It’s that time of year again when the latest version of the best sports video game in the world comes out. FIFA 22, the latest iteration of the iconic EA series, was released on October 1st.
People like to mock FIFA fans online: “it’s a waste of money”, they laugh. “Nothing changes in the game year-by-year.” The insults are, ironically, far more repetitive than the FIFA gaming that they like to insinuate is the repetitive thing.
My house got our copy of FIFA 22 on Sunday and after playing just a few games, there’s a noticeable difference in the gameplay. Players are making more mistakes, making it more realistic; through balls need to be timed to within an inch of their lives to come off; goalkeepers are more susceptible to fumbles and deflections; the fans in the stadium don’t look as downright horrifying as they have previously.
But you’re not just going to take my word for it of course. Carry on reading below for our round up of the reviews for FIFA 22, to help you decide whether it’s worth forking out the cash for.
In a strong 8/10 review, GameSpot where full of praise for the game, citing it as having a “realistic and methodical style that rewards passing and vision over the exploitation of cheap pace merchants.”
IGN were still positive but slightly less so than GameSpot, noting that the 22nd version “doesn’t reinvent the ball” but that “the attacking and defending gameplay gains moment-to-moment fluidity.” They criticised the goalkeeping blunders and visual inconsistencies but concluded that FIFA 22 feels like a “worthwhile upgrade without needing anything revolutionary or terribly exciting from EA’s side.”
Check out the evolution of FIFA games between 1993-2021:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlUAmiYwJqU
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NME hailed the significant improvements noticeable in the action on the pitch. “A more inclusive game than ever, making use of the grunt of the latest console hardware, it’s a joy to experience whether you’re a fan of the biggest club, or just enjoy spending the evenings with mates chatting and playing,” they said.
Calling it “the most realistic and advanced soccer-sim yet,” 9News said it was a big step up in quality from FIFA 21 while highlighting the merits of a new gameplay feature. “New technology has been implemented into the game called HyperMotion that brings a unique feel to the pitch, player’s movements have never looked or felt more accurate,” the wrote. “HyperMotion technology may sound like a gimmick, but it truly is impressive.”
The Guardian might have said it best when they led with the headline, “a flamboyant multiplex of total football.” “Fifa 22 is absolutely unmistakably a Fifa game – it has the sophistication and polish we’ve come to expect, with all the player likenesses, authentic stadia and recognisable commentators we see every year.
But right at the core of it is a match engine that feels more surefooted than ever, at a time when the game’s more tactically complex rival Pro Evolution Soccer has been relegated to a free-to-play existence with all the compromises that will inevitably entail.”
For more on this topic, follow the Gaming Observer.
Check out the trailer for FIFA 22:
