Quick impressions (subject to change)
Quick sum up: Very, very, very good.
Likes:
- Considerable "pacing" improvements on both original Fifa gameplay and even other gameplay patches. Games seriously ebb and flow a lot better and there are distinct phases in games where you might dominate or be dominated, as in real life.
- What happens on the pitch is much more in tune with the phase of the game that you're in. As an example, one of the aspects of unmodified gameplay that I hated was how cramped the midfield was. You could dominate like hell but the AI only need to get the ball off you and then it could quickly get a few shots away, so shots on goal were always very unrealistically even. That is no more. If you do dominate, you really dominate and vice versa.
- Shooting is MUCH better. Shots come off the boot much less cleanly most of the time and much more realistic misses. This was one area where PES was always much better and with this patch Fifa is now very close
- More room for creativity in the midfiled. When combined with the more realistic shooting models, this means you'll see more realistic long range shots and more real life-like usage of players like Scholes and Lampard, where they can help widen the field, rather than just shooting bullets into the net all the time.
- Crossing is MUCH better - no more assisted crosses and 2 - 3 goals from crosses a game.
- More distnguishing of good players. Because there is more room for better set up play, good and skillful players can clearly do more. You see Rooney do a good run with a good passer on the ball? Well, you might now beat the opposite team clean with a good pass.
- More tight but realistic defence - defence does attempt to close you down quickly but it's not the BS "mad midfield rush" ala PES or some other patches.
Overall, I am finding that my games flow better, my better players can do more things and when the AI should be beaten it is. But this is balanced by the game being more dynamic and harder to control and shooting no longer being piece of cake. In terms of attacking and defending on my side, I am really enjoying things.
Potential for improvement:
- I think the injury rate could do with some upping
- Definitely not enough fouls still
- The AI's attacks remain reasonably flat - I suspect this is more of a product of poor AI routines and in a way it does reflect real life. Aside from teams like Man Utd, Arsenal, Barcelona, Lyon and Real, most teams can't attack for crap these days.
Cheers for a job well done, NK.