At times on FIFA 14 it felt like a higher player rating didnt necessarily equate to a more effective player. Of course as a general rule you would expect the highly rated Cristiano Ronaldo to roast a Mansfield Town centre back, but when dealing with the top-rated players certain statistics felt like they were far more important than others. For example, Messi may have ostensibly been rated higher than Zlatan Ibrahimovi but the importance FIFA 14 placed on raw strength meant that the big Swede was far more effective in-game than the little Argentine. In contrast, on FIFA 15 the tightened gameplay mechanics mean that you really notice when youre using a top-rated player who isnt just physically strong. In particular the aforementioned Lionel Messi has never felt better, despite having been marginally downgraded to a 93 overall rating. In the past the Barcelona stars diminutive stature meant that he could be too easily stripped of the ball by defenders. On FIFA 15 we are greeted by that ultra-familiar image of Messis face, this time sporting a smug grin it takes just a single half played as Barcelona to realise why Lionel is so pleased with himself. The improved dribbling controls mean you can use the best player in the game to impressively weave between would-be attackers before slotting the ball into the net. All the highest rated players like Hazard, Iniesta and Reus play as well as they do in real life.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
