Game Review | FIFA 17

Short Version:

If you are a fan of watching football, or soccer as it is known in some countries, then you understand that “the world sport” can be entertaining, frustrating, dramatic and fun, all at the same time. For fans who are accustomed to that mix of emotions each week, we expect the exact same experience when we play games based on it. FIFA 17 for the most part succeeds in giving us that experience.

This year’s version of EA’s footy game definitely looks the part, with great looking character models that seem more lifelike than ever before. Hair moves and bounces naturally as the players move, clothing reacts in a natural manner, players sweat, and get dirty depending on what they are doing. Those however represent only the visual appeal of  FIFA 17. As for the way it plays, well it’s for the most part the same as last year’s edition, except I found it way more difficult to defend than I would have liked. The set-pieces have been given a facelift; however, after a couple matches you should find taking penalties and free-kicks are a bit easier this year. Then there are new modes like squad builders in Ultimate Team along with a couple smaller updates to career mode, and the new journey experience, which all adds up to an amazingly addictive game that should appeal to it’s fans. If you like the most recent FIFA games, then you will definitely like this one, if you prefer it’s competitor then this isn’t likely to sway you.

Long Version:

FIFA 17 is a football game that I have been looking forward to since the release of FIFA 16. When I first booted up the game I stopped for a moment to admire just how good it looked in motion. The way the players run, the movement of their hair, the managers reacting to the plays on the sideline, all of it. It all looks great in motion and I love that aspect of the game. From a graphical point of view it has a more consistent quality of character design for each player. What I mean by this is that none of the player models look any better or worse than each other. They all look life like, which is something that I truly appreciate. For the most part they interact with their environment in a natural way, like players getting dirt and grass on their knees when they do a slide tackle, or the way they interact with each other while celebrating and doing other things on the pitch.

Yes there are a couple bugs, including players walking through barriers and the odd clipping, but in my time with the game I only noticed the barrier related bugs. The presentation style is also really well done this year.  Players sing their national anthems during entrances they complain to the refs and argue with each other in a more realistic way than ever before. This attention to visual detail is what I believe gives FIFA a slight edge.

The only way I think the presentation didn’t get an upgrade is with the boring commentary that has become a staple with FIFA games for the past couple years. Everyone with any sense for good entertainment knows that Ray Hudson is the best football commentator in the world, and that Martin Tyler and Alan Smith are boring as FRAK… They are, don’t deny it, they just are, especially when you factor in that they have been using the same lines for years. Nothing they say fools me into believing that they are in the game commenting on any of the matches i’m playing. What EA need to do is to replicate the style of interactive commentary that games like MLB the show and 2k sports games use. Those games know how to do proper commentary and EA doesn’t, which takes away from what could put FIFA way ahead of its competitor.

If you’re a player looking for more realistic football then this is not the game for you. FIFA is not a sim. It is a fantasized reimagination of the real sport with faster paced gameplay which makes for more exciting matches. FIFA is in essence a football game that is both accessible to both long running fans that like to learn the ins and outs of the game’s mechanics, while at the same time it remains totally accessible to casual footy fans. EA has gone even further in making the game accessible by reworking the set pieces in ways that I think makes them a lot easier to master than previous years.

As for the attacking play, it is easier than last year; free flowing with very little slowdown from kick off to the box. The plays seem easier to put together thanks to that free flowing attack, and the defending being a lot more difficult. Most of the matches I played during the review process came down to what I would describe as shooting contest between myself and my opponents, because most of the time neither of us could get the ball off each other when defending. My hope is that this will be fixed in a couple updates to favour much more balanced play.

With gameplay out of the way, let’s talk about modes, because this game has a lot of them. Most of which were already present in previous FIFA games, but this time around some have gotten some much needed updates. Ultimate team for one has gotten some new additions like squad builders, a feature that allows you to build teams with specific players then trade them in for a reward. These rewards range from rare squad builder exclusive players to redeemable packs. This new addition to the Ultimate team mode is a huge game changer that many of us that have been playing the mode for years have wanted. Players have already been doing them just for fun, but now with rewards it makes building squads much more appealing. Additions like this make a mode that had started to become a bit stale feel new and refreshing. Some other modes have seen some updates, but none as substantial as squad builders.

The new mode, The Journey, is the only other addition that I see as a big change to the FIFA formula. It’s a mode that has gotten the attention of none FIFA fans, fans, and those that had previously left the game for greener pasture. We all picked it up just to get a chance to be Alex Hunter. Hunter, a fictional character that is on a Journey “HAHA, See what I did there,” to win the EPL. In this mode  you decide what kind of player you would like him to become by answering questions in press rooms, choosing your preferred teams, training and more… As a whole the mode is pretty solid, and it is the best part about the game this year. I’d love to see it continue in future FIFA games, like with a La Liga version or Liga 1…

Final Verdict

FIFA 17 is a game that will appeal to fans and non-fans alike if you go in with the expectation to play a few specific modes. The gameplay can feel a bit unbalanced, The commentary is boring, and some modes will seem unchanged for the most part, but what we have here is an option. A really good option for playing footy. If what I have described in this review sounds appealing to you then this may be the game for you.