Title: FIFA 15
Available on: Nintendo 3DS, PC , PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 (version tested), PS Vita, Wii, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Publisher: EA Sports
Release date: 26 September, 2014
What makes the Premier League the greatest in world football? The presentation. What makes FIFA 15 the greatest football game in the world? Yep, you’ve guessed it, it’s the presentation.
Since Sky Sports began screening the Premier League in the early 1990s English football became a product sold across the globe.
It’s all in the presentation. For Sky, and FIFA for that matter, the game itself is only a small part of the matchday experience. The fine details and promotion are key.
Anyone familiar with the FIFA series will know that with each year that passes EA tends to make minor changes rather than overhaul the whole engine to new installments.
FIFA 15 is no different. If you played FIFA 14 then you’ll feel right at home here, although tweaks have been made to improve the experience.
Graphically, player faces are more expressive and EA is keen to stress that emotion plays a big part in this game.
For example, a player that is being repeatedly fouled by an opponent could confront that player depending on the severity of the challenge and context of the competition.
Players will respond authentically with new reactions to decisions, bad tackles, missed chances, goals, and other pivotal moments throughout the game.
There are over 600 potential emotional reactions that could play out over the course of a game.
While the footballers gracing the pitch are usually the stars of the show, the pitch itself is a focal point in FIFA 15.
Slide tackles and boot marks are now visible on the pitch, and as the match progresses, the playing surface becomes increasingly weathered just as it would in a real football match.
Fans playing in rain or wet weather will notice mud and debris on the pitch.
Corner flag physics, goal frames that shake, and animated LED ad boards are just some of the new details that bring FIFA 15 to life.
Real crowd chants have been recorded and every Premier League ground has been beautifully rendered, with all the usual licenses in place to ensure player names and likenesses are genuine. Martin Tyler and Alan Smith provide the commentary.
The training and skills exercises remain addictive and frustrating in equal measure and you’ll be bashing away on your control pad for hours trying to perfect your game and lead your team to glory.
FIFA 15 is not perfect. The glitches that sometimes cropped up in previous installments will still occasionally appear, although these can be amusing, just take a look on social media for proof of that!
EA say football is the greatest drama on earth and FIFA 15 puts fans center stage, allowing them to feel the emotion and intensity of the world’s greatest sport. With this game, they have certainly achieved their mission statement.
This game is a homage to the Sky Sports era. An era of player cams, pre-game promos, global icons and the vast, expansive arenas today’s footballers call their offices. If you like your football simulations with a dash of stardust then FIFA 15 is for you.
