FIFA 15: Online Review

I’ve played FIFA 15 online literally every day since release, and although this might indicate some lifestyle issues need addressing (sadly, yes Ed), it also puts me in the perfect position to review it.

There’s a distinct lack of new modes, but that’s not a major issue. Football’s football, right? You’ve already got your chaotic 11v11 matches, complete with ball hogs, glory hounds and absolute reluctance to play in net. You’ve got your meat and potatoes Seasons mode, which centres on winning matches to earn promotion, a 2v2 co-op spin on the formula, and tournaments. And you’ve got your pro clubs, which allow for the grassroots creation of teams with world-class puns for names. Be wary of levelled up Be a Pro players here, often notable for bleached afros, impossible
speed and absurd celebrations.

Again, you’ll notice none of this is new barring snazzy menus that reduce faffing. Ultimate Team, the series’ breakout card trading dream team mode, sees minor change. You can now create concept squads to test chemistry and loan players, too which is handy seeing the realistically exorbitant prices Zlatan and Suarez command.

Typical teething problems present mismatched opponents and stuttering, but EA has already started rolling out the updates, adding functionality such as a latency indicator to Ultimate Team, removing glitches that prevented progression and enabled players to infinitely switch kick takers on set pieces, and improving set piece cameras in online Seasons.

It’s not the fresh modes, or lack thereof, that dictate the quality of FIFA 15’s online offering, but how the game actually plays now within these existing modes. And, per our review, it’s a good showing, this year’s offering a “perfect pass” between the darty 13 and deliberate 14. Online is where FIFA comes alive. No two games are alike: some bomb down the wing and pelt in crosses; others park the bus. Some use gamesmanship (disruptive hacks and cynical ball retention), others sportsmanship. Whether Ultimate Team wheeler-dealer, cog in a machine or partner to a co-op buddy, there are multitudes of ways to enjoy FIFA 15.