FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

[Gnemi]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

Okay, Day Two of having FIFA '14 Demo:

I just played three matches as Manchester City against the Red Bulls and here are my thoughts...

The animation that drives me nuts is the containment animation. I'm left nearly speechless by how stupid it looks. The players take on an almost chicken flapping its wings animation when they're attempting to contain. Of all the things EA could have tweaked in terms of player animations, containment wasn't one of them! If it ain't broke, ya know...

I made three very moderate tweaks to sliders and like every year of FIFA, sliders will likely be key to our enjoyment. 44 speed and 48 acceleration. I also changed Shot Speed to 52 and found that much more palatable.

In terms of gameplay, I do think this is a revolutionary FIFA and that means there is a lot to be happy about but we're unlikely to see the fruit of all EA's efforts for at least two more years and probably on the next generation machines where that horsepower can put the Ignite Engine into combination with the new physics and gameplay.

I can't quite put my finger on it without spending 500 words describing it, but the manner with which we score goals in FIFA '14 will be RADICALLY different than any other FIFA. That is clearly what has so many people excited about. If there's something we can trivialize to score goals, I'll be surprised. I think we'll have to earn every shot on goal with patience, appropriate passes within the appropriate context and with a bit of luck just like football.

I remain skeptical that EA's offering will be a direct hit this year, but I can't help but applaud the revolutionary effort.

Another thing: 1v1 jockeying for position / possession is pretty damned awesome. I feel like I can actually be rewarded for taking control of a player and moving into space. I'm also noticing that larger more physical players are appropriately dominant when encountering smaller players. E.g. I've kinda pushed people around with YaYa Toure.

On a MAJOR negative side, the New York Red Bulls play like Barcelona and Tim Cahill may as well be Santi Cazorla. Annoying. Very...damn...annoying.

[woody2goody]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

I'm very impressed by this demo.

The interface is very nice to look at and is MUCH faster and sharper.

The CPU isn't 100% psychic any more and it's more possible than ever to stop a team with good, aggressive defending.

The ball physics are tons better - this is a major step forward because it feels more unpredictable.

The biggest compliment I can pay this game is it feels very much like an older version of PES, and that is very good indeed.

I too have a small gripe that the lower-level teams seem a bit too intelligent and skilled at times, but hopefully sliders will sort that out.

In real life it's the intelligence and skill that sets a better team apart from an inferior one, so a bit of work is needed there.

In all, I wasn't going to buy a football game on PS3 because of the impending launch of PS4, but now I'm completely sold and I want this game quite badly!

[Yeats]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

The CPU almost never passes the ball in the air unless it's a cross from the wings deep in the offensive zone.

The CPU never attempts a lofted through ball or changes field with a long pass to the opposite wing in the defensive zone or midfield.

Unrealistic. Annoying.

This is strictly a player rating issue having to do with the way in which players' pass and cross ratings affect CPU ball movement behavior. After spending many hours editing and testing pass and cross ratings, I got things to a point where certain positions (RB and LB mostly) fired far too many opposite wing passes across the pitch in their own end. I had to tone it down actually.

EDIT: Sorry, I should have mentioned this is on PC, I don't know if people are able to easily globally edit player ratings on consoles (?).

[laxman490]

i only was able to play about 75% of one game last night, but the first thing i noticed was how much slower the game was. players felt like they had more momentum and they didnt just turn on a dime. it also seemed like the cpu had better build up play than previous versions (they actually back-passed!)

[VTPack919]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

Completely! Nothing feels slick or fast. Fast players and more agile ones are just rubbery. Messi is no different from alba when in a physical battle with a defender, the outcome is the same: messi/alba have a spazzy animation where they fall away and lose possession.

The only player I've felt has some purpose to the way they move is Ibrahimovic, as it seems he has the size and ball skills to actually move around well. He's not overpowered so I can run through or around everyone but he feels the most natural and the most like I am in control of him when using him.

With this I still don't feel any shot has a bite or danger to it and am surprised when a shot goes in. It's all very tame and tailored to being able to respond to it.

The ball is still too tethered to the player and until a ball reacts independently from the player in possession or from the tackler, I think FIFA will continue to feel 'off'.

The old men with back spasms is definitely the best way to describe the stiffness of animations, and while there are some nice ones, they are few and far between. The stiffness is counteracted by a rubberiness which just makes the contrast between the two feel that much weirder.

I am downloading PES still and can't wait to see how that is.

You expect Messi to win a physical battle with a defender?

[infemous]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

You expect Messi to win a physical battle with a defender?

Part of what makes Messi great is his ability to maintain possession when being physically outmatched, as he often is.
It's more the lack of difference between messi and alba when in that situation that frustrates me, aswell as how the animation works out.

He should not just fall away, he should at least TRY to maintain possession.

[orion523]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

Part of what makes Messi great is his ability to maintain possession when being physically outmatched, as he often is.
It's more the lack of difference between messi and alba when in that situation that frustrates me, aswell as how the animation works out.

He should not just fall away, he should at least TRY to maintain possession.

