3. Gameplay
Courtesy of FIFA Street there is a new dribbling system that puts the ball right at your feet. The controls can be a bit convoluted, but I like the fact that skills are difficult to master and that only the best players can pull them off consistently. This is also the case with the new first touch system. No longer will every player cushion those long balls with ease. This time around error plays a more important role in how you play the game, especially in terms of keeping possession. Do you ping a diagonal to your 17 year old debutant or play the easy pass back to the keeper? Holding onto the ball is distinctly harder and so it becomes infinitely more precious. This game could possibly improve your real-life football intelligence, its that good.
4. Game Modes
This is and always has been the weakest part of the FIFA package, including FIFA 12. As anybody who plays Football Manager knows FIFA, by comparison, isnt as good off the pitch as it is on it. The career mode has, due to fan-related constructive criticism, been revised. Its hard to say just from the demo, but it has to better than before. Last years career mode was just about okay, which for FIFA is simply unacceptable. FIFAs saving grace was the VirtualPro feature, whereby you inhabit a real or created player on the pitch, be it a goalie or a star striker. There are no training modes or anything, only an XP like upgrade system as you complete various accomplishments. I hoped that this might be improved in a similar vein to NBA 2k12, but theres always next year. However, the in-game live performance rating system is ingenious and goes a long way to catering for the perfectionist in all of us.