I had been waiting quite a long time to get my hands on the next-gen version of FIFA 14. The new graphics engine promises quite a step up from what current machines can offer, even if many of the game’s core aspects remain largely untouched from old hardware to new.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maOMhxdkzuU
Unfortunately, I still have many questions left unanswered, which could only be revealed to us by speaking to the development team – which, through circumstance, I was unable to do. Such simple things as whether or not I was playing on an actual Xbox One, or a PC with an X1 controller plugged in. Also, do the animation blending systems hold over from one generation of machine to the other?
These are things I can’t yet say, but playing a quick match did show off a number of FIFA 14’s highlights.
Graphically, this is a great step up, but I feel that it’s only truly noticeable in a handful of situations: for example, when you see celebrations and the camera gets close up to a player, or the pre-match footage showing you the full arena of fans. That’s when the Ignite engine really impresses upon you that it’s using whatever hardware it has available, to push the graphical side of the simulation to new heights.
When it comes to the actual gameplay, the visual leap didn’t feel quite as noticeable to me, and played into the same catalogue of changes which FIFA 14 will have on X360 and PS3, delivering a more nuanced and accurate experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMRvBqxTzO8
I’m talking about the Pure Shot system, variable touch and the blending of animations to compensate and get each foot in the right place without resorting to sliding players around in stuck animations. They’re finer details which should help your brain understand what’s going on in the game.
However, the animations do still have some way to go, I feel. At times I thought that they looked a little bit exaggerated when sprinting, or didn’t quite join as seamlessly as we’d been promised. There are still a good few months to go with this, so I would expect that the finer details of these new systems are still being tweaked.
As for the game I played, it was a suitably tight affair, which I lost 1-0 after conceding to a last minute overhead kick. I’d peppered the other side’s goal with shots, and to lose in such a manner was made all the worse for having had one of my players attempt the exact same style of shot just moments earlier, at the other end of the pitch.
Borussia Dortmund 1 – 0 Manchester City.
damoxuk
Hmm thinking about it have any games actually been shown running on an Xbox One yet, most next gen games so far have been shown on ps4 or pc.
Or are they still fine tuning it?
yiddo
This is what worries me. Along with the rumoured manufacturing problems, I’m really starting to doubt that they’ll even hit November.
Eldave0
From what I’ve seen, first party games (Forza, Ryse, DR3, etc) have been shown running on X1, whereas multi-formats have been on PC (presumably dev kits).
OneShotWook
Heres a Dead Rising cam link from ign-
http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/08/20/dead-rising-3-demo-gamescom-2013
The Forza and Ryse ones are pretty much everywhere.
Starman
From my experience the first Fifa on a new console always lacks effort (psp, vita, 360) and usually the 2nd or 3rd edition is when they put more effort in.
damoxuk
In the case of vita the 1st 3 fifa’s :D
yiddo
First Vita FIFA is okay, but they missed out on an opportunity to really deliver on a great version of FIFA 13 for the Vita.
FIFA 13 (and by the looks of it, FIFA 14) on Vita is such a shameful rip off it’s unreal.
Stefan L
You could easily argue that 13 followed on too soon from the first attempt to really get a full development cycle. However, ’14 is supposed to be just a reskin as well, and that is quite disappointing.
Adding features like Ultimate Team etc. etc. and fixing some of the persistent bugs affecting certain trophies should have been on the priority list.
bunimomike
Whilst football bores me more than visiting relatives, it’s fascinating to see how certain games won’t benefit all that much in the visuals department. It reminds me of Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance. A not-far-off-isometric affair where 98% of the action was at a distance where you simply couldn’t enjoy the frankly-wonderful graphics and effort put into the visuals. The polygon count was superb as well as the fluid dynamics and lighting. All lost when you have a viewpoint that needs to give you a full view of the dungeon (or pitch, in this case).
double-o-dave
My thoughts too. I haven’t played FIFA for a while but when I think about the camera angle and distance I can’t see how the graphics can be improved a great deal without it running in 4k on a 4k TV apart from the close-ups. I guess its the animation which will make it more visually pleasing.
Greg Turner
I’m seriously considering switching back to PES this year. Feels like a breath of fresh air compared to the last few PES games.
yiddo
I’m the same. I loved the PS2 PES games, and PES 14 looks like a return to form.
I’m stuck in the middle of both of them at the moment. The pro of FIFA 14 though is that it’s on next gen systems.
Greg Turner
Yeah that’s true – and PES not being next gen gives EA a clear run for the first year of the systems.
colmshan1990
It’d be odd if it was on PC- the ignite EA Sports engine isn’t coming to PC games yet.
Still, who knows nowadays.
Amphlett
I love the incidental advertising that Hewlett Packard get from appearing on the front of Bale’s shirt which will be on the front of every UK game pack. Nice!
OneShotWook
Printer sales will go through the roof:).