FIFA 15 (Xbox One)

The 2015 edition of the EA Sports FIFA football series is the second game for the then new generation of consoles. Unlike FIFA 14, the PC version is now largely identical to the major console versions, using the new Ignite engine the first time for the platform, and the gap with the versions for previous generation consoles has become more extensive.

Except for some UI changes the offline career mode is largely identical. Searching for players still largely depends on scouting, but there are some new filters. The ‘player search’ function of the previous version does not return. Tiredness and injuries still have a major impact, but now it is possible to design and save multiple squads and swap them quickly, without going through every change manually each time. It is still possible to become a coach and helpful items can be bought in the FIFA Store. Next to the known offline game modes, the option returns to design a custom tournament.

The Ultimate Team mode still focuses on collecting players and assembling a team with Ultimate Team Online Seasons as a sub mode. Players are bought as card sets. The transfer market has been reworked to view all available cards for a single player at once and the prices can be compared quickly. The ability to add players on loan to your team is also a first and some are also available through the EA Football World Catalogue. The ability to play together with someone else returns to the Seasons mode, but players who prefer not to go against a team controlled by two players can disable this in the matchmaking. Matchmaking now also immediately searches a new opponent after a game is over.

The major changes to the gameplay itself focus on tighter through balls. Technical players are able to show their dribbling skills and team mates have an improved run strategy to anticipate the passes. The ball has been made more loose in players’ handling, adding an element of randomness and more types of shots based on player ability, position and power. There’s also a larger chance of defenders deflecting the ball’s trajectory when in the line of a shot instead of just stopping it. The AI of keepers has been altered in accordance with the gameplay changes, adding in multiple calculation moments (when a ball changes trajectory for instance) and last minute saves.

A final change is added focus on atmosphere to make the presentation resemble TV broadcoasts more closely. This edition also adds pitch deformation where the actions of players leave can wear the pitch down with marks. An entirely new feature is Matchday Live where all real life news headlines about the chosen club are brought together on a single page. The next real match is shown and it can be played right away.