FIFA 17 Reviews
After watching Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer start to make inroads with both critics and gamers last year, EA made FIFA fun again
Across the board the game fails to support a footballing strategy or philosophy called anything other than “FIFA”.
FIFA 17 impresses with its commitment to making changes to a tried-and-tested formula, delivering both in terms of quality gameplay and depth of surface-level content.
If you’ve enjoyed the FIFA franchise up to this point, you won’t be disappointed in FIFA 17. The Journey is a smart addition, though it can be a little tedious at times, top-notch presentation and decent performances make the tedium tolerable. The actual gameplay is still enjoyable, but mostly unchanged from previous iterations. FIFA continues to be a solid sports franchise, and The Journey is an interesting experiment thrown into the mix.
The EA Sports stalwart is facing strong competition from Pro Evolution Soccer, but has come out fighting with plenty of style and just enough substance
If nothing else, this is certainly the most fascinating FIFA in years.
If this year's PES is the old hand that is quietly improving incrementally, FIFA 17 feels like a hot prospect that's burst onto the scene with a new engine and a new mode in tow. The game is exciting and full of potential, but it has issues on which to improve in future instalments if the franchise wants to stand alone as the best. While it doesn't stack up to PES on the pitch, everything else away from it makes FIFA 17 a worthwhile purchase for fans of the beautiful game.
The Journey is FIFA 17's headline act, and it's a surprising success. The story of Alex Hunter is this year's centrepiece, and adds yet more value to the already robust and rock solid footie offering that we've come to expect of the series. What's more, the jump to the Frostbite engine has worked wonders as far as presentations is concerned. As accessible as it is comprehensive, FIFA once again proves that it's still a top performer.
It’s a more physical FIFA this year, with greater emphasis on build-up passing and positional movement than one-on-one dribbling. Aspects of these changes can irritate, but the major disappointment with FIFA 17 is its failure to engage with any of the series’ lingering legacy problems, even on a new engine.
The addition of 'The Journey', the engine shift to Frostbite, and the strides towards a more unpredictable, methodical representation of The Beautiful Game render FIFA 17 a game certainly worth playing. Of course, while other players in the game, primarily that of Pro Evolution Soccer, are racing ahead in the gameplay stakes, much like Balotelli, you can never quite rule out FIFA to come out swinging when it matters.
If you're a FIFA 17 fan, go ahead and buy it – you won't regret your purchase. Just be aware that, right now, EA's game can't match the standard of the new console footie king – PES 2017.
The Frostbite engine has allowed FIFA to take the next step in gameplay, with better mechanics and smarter AI to create a bigger challenge. The Journey mode will suck in those wanting a new single player experience while Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs will give all the online players the fix they want. This is a must have for fans of the beautiful game.
For all of FIFA 17’s additions and fixes, The Journey rounds out what is already the most complete football sim ever.
FIFA 17 is an amazing game. It combines a simulative and refined gameplay to an incredible set of game modes. This year, Ultimate Team is interesting and well-structured, and the career mode is the best offline experience that the genre has to offer. The technical performance is certainly effective, thanks to the new engine
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While the game is amazing at its core, it's beset by infuriating bugs. The Journey shows promise, but drags on too long, becoming a dull grind before it comes to a close. It's a good start for FIFA on its new engine, there are too many kinks that have yet to be worked out.
FIFA 17 tries to answer the challenge of rival PES with significantly improved visuals and new gameplay mechanics that improve physicality and offensive options on the field. The game still feels more arcadey, which is good or bad depending on your preference, and the improved career mode is still missing some options sought by series fans. While PES might still hold the mechanical edge on the pitch, however, FIFA 17’s more polished production values combined with its continued edge in licenses means it will remain the football game of choice for many fans.
FIFA 17 is visually stunning and "The Journey" is a welcome, if imperfect, new mode to the series. The new title is recognizable as a FIFA title, as any long-time fan of the series can attest to, which can be just as negative as it is positive. It's a fun, solid title but one that already has us thinking about what needs to be improved for next year's installment.
This year's FIFA represents a big change for the long-running series. The core gameplay is fun, The Journey is great, and the improvements across the board all shine to showcase a football game that is absolutely worth playing, whether you're a diehard fan or not.
The Journey is a great showcase for all the new Frostbite engine brings to Fifa, but the move hasn't exactly rocked the boat. Beyond the fancy, and compelling new career mode, Fifa appears to have maintained its form at a time its competitors are running away in terms of quality.What the game lacks in finesse and gameplay, it makes up for with deep game modes and a graphical update to rival competing engines. Fifa 17 is neither a departure, nor a revelation, but a safe entry in a transitional year.
As always, FIFA 17 dramatically outshines its rival off the pitch with its re-creation of the match-day atmosphere. On the pitch, the transition to Frostbite has improved the look and feel of the game but a few gameplay inconsistencies frustrate and the returning server issues are just as prevalent as always.