FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

[infemous]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gnemi

I noticed velocity issues elsewhere, too. If a player has 90+ shot power, you wouldn't know it by watching them strike the ball in the game. Everything has a sort of...lofted trajectory for lack of a better description. This year in particular seems bereft of power and physicality. I still can't help but use the description that it looks like a bunch of old men with back spasms running around. I'm going to play more tonight and see how my impressions change. I'm in the "not buying on day one" camp at this point and looking at PES for the first time since 2006.

Completely! Nothing feels slick or fast. Fast players and more agile ones are just rubbery. Messi is no different from alba when in a physical battle with a defender, the outcome is the same: messi/alba have a spazzy animation where they fall away and lose possession.

The only player I've felt has some purpose to the way they move is Ibrahimovic, as it seems he has the size and ball skills to actually move around well. He's not overpowered so I can run through or around everyone but he feels the most natural and the most like I am in control of him when using him.

With this I still don't feel any shot has a bite or danger to it and am surprised when a shot goes in. It's all very tame and tailored to being able to respond to it.

The ball is still too tethered to the player and until a ball reacts independently from the player in possession or from the tackler, I think FIFA will continue to feel 'off'.

The old men with back spasms is definitely the best way to describe the stiffness of animations, and while there are some nice ones, they are few and far between. The stiffness is counteracted by a rubberiness which just makes the contrast between the two feel that much weirder.

I am downloading PES still and can't wait to see how that is.

[Nox_Caelum]

Downloaded the demo's of both FIFA and PES(pes was unbearable and I couldn't finish the 1st game, I also don't see how that game can sell) but onto FIFA.
I've been playing 13 alot lately with a Man Utd Manager Mode so reading about how "different" it was going in, I was interested to say the least.
I started up the demo, professional difficulty(because, I suck at FIFA, but I enjoy it), favourite team Barcelona, etc.
First thing, the menu's are quick, responsive and very nice to use +1 on that.
Went into practice arena, it gave me Messi, I shot and(I'd heard/read alot on the new ball physics, and wow, colour me unimpressed) the ball felt like a mix between a 60's ball and a rock, I'd fill up the shot bar and Messi'd sky the ball, slowly.
Fire up a game, Barca-AC Milan, i noticed how much the opposing AI has improved at attacking(unfortunately to the extent where practically every team is almost flawless, but alas), had it not been for Puyol(and I'd gone with current line-up I'd have been slaughtered, still, I made it to 45 min, then 90 min too quick for my liking but at 0-0, penalties and I hadn't checked the screen size option and couldn't see the penalty bar, managed to only lose 2-3 on their 5th penalty, but I wasn't happy with how the game played, went into settings, changed the screen size and adjusted sliders, brought their sprint speed down to 48 and acceleration to 47 and, while not game-changing made it more fun, except for the lack of any time when attacking in their half and the lack of foul calls for you(against you though the ref has no trouble blowing the whistle), the re-match ended 1-1 and this time I won on penalties. Fired up a 3rd game BVB(me)-Spurs(ignoring that while Mkhitaryan, Paulinho, Neymar, Cavani and Aubameyang are on their right teams, Bale, Dempsey, Soldado, Assou Ekotto aren't) this game played no better and was still annoying, especially the refs, but I did thoroughly enjoy playing with Reus the only positive I could take from that match, which ended 0-0 and went to penalties, I think I won, to be honest I'm not too sure I cared, that's how little the game was appealing to me.
So I fired up another game, PSG(me)-Man City. It played slightly better, Ibrahimovic being noticeably one of the few players who actually seem to move somewhat realistically, but still shot's seem to be so slow in the air, like a really heavy slab of concrete thrown slowly through the air, back to the game, I conceded a penatly... because Cavani was for god knows what reason back defending and slightly nudged Yaya Toure which got City a penatly that Silva scored, I managed to keep them at bay from open play thanks in no small part to Blaise Matuidi who was a beast for me on the defensive end, i managed to get an equalizer with Lavezzi, I think, but the match ended 1-1 and went to penalties(notice a pattern?).
I've played about 10-15 games, I've switched between full manual, semi-assisted and assited controls but the game still feels... not enjoyable. Ultimately, the only player midly enjoyable to use attacking was Reus, and defending Matuidi and Puyol were lifesavers, I can't predict how the full game'll turn out or if the game's more enjoyable with longer halves(not 3min) and slightly more chances, but I feel if nothing else the way the ball is in the air needs a definite change. And on a final note: if EA aren't going to make it relaistic(I'm sorry this doesn't seem realistic to me, at all) I just wish they'd make it enjoyable. I've since deleted both FIFA and PES demos and gone back to FIFA13 manager mode, I just wish the EA servers weren't down for... "maintenance". Oh and if you enjoyed the demo, frankly, I wish I could as well, but I don't see how you can.

