EA Sports: FIFA 14 Review

Another year, and another instalment in the world's best selling sports game franchise, only this time, it's got two new fancy consoles to show off on. The game performs pretty much the same on all four of the main systems, with many of the differences superficial, but the next-generation boot of FIFA does pack some punch, and is a huge indicator of the potential that both the One and PS4 contain.

So what's new? EA have managed to get the FIFA franchise to a near level of perfection, so much so that the amount of new features and game-play differences were getting smaller each year, however 2014 packs a reasonable amount of tweaks that at least differentiate it from last year's game – something which EA have struggled to do over the past few years.

The new tiled menu interface for navigating around the game is a fantastic improvement on last year's slow, clunky and fairly out-dated version, and allows for much quicker access to all of the game modes, rather than trawling through endless bars and info boxes to get there.

One of the other large improvements thankfully is the game's graphics. The textures of pitches, weather and player likenesses have all been given a glossy makeover, making the game look as realistic as ever. It's also obvious a lot of attention has also been paid to game-play itself this year. There's nothing earth-shattering to speak of, but some subtle tweaks on passing, lobs and the fact that corners are now next to impossible to score, combined with new player animations, make it feel like you're watching a game of football more than ever.

How could I forget Jeff Stelling too, who makes his first long overdue appearance in the FIFA series, providing a nice introduction for Tyler & Smith, as well as some half time talk during games – all we need now is Chris Kamara and a broken monitor. Online It's responsible for controller breaks, unheard of swear words and making teenagers cry more than anything else, of course it's FIFA's always varied online mode.

Ultimate Team has been given some much needed attention, and now works much more fluidly, and makes it easier to obtain money for essentials more than the last two variations ever did. Offline ultimate team matches are a much welcomed feature in the FIFA community, for those that just can't stomach EA's online servers (More on that later). The Bale's, Messi's and Neymar's of the world are still going to cost you an absolute fortune on Ultimate Team, and you'll likely need to make a few micro-transactions on the game if you've to have any hope in obtaining them.

Online friendlies remain near intact, however having to follow the tournament format when all you want is a quick game with a friend can be annoying at times, especially if they always win...The good old EA servers are of course still a hindrance in almost any online mode. Noticeable work and stability improvements have been made to them, but lagging and freezing, at least in the games I have played, are still an issue and still require a lot of maintenance.

While hundreds of thousands of FIFA users log online to use the modes each day could be seen as a reason for this – Rockstar have had no difficulty in maintaining Grand Theft Auto 5's online servers, which after a shaky first month now work to near perfection, despite being the biggest and highest populated online mode ever produced – so there really is no excuse for EA not buying more servers or fixing the ones they already have.

Next-gen As I stated above, FIFA 14 on XBOX One and PS4 is essentially the same game as its previous-gen counterparts, the modes are all exactly the same as well as the EA servers... However the foundations are there for something magical to be created. What you're paying that extra £15 pounds for is an experience. The added textures and likeness improvements talked about above were only for the PS3 and 360, imagine those on the almighty power of the PS3 and One, it looks majestic. Fans no longer act like cardboard cut-outs, they are more detailed and active than ever, there's a noticeable gleam from the ball and goalposts on wet days as the rain bounces off of them, and the ball is played between the two teams like actual human beings!

Players run after the ball to seize control of it if it ever goes loose, rather than watching motionless as it veers over the lines, they duck out the way whenever a header or volley takes place – avoid those beyond awkward moments of your perfect bicycle kick being stopped by your own team-mate's skull, and when slowing down a few replays, the way players run with the ball and keep it on the inside of their foot looks fantastic too. It may seem strange that I'm stressing these otherwise mundane features, but with lack of a better phrase, they look just awesome.

This is only the first incarnation of FIFA on the now current-gen of gaming systems. I'm already excited to see what could be accomplished in 5 to 6 years time.

Where have they gone wrong? Like every instalment in the FIFA series, there are a few bugs and questionable errors that remain in the game. Career mode packs many of these, with one of the largest being the often bizarre decision making from the manager in Be a Pro Player mode. Despite scoring over 40 goals in the season and hardly losing any stamina, I still find my player being subbed off for a much less able one at exactly the 76th minute in every game. It happened to me and quite a few others in last year's game too and it is pretty infuriating.

Audio needs a good look over too – commentators often repeat the exact same point up to three times in the same match (That's fine in real life, but not in an 8 minute game), they never come back to the points they were making when interrupted by a goal or light challenge, and variety of commentators is still a a bit poor. Martin Tyler and Alan Smith commentating every single game can get a bit annoying after a while, and although changing the language can give me a few interesting options, I do prefer English.

Crowd chants can be a bit strange at times too, “Champions league, you're having a laugh” echoing through the stadium while playing Chesterfield vs. Bristol Rovers is both hurtful and nonsensical...Oh, and did I mention the online servers? Taking away the light criticisms, believe me there aren't very many, FIFA 14 is a fine video game, no matter what system you choose to get it for.

Players as always have the option to get deeply invested in the game and put many hours into career mode and Ultimate Team, or just stick it on for a kick-about – which EA's “Games of the week” feature is perfect for. While you're likely to still be left pulling your hair out at the online servers and coming up with curses you never thought imaginable when conceding a 90th minute goal, that's what FIFA is all about.

It's a crowning achievement for both the XBOX and PS3 and highlights the sheer excellence that has been accomplished in the two consoles, as well providing an aura around what may just be possible in the future for the two new recruits. FIFA continues its reign as the best football game ever created.

Evan McFarlane (@EvanMcFarlane)