It's the 92nd minute, I'm 1-0 up and have a corner - promotion is practically in the bag. Having risen through the leagues, my FIFA 13 Ultimate Team is one win away from promotion to Division 2. I'm already smugly celebrating and fist-pumping during a cutscene. But what's this? A hoofed clearance from the corner goes directly to one of the opposing strikers (again) - a five-foot-nothing speed merchant who races into the empty space our computer-controlled defenders are inexplicably leaving open. He equalises easily, leaving us in controller-throwing rage as we come to the horrible realisation that promotion is lost. It was a cheap goal, a nasty goal to concede, and a goal that played on the game's small but significant reliance on speed and its defenders' slack marking.



While FIFA 13 is a game I've dumped hundreds of hours of my life into, it is these moments that make me want to punch it square in its face. It's with great hope then that I find out, through a variety of tweaks, new animations and new features, that it's these cheap goals that EA is working to remove from its new offering. "We found that the game could be quite quickly backwards and forwards, and at times you could get those cheap goals," says producer Nick Channon.

"That was something we wanted to reduce or remove from the game if we could. Football is generally played through midfield. Obviously you can bypass that with a long ball - which is still gong to be the case in FIFA 14 - but if you look at the modern game it's tighter, it's about spreading play from side to side. We wanted to bring those elements to the game and to use more variety."

Heavy touch

To help balance the effect of fast players there's the introduction of 'Variable First Touch'. This means that if you decide to launch into a sprint, the ball won't stick to your feet or keep moving a set distance away from you as you push it forward. The likes of Ronaldo and Messi will be able to maintain far more control of the ball, but others may take heavier or more inconsistent touches as they sprint - perhaps pushing the ball too far ahead and giving defenders a chance to take possession.

It looks to be a promising and realistic way of evening out the series' love affair with speedy attackers. But those who like a pacey winger won't be void of options: EA has scrapped the long-established rule that meant sprinting players couldn't make sudden turns in any direction. Instead, sprinting players will now be allowed to move at any angle at any time, although the game will factor in their momentum.



But it's not just about running with the ball - running without it is just as important, and there are some promising improvements coming here, too. Attackers will now be able to check their run, or jog along the line of defence to create more dynamic runs and stay onside. Bigger strikers may instead ask for a ball into feet and back into defenders, allowing the Shola Ameobis of this world to use their strength to maintain possession or fashion chances.

In fact strength seems to have played a big part in EA's thinking this year, and it's keen to highlight a new feature that it calls 'Protect the Ball'. This takes FIFA 13's clumsy shielding mechanic and tries to improve it, bringing it more central to the game and making it far easier to use. You hold the left trigger to use the player's strength to keep possession and fight for loose balls, or tap it while dribbling to hold off defenders' more physical challenges.

It looks like it could be one of the bigger changes to the on-field game, giving you more incentive to have stronger players in your squad and providing you with more options when trying to cut a defence into ribbons.



Finding balance

But good football games, like good tightrope walkers, are all about balance, and FIFA 14's defences have also been given some extra tools to counter the new variety of attacking options. EA has tightened up the marking system and given the AI the ability to track runs more successfully. It's also introduced second-chance tackles, which will give defending players a small window of opportunity to stick out a leg after they've already committed to a tackle. Lastly there's 'Dynamic Defensive Pressure', which will see team-mates recognising when to apply and relax pressure to the players they're marking.

The changes on both sides of the pitch are something that has the team at EA hopeful of a more satisfying, varied game, and one that will give players more control over the tempo of matches. "I don't want people to think it's harder," adds Channon. "It's just much more fun, having to build up the play a little bit. We know FIFA 13 could be a little bit cheap at times - the way you could run through and score.

"Tightening things up makes you think a bit more and be a little bit more creative. We also had a lot of feedback saying FIFA 13 felt fast. We're not changing the game speed but because the marking was loose you had more time to sprint."



The changes aren't all in the build-up play, however - shooting has been tweaked too. Players will now let off different shots according to their situation: they may have to dig a ball out of their feet, or rush their shot rather than getting a clean strike off. That doesn't mean your shot won't find the net, but the type of shot will depend on the context and how long you have to set yourself. Players will even open up their bodies to get better angles.

Striking the ball also gets more realistic with a reworking of FIFA's ball physics. EA has reduced the amount of drag on the ball, and has paid more attention to how it travels - even taking into account turbulence. This means players can now hit the ball harder and unleash dipping and low-rising shots. The ball seems to move more realistically, making for some spectacular finishes and lofted curling through balls.

It all speaks of adding a new level of depth and variety to equip players with the tools to score and take possession in new ways. There's plenty more to come from EA in terms of announcements, but this early overview certainly gives me hope that football fans will once again have plenty to cheer about.



Source: Rheena.com