FIFA 17 Demo: 10 Hands-On Impressions You Need To Know
7. Simply Seeing Real-Life Managers Adds So Much
As much as gameplay aspects (and the series closing the gap on PES in that regard) are trumpeted, the fact remains that a lot of FIFA's appeal lies in that sweet presentation. Stadiums look lively and atmospheric, the crowds becoming closer to real people rather than carbon-copy dolls. The grass is lush and the team kits look colourful and realistic.
All of this has been improved as the years have rolled on, and now FIFA fans have genuine managers strolling the sidelines. On the surface, that's a small addition, but it shockingly adds more than some may think to the overall feel of matches.
Seeing Jose Mourinho react to an opposition chance, or Pep Guardiola contemplate his next tactical move builds the story of individual sequences nicely. EA don't necessarily over do it, but these men are as much a part of football as the players, so it's nice to see them included.
It's largely there to enhance the game's aesthetics, but real-life managers of Premier League teams feels like something that should have been there all along. Now more than ever, it's possible to become invested in the emotion of matches.