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FIFA 14 preview

Niamh Lynch

Niamh Lynch

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FIFA 14 aims to be the best football sim the world has ever seen. To achieve this, EA knows it has to push to make every shot, every pass and every minute of play even closer to real life, and keep ahead of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer.

Last week, Softonic attended an event in Madrid, Spain, where the lead producers of FIFA 14, Nick Channon and Sebastián Enrique revealed some of the features that are going to make FIFA 14 the soccer sim on which all others are judged.

To get there, the developers over at EA had some changes to make. Read on and find out exactly what we can expect from FIFA 14, and what exactly is going to make it even more impressive than the FIFAs that have gone before it.

The art of controlling the ball

Nobody can say that previous FIFAs haven’t been super-realistic, but some have criticized ball control. In FIFA 14, we’re going to see 2 new features that are going to go a long way towards this – sprint dribble turns (free turning, as opposed to the old 22.5 degree cap) and variable dribble touches (different players will handle dribbling in different ways, depending on their skill level).

Tight control, however, is meaningless if you haven’t got possession in the first place. A new option, second chance tackles, will help you in this regard. If you mess up first time, depending on the mistake that lead to the loss, you might get a second opportunity to retrieve the ball.

Team intelligence

The developers of FIFA 14 are hoping to add another level of realism to the game by improving defensive reactions. Previously, your AI defenses picked a strategy and stuck with it, no matter how the game played out. Now, they’ll apply more pressure and, if the situation requires it, even change tactic. This will also happen up close and personal, hopefully ending the games of old that sometimes looked more like tennis than soccer. The whole defense system will be known as Dynamic Defensive Pressure.

FIFA 14 will also introduce attack changes, building on last year’s improvements. Check run means that strikers will make maneuvers to shake off rival players, for example, running across the pitch in order to get a clear shot, while players will also attempt to stay onside.

In search of the perfect game

Two final changes are sure to please soccer aficionados. FIFA 14 introduces Pure Shot, a feature that will allow you to adjust and control your approach to the shot down to the last millimeter, improving the look of the game, as well as accuracy and control. Finally, FIFA 14 has made changes to the ball, tweaking the physics so that the ball acts and looks more like the modern soccer ball.

Career Mode and games of skill

To end, Channon and Enrique revealed some additional details that are sure to have fans chomping at the bit – a better career mode, including an improved interface and the elimination of the constant notifications that interrupted the flow of action. Best of all is the new Global Scouting Network, which sticks closer to real life and adds layers of complexity that make career mode even more interesting.

Skill games, last year’s surprise hit, will be expanded upon. It’s not yet clear how many we’ll see in the final game, but last year’s have been refreshed and added to.

So, that’s FIFA 14 in a nutshell. What do you think? Is it possible to improve on last year’s game and, if so, are these the changes the game really needed to become great? We’ll see for sure, when FIFA 14 is released later this year, but for now, at least we’ve got something to daydream about.
[Via Softonic ES]

Niamh Lynch

Niamh Lynch

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