FIFA 22 – Test/Review (PC).
Every year, of course, football is also in the foreground at EA SPORTS flagship with the name FIFA. Almost a month ago the new part with the number 22 was on the program and was published.
In our test report we reveal what innovations the player can expect in FIFA 22 and why you can regret it if you don’t play on the PS5 or the Xbox One X/S.
light on the horizon
In the run-up, EA already hinted that you can expect more realistic ball physics, but also improved goalkeepers and new sprinting skills in this year’s PC version, which we can also confirm.
FIFA 22 still plays damn well, guaranteeing action-packed and alternating gameplay overall. Because the offensive still offers such great options as “player determination” or “creative runs”. But even with “agile dribbling” you still cause dizziness in one or the other player on the opposing team.
The general speed of the game can be seen as somewhat slower than in the predecessor. Before you now think that this would be negative, let me tell you that this is not the case. Because this is good for the game, the gameplay comes closer to reality. The athlete seems sluggish due to the slowed-down gameplay, but the gifted sprint players on the first few meters ensure more speed over the wings. Just like in a real football game and in reality, the offensive plays out its clear advantage in FIFA 22 and seems clearly superior to a defensive (once again). It is now once the case that the stars of the football world are more likely to be found in offensive football and so it is not surprising that there will be no defensive bulwark but rather a shooting festival.
But if you should now think that the defensive is doomed to a total loss, there has been no improvement, let me tell you, that’s not the case. Because an “icon change” ensures a better gaming experience. By pressing the right analog stick, the four best positioned players are displayed together with direction icons, to which we can switch in a flash by selecting the direction. At the beginning it will seem a bit unfamiliar, even rather problematic, but over time you don’t want to miss it.
Another great option provides “Teammate Deliver Stamina” option. By pressing the RB button, teammates can stick to an opponent like chewing gum. But caution is advised, because because of the new endurance this is not possible indefinitely and leads to the exhaustion of the athlete, who is then literally disabled for this action for a few seconds and cannot intervene in the game.
Something has also happened on the goalkeeper front. Although the penalty area control as once Toni Schumacher is not achieved, it still leaves a lot to be desired and one should not expect this. But the line play of the athletes seems greatly improved. Whether it’s defending the ball over the crossbar or fishing it out of the corner, these are greatly improved. Because better animations in the big names in the industry are definitely noticeable, just like in the real model.
Volta looks refreshed
Volta, FIFA’s street football gets something new. Your own avatar can do more right from the start. “Play With Your Friends” encourages online play with friends. Here you can compete with up to four players in minigames. Whether dribbling across the field or playing a mini game that almost looks like football tennis. It offers variety and you can have fun with friends. On the negative side, it should be noted that the Volta story is omitted, which hurts a bit, especially for single players.
The career mode
Real innovations here are poor and light food was almost to be expected. You can create your own dream club. Whether name, jersey of the team or coat of arms. Many adjustment screws are offered, including the stadium, which is adjusted or defined together with the league.
In the further course of the game you can improve a self-created player with almost 30 “advantages” in a skill tree. These are triggered automatically during the game if you have met conditions. In this way, the athlete’s own values are pushed for a short time, depending on whether one acts as an offensive or defensive player.
This depends on how one starts the career. Whether a player with a coaching focus, a superstar or a self-created footballer. In the simulation, you can also intervene again on the pitch as needed, like in a manger game.
Two things that are new are worth mentioning. One is a kind of joker option if you can substitute your own player from the bank. But the new scenes from the dressing room after the match are also welcome as a nice change, but they don’t shine in graphic splendor.
You’re almost overwhelmed with statistics like in a manager game and can analyze them. A display of “Expected Goals” gives us an indication of whether we did well or rather poorly in taking advantage of the opportunity.
Very popular and damn expensive: FUT
EA’s pay-to-win cash cow, the Ultimate Team mode, is of course also at the start this year. Why not? Because the trading card team building and online game mode is very popular with players, but is very much feared by their wallets.
Even in the past, beginners found it difficult to find their way around. Therefore, tutorials provide the necessary remedy.
You start with a group of cucumbers and earn the necessary virtual currency through games or invest real money. With this currency you buy virtual card packs with the hope of being able to pull out good (gold) players for your own dream team. These are necessary in order to be able to compete online at all.
Of course, there are no limits to your own investment. With a bit of luck you have a reasonably powerful 80’s team together. Deviations over 90 are very rare and prompt you to invest a lot of money, which a lot of people do.
You can use the internal FUT transfer market to improve your team. To the Ingame shop there is nothing new to say so far and should be known to many. You draw your new card packs in the usual way for FUT points or FIFA points, which are available for real money. You pay 7500 FUT points for a card pack, which you can afford after playing a few matches. Or you can pay and invest with real money. 100 FIFA Points cost 99 cents. A “Premium Gold Pack” costs a whopping €1.50, which doesn’t sound like much at first glance and literally invites you to spend money. Under the “Playing Time” tab you can see how much time you have invested and how many FIFA Points you have acquired.
In the “Division Rivals” mode, there are checkpoints introduced, which can help defeat and a “public co-op player search” also provides a remedy. With the latter, you are not forced to compete with your own team and lead to more relaxed matches at eye level.
Of course, if you want to aim high, you should find your home with the FUT Champions. These are concluded with the finals at the weekend and offer bonuses. Innovations are a design of the VIP area and the choreos behind the goalkeeper of the home team.
Now it’s time to complain
You won’t find any real innovations or game modes this year (again) and women should still see themselves as disadvantaged, and rightly so! As a consequence, one observes the loss of more and more licenses for the men’s national teams as well as for the top clubs of the Italian league, for example. The female national teams, on the other hand, are hardly growing, which is a pity and also no longer seems up-to-date. After all, women’s football has (further) developed enormously, to which our female kickers of the German national team have made their contribution and continue to do so, also at national level, of course.
You can get jealous when you look at the competition or see what is graphically progressing in games of another sport, let’s say basketball and the NBA 2K series. On the PC, there has been almost a standstill in many respects for years and with a view to the next-gen consoles and the keyword HyperMotion, PC gamers have been hit particularly hard this year. Has one now arrived at a two-player class society?
For PC players, FIFA has been graphically outdated for a long time if you look at the quite pale players and compare their authenticity with the original. On the next-gen consoles, there is a different feel in this regard, thanks to the magic words HyperMotion and the gripping game day experience feature. Thus, the PC player has to do without thousands of new animations, better AI behavior, more human interactions and improved duels. These are simply withheld from PC players on the grounds that if EA had introduced this, the minimum requirements would have increased and a large part of the players would not have enjoyed the soccer game. Other manufacturers can solve the downgrade problem differently and the Frostbite Engine can certainly be described as scalable.
