FIFA 16 Review Roundup

It’s that time of the year, people – the new instalment of FIFA is out and football fans will be clambering to the stores this weekend to grab their copy, but is it the pinnacle of footie perfection?

Don’t expect too many changes these days with the turnaround of EA Sport’s annual release being so quick, but it seems the developers have done enough to keep the critics pleased for yet another season, although some had a few strong warnings for EA.

The Metacritic scores.

*We’ll update the table as the scores do.

In spite of strong critic scores, user review scores are decidedly poor for FIFA 16. The lower than expected averages seem to stem from a few very low scores among what is a relative few reviews.

That said, a god deal of users seem pretty happy with FIFA 16, and here’s why critics think it’s so good:

Game Informer – 8.75/10 (Xbox One)

“FIFA 16 isn’t going to blow you away with any single feature. Instead, it falls back on its strong gameplay to provide a fresh experience.”

Gamespot – 9/10 (Xbox One & PS4)

“FIFA needed a year like this. Without serious competition from Konami’s PES in the past few years (until now), and with Ultimate Team keeping players playing and paying all year round, there’s been no pressing motivation to ring the changes. Annual titles will always evolve gradually, but recent progress has felt glacial. FIFA 16 can be stubborn and stifling, but it feels gloriously new, and having to learn fresh strategies and nuances in a game series like this is an almost-forgotten pleasure.”

Video Gamer – 7/10

“FIFA 16 is an incremental improvement, but with legacy issues still plaguing the on-field action the changes feel hollow in light of PES 2016’s overwhelming turnaround.”

Attack of the Fanboy – 9/10 (Xbox One)

“Building off an already great game last year, the addition of Women’s National Teams, albeit limited in use, as well as the new FUT Draft easily make FIFA 16 yet another entry in this long running series that should not be passed.”

IGN – 7.8/10

“The complete package is as substantial as ever, and those who’ve acclimatised to FIFA’s play style in recent years will likely consider it good enough. But in the face of much stronger competition, ‘good enough’ might not actually be good enough. With its biggest rival matching its dynamism and beating it for fluidity and responsiveness, EA Sports has work to do if FIFA is to regain its title as king of the digital sport.”

Polygon – 9/10 (PS4 & Xbox One)

“This sequence is the story of FIFA 16, from its participants, to the tools used to deliver the goal, to the cathartic payoff that sent me leaping from my seat. Sports video gaming is at its best when you’re fighting your ass off and the miracle comes through. And when it does, no game rolls out the TNT like FIFA 16.”

Digital Spy – 4/5

“EA’s noble quest for authenticity certainly has its benefits, but there are times when the slower pace and more deliberate build-up play takes the shine off what is, after all, a video game representation of the beautiful game. It makes those wonder strikes and team goals all the more magical when you pull them off, but you’re going to have to work a little harder to make these moments happen.”

Trusted Reviews – 7/10 (Xbox One)

“FIFA has abandoned some of the fast, furious, end-to-end play of FIFA 15 in favour of a tighter, more believable defensive game, but if that saps out a little of the fun, there’s compensation in the improved Career game mode and the more accessible Ultimate Team Draft mode. In fact, FIFA’s problem isn’t that it doesn’t play a great game of football, but that this particular version might not be great enough. With Pro Evo looking incredibly strong this year, the more conservative, authenticity-focused FIFA seems a little less exciting than it is.”

Article originally published on MenStuff.co.za.

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