The world has yet again been taken aback by the widely popular and highly addictive FIFA 15, the latest of Electronic Arts (EA) Sports’ annual FIFA video games, released on Sept. 23.
FIFA is a soccer-based video game. The best part is that it allows players to compete online against players from all over the world.
The FIFA franchise, now in its 22nd year, has millions of fans. From the addition of new players and new leagues to the improvement in the actual in-game player physics, FIFA 15 creates a new atmosphere of athletic reality, surpassing that of any other previous FIFA game.
One key shift in FIFA 15 is the defensive mentality of the players in the game. In several of their previous FIFA games, EA has allowed easy access to effective player defense with the pressing of just one button on the controller.
In the new game, however, EA has disabled that feature and now requires players to tactically defend and mindfully control their on-screen players to win the ball back, outlining the company’s desire to offer a more realistic and dynamic representation of the sport.
FIFA 15 also boasts the addition of a new foundation for FIFA Ultimate Team, a game mode allowing players to build their own team, manage a franchise and gain money to purchase new in-game players and new “packs,” groups of unknown footballers that the player must purchase based on their rating.
This year, FIFA is adding 20 new packs to the Ultimate Team database, giving players more of a chance to purchase well-known in-game players who will be of added strength to their squad.
Additionally, in the actual game play, all 20 stadiums of the teams in England’s Barclays Premier League will be featured for the first time.
The game will also include its fair share of less popular stadiums such as Amsterdam Arena, home of Ajax FC in the Netherlands and the Netherlands national team, and BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, home of Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps.
EA has been subject to a lot of criticism by people all over the world who are confused about their yearly FIFA games and what the difference in each game actually is. The world of soccer is growing immensely, and with the creation of new games each year, people all over the world are being reminded of the popularity of the sport and the amount of joy it brings the world.
To some people, FIFA 15 may be considered “just another video game,” but with EA’s determination to improve the game, it becomes a haven for friendly competition and an example of the possibilities of virtual reality.
As a longtime owner of the FIFA games, I am ready to make FIFA 15 the last, and I couldn’t be more excited to end my career with it.