the replays look dramatically better, so much so that you wonder whether this really is a next-gen upgrade of the same game or a completely different iteration. Grass crumbles as players step on it, shirts crease as they're pulled about, there's never been a more authentic representation of football in a videogame.
Most of the modes have made it over to this version but unfortunately there are a few casualties, such as Tournaments, FIFA Interactive World Cup, Be a Pro, Head to Head and the Creation Centre. There's still a massive amount of content to be found though, and as usual it'll probably be Seasons and Ultimate Team where you'll be spending most of your time.
FIFA 14 on the Xbox One and PS4 isn't perfect by any means, but it is definitely the best version of FIFA that I've ever played. Not only because of the visual upgrade, but because players now have an extra level of intelligence on the pitch, and there seems to be a lot more possibility when you start your attack. This is the definitive version of FIFA, and every football fan needs to play it.