FIFA 14 News

[Zlax45]

IGN review: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/23/ ... -14-review

[10spro]

I am a big FUT player for the great variety of offline and online tournaments. It's a day purchase for me for sure, my only doubt is whether I have the time for PES now.

Here's another take.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013- ... -14-review

[Jimmydeicide]

Its not you Macca i feel the same, im just fed up with all the mediocrity from both camps they are just nickle and dimeing us now , every year little tweaks and the core problems dont get addressed its driving me away from gaming all around i cant remember the last time i played a single player season mode in any of the sports games.
I liked the fifa11 when they did the up to date seasons for all the leagues i ended up buying all the top 4 leagues it was really a cool mode but guess what they took it out.
If it wasnt for online id probably be done with it all and we didnt do much of that with Fifa last year .

[RobVarak]

Teams felt samey.

4 syllables that sum up the entire problem with the experience. They've never managed to make a game where teams are legitimately different in style of play or tactics. This is why online clubs, despite rampant cheating and other problems, felt so fresh. At least there was some dynamism and variety to the experience.

I'll get it too and I'll enjoy it a bit, but an unwillingness to invest in an engine that really differentiates between players and teams is always going to hamstring the franchise.

[pk500]

IGN review: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/23/ ... -14-review

After I read this in the summary of that review, I figured either the retail version is vastly different from the demo or -- more probable -- the IGN review doesn't know a f*cking thing about soccer:

"But the changes have made FIFA more attacking, fun, welcoming, and attractive, and ultimately it’s a stronger experience."

FIFA 14 is NOT more attacking than FIFA 13. It's slower and favors more deliberate buildup, which is realistic. Defending also is far easier this year than in last year's game.

Trusting IGN's reviews is like asking a Catholic to describe each of the menu items on a Passover seder.

The Eurogamer reviews of PES and FIFA more accurately mirror my impressions of both demos. Plus I trust a British site to know a hell of a lot more about the nuances of football than an American site.

[Zlax45]

Here is Gamespot's http://www.gamespot.com/fifa-14/reviews ... w-6414798/

Best line...there is too many offsides!

[FifaInspected]

for the first time is years i'm not sure which soccer game (if any) i'm going to buy. Fifa's co-op seasons mode is the only thing that makes me want to buy Fifa as 90% of my time is spent playing online with friends. I like the idea of easy to arrange 2 v 2 matches. Still wish they would have included an online dynasty type mode. Playing through the EPL or Bundesliga with friends would be great.

[Jared]

I will get it tomorrow/day one (mainly because I am a sucker for anything and everything football) but I don't think I could be less excited for FIFA this year. I know partially because in the past year I'm not able to get online at the same time as everyone else to play online teams but also because the demo was kind of meh. Teams felt samey. Control was better but nothing mindblowing.

.....

Maybe I'm just becoming/become a crusty f@ck. Probably that.

Put me in the crusty f@ck category as well. I played a lot of the demo as NYRB versus better teams, and even though the better teams often beat me, it didn't feel like it was because they were more technical or more physical - instead, they would win because they'd win headers in the box more often, or because my team would be unrealistically horrible at keeping defensive shape.

My dream would be for someone to make a soccer game where one game takes 90 minutes and you can really feel the differences between players in a way that doesn't feel cheap. In 5-10 passes, you may not be able to feel the difference between Xavi/Iniesta and Dax McCarty. But over a whole 90 minute game, you'll really be able to tell the difference between a midfield maestro versus someone who may wilt under pressure or just make the occasional bad pass.

I don't feel like that is there in FIFA. I do feel it to some extent in the PES demo. And it was definitely there in older games in the WE/PES series - one of the J-League games for the PS2 (WE8:AC?) was amazing because they did a great job of modeling below-average players or below-average teamwork. You'd have some tank forward who was a below average dribbler, or some slow technical midfielder who'd at times would wilt under pressure, or a team that would get pulled out of defensive shape a little too much. Importantly, it wasn't too exaggerated - they weren't horrifically pathetic in a cheap way, but they were just bad enough such that you didn't know if this first touch would be the good first touch or the bad first touch. It was brilliantly frustrating.

[dbdynsty25]

Jared!

Hope you're doing well man...haven't see ya around in months/years. At least not in the threads I frequent.

[Jared]

I've been lurking and occasionally fixing the forums when they break. But I've just been too damn busy to post. My last post was....March 29th. Wow.

However, any thread that involves complaining about soccer games will usually pull me out of hiding.

[Murph]

So no one can answer my question? If I can't play offline league and tournaments I will be passing on this.

Yes, you can create offline leagues and tournaments, just like last year.

In the main menu, go to: Play > +More > highlight Load Tournament and Right Stick scroll between Load Tournament, Custom Tournament, New Tournament.

[Inuyasha]

Is Dynamic Camera changed in full version like it was in demo?

[Inuyasha]

My 13 FUT points did not transfer over to 14 even though I picked the correct option. I guess I'm screwed.

I enjoyed FIFA 12 and 13 immensely. But there is only one word to describe FIFA 14 thus far : LIFELESS.