Spoiler

Sorry for the length, this is probably the first thing entirely text this long I've written on OS

[pk500]

Here's one of my niggling, longtime beefs with the FIFA series that still hasn't been addressed in the FIFA 14 demo: The CPU almost never passes the ball in the air unless it's a cross from the wings deep in the offensive zone.

The CPU never attempts a lofted through ball or changes field with a long pass to the opposite wing in the defensive zone or midfield.

Unrealistic. Annoying.

[Gnemi]

Okay, Day Two of having FIFA '14 Demo:

I just played three matches as Manchester City against the Red Bulls and here are my thoughts...

The animation that drives me nuts is the containment animation. I'm left nearly speechless by how stupid it looks. The players take on an almost chicken flapping its wings animation when they're attempting to contain. Of all the things EA could have tweaked in terms of player animations, containment wasn't one of them! If it ain't broke, ya know...

I made three very moderate tweaks to sliders and like every year of FIFA, sliders will likely be key to our enjoyment. 44 speed and 48 acceleration. I also changed Shot Speed to 52 and found that much more palatable.

In terms of gameplay, I do think this is a revolutionary FIFA and that means there is a lot to be happy about but we're unlikely to see the fruit of all EA's efforts for at least two more years and probably on the next generation machines where that horsepower can put the Ignite Engine into combination with the new physics and gameplay.

I can't quite put my finger on it without spending 500 words describing it, but the manner with which we score goals in FIFA '14 will be RADICALLY different than any other FIFA. That is clearly what has so many people excited about. If there's something we can trivialize to score goals, I'll be surprised. I think we'll have to earn every shot on goal with patience, appropriate passes within the appropriate context and with a bit of luck just like football.

I remain skeptical that EA's offering will be a direct hit this year, but I can't help but applaud the revolutionary effort.

Another thing: 1v1 jockeying for position / possession is pretty damned awesome. I feel like I can actually be rewarded for taking control of a player and moving into space. I'm also noticing that larger more physical players are appropriately dominant when encountering smaller players. E.g. I've kinda pushed people around with YaYa Toure.

On a MAJOR negative side, the New York Red Bulls play like Barcelona and Tim Cahill may as well be Santi Cazorla. Annoying. Very...damn...annoying.

[woody2goody]

I'm very impressed by this demo.

The interface is very nice to look at and is MUCH faster and sharper.

The CPU isn't 100% psychic any more and it's more possible than ever to stop a team with good, aggressive defending.

The ball physics are tons better - this is a major step forward because it feels more unpredictable.

The biggest compliment I can pay this game is it feels very much like an older version of PES, and that is very good indeed.

I too have a small gripe that the lower-level teams seem a bit too intelligent and skilled at times, but hopefully sliders will sort that out.

In real life it's the intelligence and skill that sets a better team apart from an inferior one, so a bit of work is needed there.

In all, I wasn't going to buy a football game on PS3 because of the impending launch of PS4, but now I'm completely sold and I want this game quite badly!

[Yeats]

Quote: Originally Posted by pk500

The CPU almost never passes the ball in the air unless it's a cross from the wings deep in the offensive zone. The CPU never attempts a lofted through ball or changes field with a long pass to the opposite wing in the defensive zone or midfield. Unrealistic. Annoying.

This is strictly a player rating issue having to do with the way in which players' pass and cross ratings affect CPU ball movement behavior. After spending many hours editing and testing pass and cross ratings, I got things to a point where certain positions (RB and LB mostly) fired far too many opposite wing passes across the pitch in their own end. I had to tone it down actually.

EDIT: Sorry, I should have mentioned this is on PC, I don't know if people are able to easily globally edit player ratings on consoles (?).

[laxman490]

i only was able to play about 75% of one game last night, but the first thing i noticed was how much slower the game was. players felt like they had more momentum and they didnt just turn on a dime. it also seemed like the cpu had better build up play than previous versions (they actually back-passed!)

[VTPack919]

Quote: Originally Posted by infemous

Completely! Nothing feels slick or fast. Fast players and more agile ones are just rubbery. Messi is no different from alba when in a physical battle with a defender, the outcome is the same: messi/alba have a spazzy animation where they fall away and lose possession. The only player I've felt has some purpose to the way they move is Ibrahimovic, as it seems he has the size and ball skills to actually move around well. He's not overpowered so I can run through or around everyone but he feels the most natural and the most like I am in control of him when using him. With this I still don't feel any shot has a bite or danger to it and am surprised when a shot goes in. It's all very tame and tailored to being able to respond to it. The ball is still too tethered to the player and until a ball reacts independently from the player in possession or from the tackler, I think FIFA will continue to feel 'off'. The old men with back spasms is definitely the best way to describe the stiffness of animations, and while there are some nice ones, they are few and far between. The stiffness is counteracted by a rubberiness which just makes the contrast between the two feel that much weirder. I am downloading PES still and can't wait to see how that is.

You expect Messi to win a physical battle with a defender?