4. Slower Gameplay
EA have introduced a "Locomotion" system to FIFA 14 which, when you cut through the marketing hyperbole, simply means it now takes longer to change directions when running with the ball. In past iterations of the series, players have been able to simply hold down the sprint button as the simplest means of creating a goal-scoring opportunity, but now, we're going to need to take a more considered approach. Now if you're sprinting and suddenly want to cut inside, it takes longer, and the ball will be unprotected, allowing rival defenders to nick in and take the ball away. There is more emphasis on the battle in midfield as well, whereas before you could just send in a through ball and cut the defence to ribbons nine 9 times out of 10, now, defences are tougher to break down. The problem? We get the feeling this will lead to a transitional period much like the introduction of Tactical Defending a few years ago, where suddenly, the way the game works has been turned upside down. There will definitely be a learning curve in FIFA 14, and now that the gameplay is slower, we can't help but wonder if it is better, or worse.