FIFA Soccer 14 Review (PS3/360)

[RaychelSnr]

FIFA Soccer 14 is the cherry on top of a very successful era for the franchise.

Here we are again, the end of another console generation. For FIFA, a series that has very much raced out of the gate and dominated—its own sport at first, then the wider landscape of sports games in general—the better part of the cycle, maybe now is the time when the option that makes the most business and creative sense is to play it safe and save its bullets for next gen consoles.

And safe, mind you, doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Plenty of people liked FIFA 13, and all safe really means in this contextis FIFA 14 built and added upon what worked last year. Do that without tearing down and rebuilding any core elements and fans should leave happy.

Considering the game’s great reception last year, the basic and safe approach is probably not the worst idea in the world.

Read More - FIFA Soccer 14 Review (PS3/360)

[ps3veron]

Great review Mr. Mak! Now I wanna hear what you're saying about that "Other" soccer game...

[Qb]

Very good review, Kelvin. I particularly liked your take on the philosophy of the franchise... it really can be not-quite-the-sum-of-it-parts experience on the pitch. Still looking forward to playing the full game.

[Yeats]

Cons: A great game of soccer which falls just short of being a classic thanks to sometimes bumbling AI teammates.

Kind of an odd thing to list given that's one of the game's strengths this year: vastly improved CPU player behaviour. Unless you're intimating it was horrific in the past and that this year it's improved to bumbling, in which case it makes some sense.

[DBMcGee3]

Quote: Originally Posted by Yeats

Cons: A great game of soccer which falls just short of being a classic thanks to sometimes bumbling AI teammates. Kind of an odd thing to list given that's one of the game's strengths this year: vastly improved CPU player behaviour. Unless you're intimating it was horrific in the past and that this year it's improved to bumbling, in which case it makes some sense.

I'd say it's made a pretty big leap. Last year the guys would just stand around, on offense or defense, and this year they make good runs on their own, and they do a better job of closing down on defense, as well as marking. I really thought I'd be going with PES this year, but I may change my tune after extensive time with the FIFA demo. If the gameplay is this close to the quality of PES (or better depending on opinions), then why wouldn't you want all the licensing and extra content?

[Broncos86]

Quote: Originally Posted by Yeats

Cons: A great game of soccer which falls just short of being a classic thanks to sometimes bumbling AI teammates. Kind of an odd thing to list given that's one of the game's strengths this year: vastly improved CPU player behaviour. Unless you're intimating it was horrific in the past and that this year it's improved to bumbling, in which case it makes some sense.

I think you've focused too much on the "bumbling" aspect and not enough on the fact he called it a "great game of soccer." Few games can stand up and be called a "classic."

[kelvinmak]

Hey gang, sorry for the late replies. Was on set shooting a web series last week (and yet somehow still squeezed in enough time to play a good amount of PES and churn out a review )

Quote: Originally Posted by ps3veron

Great review Mr. Mak! Now I wanna hear what you're saying about that "Other" soccer game...

It's submitted for editing and should come out Thursday! In short: liked it, but for all the potential of greatness the game just felt rough around the edges. That and Master League just doesn't have a lot going for it anymore.

Quote: Originally Posted by Yeats

Cons: A great game of soccer which falls just short of being a classic thanks to sometimes bumbling AI teammates. Kind of an odd thing to list given that's one of the game's strengths this year: vastly improved CPU player behaviour. Unless you're intimating it was horrific in the past and that this year it's improved to bumbling, in which case it makes some sense.

I actually forgot to do the pros/cons for this review, so that section was filled in (based on the review of course) by the big bosses afterwards.

Maybe bumbling isn't the right word, and I do agree that the AI has improved, but I still don't think it's as deep as it can be. I just feel that the AI teammates don't work enough as a team, that almost every off the ball move run is with the intention of getting the ball as opposed to some being used to create space for teammates (forgive me if I'm botching this explanation, I'm a bit underslept at the moment). So consequently it's much harder than it should to play one touch football since the AI only seems to see one move ahead.

Quote: Originally Posted by Qb

Very good review, Kelvin. I particularly liked your take on the philosophy of the franchise... it really can be not-quite-the-sum-of-it-parts experience on the pitch.

Thanks, Qb! I shouldn't take all the credit for it though since I'm pretty sure it was something I read a long time ago on the NBA2k (or Elite) forums. I forget the context now, but basically it was somebody mentioning how EA's games focus almost entirely on giving you the tools to make things happen yourself, and the AI's job, really, was to just stay out of the way. Obviously FIFA is in much better shape than that, but for some reason that quote stuck with me and it does seem like there are times, in FIFA, when the player is counted on to do every job to make a goal happen.

[CupCrazyManiac]

EA, why the removal of the Tournament Mode ect., a mainstay for Offline gamers!!!
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....
, is an awful decision & one which the review downplays somewhat.
cant play a season with my friends at my home anymore...are u kiddin me?