FIFA 14 - Playstation 3

I bought this as an upgrade to Fifa 12 and after playing this game for a month my boyfriend and I both agree it was a smart purchase.At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. The graphics were noticeably better and I loved how well the player appearances and jerseys had been rendered. It's very lifelike and really enhances the game experience, especially when you are playing with teams you follow and know well. However, initially I found the game play tricky. Tactics that worked on Fifa 12 didn't translate well to Fifa 14. Fifa 12 seemed to give you the benefit of the doubt at times, accommodating slightly inaccurate passes and shooting by assuming where you want it to go. In Fifa 14 passing and shooting seems slightly trickier and seems to require more precise movement on the controller to be accurate. But thankfully there are lots of skills drills you can do to get a feel for the game and what movements are necessary to have good results. To balance it out, I also found tackling and defending to be easier in this version of the game than in Fifa 12. We also both feel like the more time we have played it the more we prefer it to Fifa 12. Once you get the hang of it, the play feels more lifelike, more physical and more precise. It almost feels like you are playing Fifa for the first time and that things are challenging, new and exciting again.Playing in ultimate team mode is also downright addictive. It gives you so many aspects of the team to control in addition to playing matches. It's like a mind puzzle to try to organize squads that have the best possible chemistry in addition to having great talent and since you can trade and buy players as you earn more coins, there are constantly more things to adjust and fiddle with no matter how long you play because better and better players become within your reach. The only downside is it is easy for WAY too many hours to get sucked up by this game because it gives you an incentive to keep playing so you can earn more coins, trade for better players, and have an overall stronger squad.Of other features we love, we appreciate how when you are playing as real teams (not in ultimate team mode) it updates the lineups and the forms of the team based on how teams and players are doing in real life. Since we tend to play as teams we watch in real life, this is really fun and especially exciting when the team you are following is doing well. It adds to how lifelike this game is and makes you feel like you are truly playing this team. We also love the range of stuff available for purchase with points like vintage kits, different balls, etc.Beyond some initial frustrations when we were getting used to this game the only other thing we don't like is that at times, the game lags and the players seem to be going in slow motion. But thankfully this happens pretty infrequently.Overall we love Fifa 14 and are really enjoying playing this game.

Look...it's simple. This game is as real as it gets, which could be good or bad depending on your preference. If you are a soccer (or futbol) purist and you enjoy stiff defense and all of the passing and setting up that leads up to the goal then this is the game for you. If you are into a more offensive straight ahead classic video soccer game then save yourself some $ and get FIFA '13. You have to really understand soccer strategy to get seriously good at this title. The ideas of passing backwards in order to go forwards and not over-speed bursting in certain situations are key. As an American football and basketball junky I am actually learning the game of futbol as I play. Learning when to attack or slow play, where to take shots from, how to pass effectively. I have even found myself really watching soccer on TV for the first time ever to learn new strategies, which is good for the sport I think. I read a lot of negative reviews saying that it's difficult to pass, but I don't agree. If your body isn't in a good position to pass then the ball will go astray but if that's the case then you need practice. I'm no FIFA novice, as I've owned a few games in the past, but I've never been as vested in any of those as I am in '14. I'm also not an expert by any means, but after a week of battling lesser teams on the professional level with my Arsenal squad, I just completed my first multiple goal game, a 4-1 victory. I can't wait to start my Premier League season after a little more practice. 5 stars for me. I'm going to put off getting 2K14 for a while I think.

On first playing the demo, it was clear that passing was the best way to score, and that pacing up the wings was not the best of ideas. Now after playing the game, I can confirm these two things. However, THIS IS NOT THE SAME GAME AS FIFA 14, or even the demo. Many people will cite bad dribbling and bad passes as their reasons for disliking this game, but in reality, most people are just mad because it is not as easy to sprint up the wings and use pace to score. This year, small weak players are not as good, and pace is not as important. Other stats become even more important than pace. One of these stats is strength. To give you an idea of what strength can do for you, I scored 4 goals in one game from Wilfried Bony. He is not a fast player, but he is strong and the combination of strength and heading makes him useful. All in all, this game is great. Just remember to pass the ball around, and this game will be rewarding.EDIT: Post patch, many of the things that were good about fifa 14 have been changed. It is now very hard to score from anything but lucky goals and headers. By lucky goals, i am referring to rebounds, which occur at least once a game. Finesses have been overpatched, making it hard to shoot a finesse from any farther that 10 yards or so. Pace has returned, and over the top through balls are insanely overpowered. I do not recommend this game any longer. All it will give you is headaches.Sincerely, Bob Akins.