Using the contextual dribbling and LT I was able to wiggle Messi free from three defenders who were bearing down on him before finally getting off a pass, he's easily the best player in the demo.
Although I'm admittedly still making bad mistakes, and a lot of them I'm finally starting to get it together. The game forces you to build up from the back, using your whole team, slowly, pass after pass. You can almost feel the momentum starting to build as you move closer to goal. Once in the final third(where most of my mistakes are made) it's a whole new ballgame. Gone are the days of slashing past the fullback into the area then shooting. You have to be much more crafty, quick passes, crosses are huge, especially when you have a squad like PSG with Ibra and Cavani. Getting off a shot actually feels like an accomplishment, just as it should.
Gone also, thankfully is the CPU's tendency to get upfield as quickly as possible then fire. They finally realize the value of possession, and will attempt to force you into mistakes by frustrating you. Play in the middle third of the pitch is also better than it's ever been, mainly because it's finally dangerous to make a risky pass, getting caught flat footed on a counter will result in concession, and the same holds true the other way, a key intercept in midfield finally results in dangerous breaks your way as well. All in all I'm more and more impressed with each game, and I applaud EA for finally, finally making a more tactical game.
Slider wise if anyone is interested I've been slowly building a bit of a base to start with come release. Right now I have this:

Speed: Slow
Sprint: 49/49
Acc: 49/49
Pass speed: 51/51
Shot speed: 50/50
Pass error: 52/61
shot error: 50/50
injuries, keepers, run freq, all 50/50
Marking: 67/67
Height 51/51
Length: 44/44
Width 48/48
FB's 53/53
First touch: 52/55

I didn't much mess with the speed due to the short games, still though it feels pretty good there.

[woody2goody]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

I mentioned earlier that FIFA 14 feels like PES did a few years ago, and that's a great thing.

Having to really think about your attacking play and how to break a team down feels very good in this game, and the big, slow players feel much different to the Messis of the world.

You have to be really careful when sprinting with someone with lower ball control, especially against a great team who will be in the take the ball in a flash.

As for shooting, controlled shots seem spot on, but the regular shots are lacking a bit of power. Not a lot though, FIFA 13's shots were a tad too hard I thought.

[VTPack919]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

I mentioned earlier that FIFA 14 feels like PES did a few years ago, and that's a great thing.

Having to really think about your attacking play and how to break a team down feels very good in this game, and the big, slow players feel much different to the Messis of the world.

You have to be really careful when sprinting with someone with lower ball control, especially against a great team who will be in the take the ball in a flash.

As for shooting, controlled shots seem spot on, but the regular shots are lacking a bit of power. Not a lot though, FIFA 13's shots were a tad too hard I thought.

To say the least. Guys with shot power in the 60's could hit absolute crackers.

[woody2goody]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

To say the least. Guys with shot power in the 60's could hit absolute crackers.

Yeah not to say they can't every now and again, but it seemed like too many guys were able to test keepers through sheer shot power.

[DBMcGee3]

I'm warming up to FIFA demo, much more than I expected to be, but at the end of the day I just prefer the wider variety of goals I'm getting with the PES demo. It just seems like, on FIFA, every time I shoot while in the box, it's a goal. I've had no less than 3 goals where the ball wasn't even struck particularly hard, and I was legitimately shocked when the keeper didn't get to them. It's also still a bit too easy to get behind the defense altogether, which is something you rarely see in PES, or real life footie for that matter. I'd say after playing the FIFA demo 8-10 times, that probably 70% of my goals have resembled an in-game penalty kick, where it's just me straight ahead vs the goalie.

I also don't like the feel of the passing in FIFA for whatever reason. I HATE the pass and shot meter being down in the corner of the screen, and sometimes I feel like even when I try to crush a pass, it still doesn't go particularly far or with as much pace as I'd like. I also find the passing animations to be a tad unrealistic, with far too many toe poke looking passes.

Still, it's a really good game and obviously it has plenty of well polished bells and whistles, I just don't find the game to be as engaging as PES.

[ZenPancakes]

Hell yeah, thanks Orion, was waiting for one of you slider geniuses to throw up something. Great start, made it even more enjoyable

[NightmareBooster]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

I'm warming up to FIFA demo, much more than I expected to be, but at the end of the day I just prefer the wider variety of goals I'm getting with the PES demo. It just seems like, on FIFA, every time I shoot while in the box, it's a goal. I've had no less than 3 goals where the ball wasn't even struck particularly hard, and I was legitimately shocked when the keeper didn't get to them. It's also still a bit too easy to get behind the defense altogether, which is something you rarely see in PES, or real life footie for that matter. I'd say after playing the FIFA demo 8-10 times, that probably 70% of my goals have resembled an in-game penalty kick, where it's just me straight ahead vs the goalie.

I also don't like the feel of the passing in FIFA for whatever reason. I HATE the pass and shot meter being down in the corner of the screen, and sometimes I feel like even when I try to crush a pass, it still doesn't go particularly far or with as much pace as I'd like. I also find the passing animations to be a tad unrealistic, with far too many toe poke looking passes.

Still, it's a really good game and obviously it has plenty of well polished bells and whistles, I just don't find the game to be as engaging as PES.

Are you playing with assisted controls or full-manual?

[woody2goody]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

I love PES and have played it since 2003, but that demo is like watching football in slow motion - very disappointing.

The ball physics are great there but this FIFA demo is how that game should have been.

[orion523]

Re: FIFA 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (360, PS3)

Hell yeah, thanks Orion, was waiting for one of you slider geniuses to throw up something. Great start, made it even more enjoyable

Shot speed should probably go back down to 50, I was getting off 35yard screamers a bit too easily. Plus line length up to 44. It's only one click but it allows for just enough space.