Call it a comeback.
For the first time since “FIFA 14” the FIFA series by EA Sports is using a different game engine. Frostbite is now replacing Ignite, the engine from the last three years. Although Ignite was successful, the most popular sports game series in the world needed innovation. Frostbite is the engine for several high profile games, For “Battlefield” series, “Need for Speed” games and “Star Wars: Battlefront.”
Now Frostbite arrives to the sports world and soccer is the first to experience the innovation.
Since “FIFA” ran on the same engine for a few years, fans only looked forward to the change-of-team kits and transfers, since the graphics and gameplay stayed the same. But now with Frostbite, “FIFA 17” is a complete change and fans can look forward to completely new things.
What is new in this game is a story mode called “The Journey,” which gamers play as young Englishman Alex Hunter and develop their way from youth ranks to the big name teams, such as Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. The mode is extremely realistic, depending on the team chosen and choices made. The story changes and Hunter’s career can hit rock bottom or soar to the top.
Passing in “FIFA 17” still is not top notch; it is still sluggish.
Possession of the ball is difficult to maintain and gaining back possession is also a challenge. Make sure to play the best center-midfielders and defensive-midfielders on the pitch to maintain and recover the ball.
A beautiful change is the speed of the attacking players. This allows players to make quicker goals than before and split-second assists. If the gamer is defending they will have trouble against a gamer using a front three like Barcelona’s Messi, Suarez and Neymar. However, if the gamer is attacking and has those front three then rest-in-peace for the opponent.
Dead balls, also known as set pieces, have a new feature for this edition. Players are now able to position the free-kick taker to comfort the style of a free-kick.
Same goes for penalty kicks. The run-up to take the kick has more freedom. Players will now enjoy taking penalty kicks with specialists like Cristiano Ronaldo or Santi Cazorla. As for free-kicks, players will abuse Hakan Çalhanoğlu, the best free-kick taker in the world in terms of spectacular goals.
The gameplay is better and player likeness is also more realistic. Certain players show an exact resemblance to the ‘real life’ counterparts, and not just by looks either. The athlete’s movements are also a refelction of an actual player.
Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann said it is scary to play as himself in “FIFA 17.” He said the game version of him is extremely alike in appearance and style of play, so it is creepy.
Players are not the only stars in the game. For the first time ever, managers will make appearances in the series. The likes of Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Arsene Wenger of Arsenal appear on the sideline yelling at the players and like the players, they are an exact resemblance.
“FIFA Ultimate Team,” (FUT) returns and new online tournaments are available. FUT is arguably the best thing gamers look forward to in new “FIFA” editions each year, but with the new Frostbite engine, gamers will look forward to it a lot more than ever.
