This was my only purchase on release day (FIFA 14), so I really wanted to enjoy it. I will be playing this game a whole lot during the times ahead with my friends, so I really wanted to love it. On Saturday, I tried again to access the online portion of the game. Now it worked. I immediately went to Pro Clubs, created my pro (imported my face and everything), and got online to play some fast drop-in games. This is the mode I play the most when it comes to FIFA-games. There are a bunch of changes done to this portion of the game which, if you've read other reviews, you'll probably be familiar with these. Me, I had forgotten this.
You create your pro like you would in the earlier iterations. The Drop-in matches no longer consists of 11 vs 11 matches, but 5 vs. 5 matches. This is both a blessing and a curse, I think. First of all, the thrill of playing 11 vs. 11 on FIFA 13 was quite something at times. I really enjoyed it when 22 player-controlled characters ran around on the field, trying to be cooperative. When we scored goals, they felt so much better! Here 11 random players had managed to put the goal in the net! Of course a lot of players only play drop-in matches to troll others or "grief", which is something I don't care for. Too often a player who ended up playing at centre back ends up scoring own goals which ruins the fun for the entire team. Worst case-scenario that very player would keep scoring own goals until all the other players quit.
and almost gives the illusion that your playing football on an ice skating-rink
The other major change is that now you cannot choose which team to play as, but are given a EA generic team called "Drop-In". I don't care for this either. It makes the excitement of reliving famous derby matches with random football players around Europe (in my case) gone and substitutes it with two generic teams called "drop-in". They even have the same logo... I used to enjoy drop-in matches immensly , but now, I don't, and this is partially because of these two changes. The third thing that has me raging and screaming at the tv, has to do with "gamefaces".
The option to upload your own face and paste it onto your player is a fantastic one. I don't know how many that actually utilize this option, but I do. The last FIFA-games also had this option, but here's where one of the biggest issues I wanted changed in FIFA 14 comes into play. In FIFA 13 you can _not_ see the custom game faces of other players! WHY not?! This is so stupid! I want to be able to see my friends and their game faces when we're playing. This was a thing that I really hope they would add to this years iteration of the series, but No! People who use custom game faces appear as a generic face with a little goatee-like beard on their faces. I hate it! This can't be so hard to implement?! Stupid...
There are 3 of my major problems with pro-clubs, and FIFA 14 for that matter. The career mode remains the same with few adjustments. I'm not saying the career mode is poor, it's just the same - it's football! League + cup + tournament-matches and sometimes stuff happens, and you have to make decisions. Buy players, sell Nani, loan players, scout players, win Premier League. I find it fun to start as a League 2 level team and take 'em all the way to the Champions League. That is how I play Career mode. GO YORK CITY!!
Hopefully this game will "grow" on me and I'll enjoy it alongside my friends.
My last concern about FIFA 14 next-gen is the gameplay mechanics. After playing loads of pro-club games I did notice that the game is much more "fluent" - both in good ways and bad ways. Players have -less- control of the ball making it harder to perform excact actions and almost gives the illusion that your playing football on an ice skating-rink: sliding all over and fighting to get a proper pass sent. I'm in no way a poor FIFA-player, nor am I a super-good one: I know football, and I know how to play the game. These adjustments are made to make the game feel more natural - even the pace has been slowed down. But I feel they have taken FIFA a step back! This is how I felt when I played the first iteration of FIFA on PS3 - "hmm, something feels off here", I thought.
Hopefully this game will "grow" on me and I'll enjoy it alongside my friends. But at this moment, I have my doubts actually. Don't get me wrong - I love the FIFA-games and will still keep playing it... I will eventually master the new controls, but these changes makes it harder to love this game I feel. There is no doubt in my mind that next years iteration of the series will be magically!