For a while now the FIFA video game franchise has seemed a little stagnant, with only a few minor changes being implemented from year to year. However, this year, for some unexplainable reason, I truly believe that EA has something special up their sleeves, which they will no doubt share with us at E3.
Until then, we can only speculate with what EA will do with FIFA 16…
Fortunately, we already know that Women’s International Teams are being included this year, (a move that I feel had to be implemented sooner rather than later) but this teaser won’t be enough information to get the FIFA faithful’s hyped.
So with E3 around the corner, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share my Top 10 Wish List for the next instalment of the FIFA franchise.
1. Be A Pro Mode
Be A Pro Mode/Player Career Mode, is a feature that EA must do something with in FIFA 16. The game mode has incredible potential but has been left pretty basic for far too long. Anyone who’s played the Be A Pro Mode equivalent in NBA 2K games will know how much potential this mode actually has.
In NBA 2K, there are cut scenes where you can select which way the conversation goes (negatively or positively), your player can earn sponsorship deals and overall there are a vast amount of more player customisation options. (A topic also on my wish list that I’ll go into more detail about later.)
Personally, I think it would be great if your player started in an academy of your choosing. You should have to go through drills in the practice arena and perform them to a certain level to get picked for the upcoming match. Then if you produce the goods during matches, you should consequently receive promotion to the under 21’s, reserves and then, after a while, reach the first team. And while this is ongoing other teams should be able to submit transfer offers for you.
Outside of the development procedure, I’d love to see some of those features that are in NBA 2K installed into FIFA to present the mode with more substance.
2. Manager Mode
Quite simply, I believe the Manager Mode needs more depth. Similar to the Be A Pro mode, it requires a few more innovative features to make the experience more enjoyable and less lifeless.
Some features that I would like added are aspects such as being able to choose the team’s sponsor and being able to develop your own stadium. I’d also like to actually BE the manager on game day.
You should be able to create a manager in the same fashion as you would do for the Be A Pro mode and then stand on the touchline and shout instructions to the players. This is the kind of aspect that would revolutionise FIFA from its previous years.
3. More Player Scans
Ever since EA started scanning player’s faces I’ve wanted them to do more and more.
Understandably, the procedure is relatively complicated and expensive, however, I would love to see every first team player in all the top teams with scanned faces.
I know that at some point we will get to that stage anyway, but I guess I’m just impatient…
4. Manager Scans
If EA are scheduled to go to each club to perform facial scans, why not scan the manager’s face as well..?
I think it would be a great addition to see Jose Mourinho’s face when a substitution is being made or when a player is injured or a foul committed.
It would add some interesting variation to the tedious cut scenes that players currently have to endure whilst in a match.
5. Cut Scenes
While I’m on the subject of cut scenes, let’s talk about them.
Please EA, allow us to skip these cut scenes if we want to!
Also, while we’re here, that feature when a player runs after a ball when it’s gone out of play, drop it and drop it now. The number of times I’ve been spamming the X button to skip the scene and then my player will just lob the ball to the opposition from a throw in. Frustrating!
6. Greater Player Customisation
I’m a sucker for games with character creation. FIFA has had create a player for a while now but EA don’t seem to be updating what you can change/edit/add on your player.
There needs to be more hairstyles, more strip options, accessories etc. I love the addition of different free kick/penalty styles for your player so I hope EA evolve these new additions further in FIFA 16.
7. Scrap FUT Price Ranges
YOU CAN’T SELL ANYONE!
When EA introduced this feature earlier this year, everyone thought it would help with buying/selling players. It did the opposite.
Now when you need to sell a player you can’t because nobody is purchasing that player at the lowest amount you can select, and when you want to buy a player, they’re all far too expensive.
Please revert it back to the old system.
8. Cheaper Pack Prices/Other Ways To Earn Packs
Packs have become a huge deal within the FIFA games. So much so, that players have started to buy coins “illegally”, in order to get the best cards possible.
This should never be the case.
Packs, in my opinion, are incredibly expensive, if bought legally from the Playstation Store or Xbox Market. You cannot expect children of 13, 14 years old to consistently spend £70 on packs. It’s ridiculous and EA must address this situation in FIFA 16.
But how do they do this?
Well, one potential option would be to increase the current rewards schemes implemented in game. For example, promotion from division 4 to 3 should grant you a 50K pack, while promotion from division 2 to 1 should grant you a 100K pack.
Something along those lines would at the very least save players a lot of money. EA could also implement this into offline Career Mode. For example winning the Premier League without simming grants you a 100K pack etc.
9. Player Ratings That Actually Matter
Have you spent hours/days/weeks/months grafting packs so you can have a team filled with Messi, Ronaldo, Bale, Lahm and Neuer only to jump into a FUT match and get absolutely schooled by a three star team full of rubbish players that have high stats in skill and pace?
Yup me too...
EA need to ensure that the higher rate players actually perform like their ratings. Not the opposite.
10. Match Mechanics.
Admittedly, the way FIFA currently plays is already brilliant. Far more advanced than PES. However I feel EA have slacked off a little in recent games with the development of the match engine.
Let’s have some more controls to give our players more passing/shooting/dribbling options. Take shooting for example. We have the option to take a normal shot, finesse shot and chip shot. Why not give us a button to shoot along the floor or the option to do a knuckleball type of shot?
All the other bits and pieces we get outside of the matches are all bonuses in my eyes, but let’s not forget that this is a football game. The football part should always be the most important and most developed.
So there’s my wish list for FIFA 16. Feel free to leave other suggestions of what you’d like to see in this year’s game below.
Gfinity is bringing FIFA back to London with Season 2 of the Play Like A Legend Championship, taking place June 13-14th. Watch 15 of the world’s top FIFA talents battle it out at Gfinity's London arena!
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