Friday, February 7, 2014

FIFA 14 Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot

As we usher in the age of the next -gen sports games seem to be on the forefront of the making the most of the hardware provided. Granted I am by no measure of the imagination an avid sports fan, I managed to gather the courage to subject myself to another sports game after my harrowing experience with NBA 2k14. You know we care though and love gaming in all forms no matter the frustration levels reached so today I bring to you FIFA 14...



FIFA 14 is a sports association football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronics Arts. It was released in late September 2013 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo 3DS video game consoles and Microsoft Windows. It was also released as freeware for iOS and Android on 23 September 2013[4] and as a launch title for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2013. This speaks volumes as to the appeal and overall broad customer base that this series has garnered considering the scope of its multiple platform release. I mean seriously the thing got a PlayStation 2 release; they don't even make PlayStation 2's anymore guys. A new engine called the Ignite Engine was used in FIFA 14 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions only. This engine implemented both graphical and game-play changes such as human intelligence to make players react more like the real thing, True Player Motion to create more realistic movement from the players and more realism to the way environmental features like weather and stadium crowd dynamics develop during play. A PC port of the version with Ignite Engine was in the works, but sadly was cancelled for undisclosed reasons.


What’s Good:
Replay value: The immense variety of modes and online inter-connectivity that EA FIFA 14 brings to the table is simply astounding and will keep their fans satisfied and occupied for a long time to come. EA decided this year to focus more on the online FUT (FIFA Ultimate Team) experience. This has come at the expense of features previously enjoyed by gamers, like custom tournament and guest play but still maintains the replay value we all know and love.

Soundtrack:  As always FIFA games are known for their wide ranged and appealing soundtracks. This year is no different as  FIFA 14 sports a whopping thirty seven track OST. The songs are upbeat and highly addictive and you will find yourself randomly humming/singing along with them.

Graphics: Stepping forward into the next gen of gaming the graphics have certainly been bumped up from the last time I reviewed FIFA 14. This can be seen primarily on the next gen consoles however because those versions were developed using the Ignite Engine.

Game Mechanics: Solid controls, easy to use, learn, and understand while maintaining an even deeper level of functionality that takes advanced players to a whole different level. Excellent tutorials and options for individual customization and tailoring the game to the user's enjoyment.


What’s Bad:
Story-line: Like seriously EA, it cant be that hard to put together a half-assed started from the bottom story line. I mean hell you even had Drake plugging and advertising the game. How could you have missed such an obvious marketing strategy...?


What Should Have Been Added:
Obviously a story mode; even if it was a mediocre one like in NBA 2K14 its something that really should be considered as it opens up for additional interaction and motivation to keep the user playing the game.


Final Thoughts:
As anti sports as I might be, I must say that I had fun playing this game; it felt good to have an interest in soccer again after all these years. My only fault with this game is the shot power meter; as it is far too small and too hard to discern how powerful a shot you are taking. If memory serves in other FIFA games I have played the shot power meter was much easier to see and also there was an arrow to direct the different kicks awarded. i.e. corner kick, penalty kick, free kick, etc.



2 comments

February 7, 2014 at 11:54 PM

I purposely didnt comment on the NBA2K14 blog because i didnt want to seem bias as a big fan of the game. So i just want to say Rion, i agreed, congrats you fifa14 and its development team for a job well done even though i enjoy playing NBA2K14 much more, i can say from experience that fifa14 is a awesome game

February 8, 2014 at 12:00 AM

it takes a big man to admit when he is wrong. thank you for seeing the light.

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