FIFA 15

RATING: 8.5/10

EA Sports have always strived for realism in their FIFA franchise. FIFA 15 upholds the series' lifelong tradition of making marked improvements upon the previous installments thus successfully taking steps toward capturing the true essence of the beautiful game with every sequel. This year, EA Sports do have a very refined product in their hands packed with new features and graphical improvements.

The gameplay this year is noticeably better. There are a lot of minute changes to the core gameplay that the series has retained which make for a fluid, fun and responsive experience. The players, in general, feel a lot better to control. It is possible to outplay defenders just by precise timing of the left stick as opposed to the last game in which you had to use tricks in order to do the same. The ball feels more like an independent entity in this game. Usually, the team in possession used to have the ball glued to them so it was really difficult to intercept the ball. This year, passing is riskier so you have to actually plan your moves carefully before you actually think of advancing as a team. However, lob through balls remain overpowered. Often times, defenders would give the attacking player so much space that a simple lob through pass can tear the defense apart. Aside from this, defending seems to have improved a bit. Players contain smartly and make good tackles so long as the tackle button is pressed on time.

The biggest change, arguably, to the whole gameplay segment is the revamping of the goalkeepers. Now, they will react much more realistically to shots and be able to make smarter decisions when they need to act as a sweeper. Nonetheless, they are not perfect. I have seen goalkeepers concede silly goals where the shot went under their body or legs akin to real life. But, supposedly, those errors do conform to the realism that EA hopes to achieve with FIFA.

The graphics on the PS4, Xbox One and PC versions of the game are jaw dropping. Players are meticulously detailed after their real life counter parts, their shirts and shorts move realistically along their bodily movements and they have a wide range of facial animations to boot to make them look less plastic like they did in the previous FIFA games. The stadiums are also sights to behold. Each individual strand of grass on the pitch is rendered excellently. Also, as the game goes on, wear and tear will become noticeable on the field. The crowds in the stadiums are much more dynamic and well presented. They celebrate in jubilation as their team scores and show frustration when their team concedes. Each person in the crowd is different and will react differently compared to others. The game does a great job of making each football match feel like a broadcasted game with superb match day presentation and numerous improvements to the commentary.

The menus have also taken a turn for the better with more tactical options to make your team's playing cater to your playstyle.

All in all FIFA 15 is one of the series' best yet. It is a fun, well rounded package which improves upon the tried and tested formula of the FIFA series greatly. This is a must buy if you're even remotely a football fan.