The gameplay, presentation, everything is so bland. It's like they took the fun out of the game and it just feels dead.

And they did eff with the dynamic cam. I guess I'll use tele, but the players look tiny.

[RobVarak]

Three games of Online Clubs and I'm very, very pleased. The gameplay is slower, the animations and physics are better and the online play is lag-free and butter smooth so far. Most importantly, I feel like they might have gotten defense back into the online game for the first time since they changed the defensive mechanics a few years ago.

Very early days, but I'm excited.

[10spro]

Well, they numbed down the pace because it was just too unrealistic for some. It's definitely not as arcadey as years past if you play offline and personally, I think it's a step forward. From the demo on, I knew that this game would suit me just fine.

Loving the new menus.

Still far from a true sim so some people are going to say it's boring now that everyone has to build up their play. Presentation is nothing to brag about, but I will still enjoy my online games particularly the tourneys in FUT.

Also just found that the Argentinian league is in. Finally...

Too bad about the coins Inuyasha.

[pk500]

Also just found that the Argentinian league is in. Finally...

Oooooh. That's a significant lure for me, too. Thanks for the tip!

[Jimmydeicide]

Three games of Online Clubs and I'm very, very pleased. The gameplay is slower, the animations and physics are better and the online play is lag-free and butter smooth so far. Most importantly, I feel like they might have gotten defense back into the online game for the first time since they changed the defensive mechanics a few years ago.

Very early days, but I'm excited.

Who did you sign for?

[10spro]

Also just found that the Argentinian league is in. Finally...

Oooooh. That's a significant lure for me, too. Thanks for the tip!

Nothing like a Boca-River as you know. Coming up in real footie Oct 4th.

[RobVarak]

Three games of Online Clubs and I'm very, very pleased. The gameplay is slower, the animations and physics are better and the online play is lag-free and butter smooth so far. Most importantly, I feel like they might have gotten defense back into the online game for the first time since they changed the defensive mechanics a few years ago.

Very early days, but I'm excited.

Who did you sign for?

Forensic, me and Dogma so far on Brickyard FC. If you go to online clubs and look for Friends clubs, you'll see it and you can join.

Our last match was an epic that we had to win for our first promotion. 1-1 going into 80' when I put in a beautiful cross for Dogma to finish. We think we're home free only to give up the equalizer on 88'. Resigned to the draw I played in a cheeky little Iniesta-like lobbed pass onto Dogma who finishes left-footed in extra time. We win 3-2. Damn near woke the kids after that one.

[Jimmydeicide]

Sounds good, i know they dont like it when there are too many guys playing , hopefully 14 lends itself better to that.
Ill buy it today then , tell the boys Kuyt Bramble is on the transfer list going cheap, free even, ill even throw in a bottle of hp sauce, oh wait that wont work here.
Ok my 15 dollar gift card i get with the game then

[RobVarak]

Sounds good, i know they dont like it when there are too many guys playing , hopefully 14 lends itself better to that.
Ill buy it today then , tell the boys Kuyt Bramble is on the transfer list going cheap, free even, ill even throw in a bottle of hp sauce, oh wait that wont work here.
Ok my 15 dollar gift card i get with the game then

The more, the merrier. Played without an any so far, as none of us had put in enough games to feel comfortable doing it yet.

[10spro]

Rob, If the other boys are in good terms I'd like to join in for a few games.

[Zeppo]

I'm ready to join too. Played one drop in which was surprisingly cheese-free. Maybe it was just early days and no one's found the cheese yet, but I'm not sure.

Having played so little I'm still confused as to the newish defensive buttons. I'm deeply in PES control mode as well so my tackling is a bit of a mess.

[RobVarak]

A few negatives after some offline play:

Incredibly ticky-tack foul and penalty calls. A few times I didn't even think there was contact from my defender at all, much less any sort of tackle, and I ended up with a card or a foul.

I blasted, I mean absolutely crushed, a shot from about 8 yards out that the goalie caught as if it were a 40-yard floated cross. Not three minutes later I took an off-balance pot shot from outside the box and the keeper pushed it aside like it was a laser.

Still have the clunky "catch-up" mechanic where a forward who gets behind the defense almost runs in place before running onto a through ball or pass, which allows the defenders to easily close the distance.

Good stuff:

Playing defense is so much better than the last couple years. They've kept the risk/reward element of the "new" system by making a bad tackle take you way out of position, but balanced it by allowing shoulder tackling and physical play that allows you to take the ball off an attacker without using a full tackle whatsoever.

Shielding the ball is back for real but not overly powerful as it was 4-5 years ago. It was far too nerfed in recent years.

Shot variety is noticeably improved. Lots of cool new animations that makes the game just feel more organic.

Zep, no need for an invite or anythign. Just look for my club in "Friends' Clubs" and you should be able to ask to sign. Since it's open to friends, asking will get you right in.

[dbdynsty25]

Is it just me or did they really improve the momentum physics? It's a lot more difficult to play defense in that regard, and to do a lot of the quick cutting dribble moves with lesser offensive players. Definitely an improvement, even tho it's a subtle one. Or is it just me? LOL.