2. The Gameplay Is Far Too Slow
I sometimes wonder if EA should have titled FIFA 14 "FIFA: Stoke Edition" instead. Why? Because it's so hideously slow! Never in all the years I have been playing FIFA have I encountered so many bore 0-0 and 1-0 results. There's an absolute lack of pace - players can still sprint, but the ability to suddenly burst forward with the analogue stick has vanished. EA have placed more emphasis on the battle in midfield but that just means the game gets bogged down in the middle of the park while defences are ridiculously difficult to break down. I actually, for the first time ever in the FIFA series, had to change the default game speed settings from regular to fast just to get things moving. There's a very steep learning curve when it comes to controlling the ball while sprinting and working the ball through midfield, and though this can eventually be mastered with practice, we feel EA have put too much emphasis on realism and not enough on fun.