When it comes to the most popular team sport on the face of the globe, nothing dares come close to football, with its overwhelming fandom and greatest passion, which has of course been transmitted to the digital world through EA’s FIFA series that has succeeded for decades in emulating that sport Impressively infrequently, and recurring annually, but fortunately FIFA 22 comes with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver the first football game that harnesses the capabilities of new-generation hardware and takes the title to a whole new stage. Did you succeed?
The future of HyperMotion
EA previously gave us a glimpse of what the FIFA series can achieve with the new generation platforms in last year’s version, which was satisfied with reviewing visual effects, modified lighting systems, player models and unprecedented facial expressions, but it did not address any huge or noticeable changes to the style of play, but when talking about The first game in the series developed specifically to take advantage of the capabilities of the PS5 and Xbox Series, FIFA 22 reveals its true face as it enters the annual battlefield against its rivals with the banner of “The Future of HyperMotion Technology”, a technology you may be tired of hearing over and over again in all of the game’s various trailers and reviews. And we thought that it was just another modification that would not bring anything new, but in fact it moved the series to a completely new stage, where the realism and the extreme accuracy in the physics of the movement of the ball and its transmission between the players’ legs and the amazing reflection of the animation on the physical contacts inside the green rectangle to provide us with the closest possible picture of the elite matches on the European continent Which plays at the highest competitive level.
The impact of HyperMotion on the gameplay in FIFA 22 is clearly reflected in two main parts. The first is the humanization of player movement in a more precise way that has not been presented in any previous part, which has eliminated one of the biggest pests that the game has suffered in its releases. The past and represented in irrational reactions in rare situations such as passing the ball behind the player and he is coming at full speed to shoot it behind him as if he has supernatural powers, or the defender trying to deflect the ball against the direction of the body to inhabit it in his nets comically, these situations no longer have Presence thanks to the improvements in the animation and artificial intelligence of the players to deal with every situation in a natural way inspired by the actions of the professional players on the ground.
The second feature is the simulation of human movement and machine learning in various situations, whether when running with the ball or moving without it to open spaces behind defenders, or when changing the playing field and moving the ball from the far right to the far left, so that the physics of the realistic movement of the ball itself appears distinctly as if you feel its weight in your hands Of course, it is reflected in the short passes, shots and through balls behind defenders, which will feel as if you have accomplished something important in your life when executed correctly thanks to the flexibility of the ball, the accuracy of movement, the smoothness of receiving and shooting by the attackers, add to all this exciting tackles that take longer in Animation to appear more realistic and differ from player to player according to his abilities, weight and physical strength to paint an ideal picture of the new generation of football games that depend on realism, simulation and automatic learning without the need to rely on re-enactment of each situation and its transfer to the game, as well as tactical play according to the scenario of the match Not the speed, the constant running, and the passing of balls inside the 18’s without a clear goal, as we did, and thousands of others suffered in most of the release. at last.
Unfortunately, these changes are exclusively for new generation versions only, and if you’re one of the ultimate owners and have access to the previous generation version, you’ll notice the clear difference in gameplay and pace between the two versions, on PS4, Xbox One and PC you’re playing an improved version of FIFA 21 is almost without any changes except for the updated lists of clubs and teams and the new user interface, while on PS5 and Xbox Series you are in front of a completely new game with different gameplay mechanics and more complex tactics thanks to the improved AI, which means that your skill on the previous generation platforms will not guarantee you the same Superiority against your opponents over the new generation and you may suffer for a longer period if you try the old version first.
More predictable defenders and forwards that never stop moving
Given the new technologies that the game has witnessed from improved artificial intelligence, machine learning technology and human motion simulation, each line of the team has become more aware of its tasks and moves accordingly according to the instructions and tactics that the user himself depends on. The back line has seen a huge jump in the defenders’ speed to move more effectively in the last third of the field, cover most of the gaps, predict the movement of the ball, move casually to avoid opening corners for passing and being able to use physical strength to extract the ball without making mistakes, perfect picture, right? Yes, it is indeed, but in the first half of the match at least, and by reaching the middle of the second half, you will notice that the rates of defensive work and physical fatigue clearly affect the concentration of defenders, as they lose their focus one by one, especially when exposed to enormous pressure without breathing, or when attacking in a way Exaggerated and leave large areas in the middle of the field, as well as the game suffers from a clear problem in the defensive positioning when addressing the tactic Drop Back, and regardless of the gathering of most of the team players inside the penalty area in an exaggerated way, it becomes almost impossible to pay in this situation with the ability of defenders to intercept The ball is very easy even if the angle of the shot is open.
In the front line, each striker takes advantage of his greatest advantage to make the most of the ball and help his teammates score, here the clear contrast in the quality of the attackers appears in a distinctive way that the game has suffered in previous versions by relying only on high-speed strikers, which made the most famous strikers Football in the world like Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane are ineffective because of the slow movement and the difficulty of changing direction while holding the ball, but in FIFA 22 Lukaku with a huge build can overcome the most powerful defenders in tackles, receive the ball under pressure and open up vast spaces for his teammates to move freely before passing it and moving with full speed to receive it again inside the penalty area, while attackers with less physique such as Aguero, Martial and others also benefit from their ability to move behind defenders faster and more effectively, and carry out smarter passes in building play, especially as the game provides the ability Each attacker has the ability to make up to 6 more decisions per second compared to the previous version, which means more options for scoring if you can take advantage of Lal advantage every striker.
Were the goalkeepers’ performance overly improved?
Another welcome addition is that of tweaking the goalkeepers’ performance, which may have been exaggeratedly improved. Dozens of situations in which you could have scored in FIFA 21 became almost impossible in the new part with goalkeepers being able to move distinctly under the three blocks, and exit in The right timing to block the attackers, even being alone in the goal is no longer a guaranteed way to score, which brings us back to the attackers point, where the personality of each attacker plays an active role in ending the attacks, especially the high finishers who are able to score from the most difficult situations and take advantage of half-opportunities.
On the other hand, the midfield plays the most prominent role in controlling the pace of the match and imposing your style against the opponent, but the most effective element here is the roles that are assigned to each player. More difficult, but in return you will lack an additional option during the attack because it remains in your half, and in the same way, every tactic or instructions you address can clearly affect the way players move in the middle of the field and provide offensive support or defensive support.
In-depth analysis of your match performance and more balanced referees
To see how well you’re doing or what deficiencies have negatively impacted your score FIFA 22 provides – as is the case with all parts of the series – the Match Facts screen to analyze performance between halftime and at the end of the match. The opponent in shooting, passing, possession and the rate of committing errors with percentages. The most notable addition was the appearance of the Player Performance list for the first time, which analyzes the performance of each player individually in every part such as passing, shooting and possession, which facilitates the task of choosing the basic formation according to the performance of the players on the field and knowing Weak points.
Apart from the performance of the players themselves, the matches have become more friendly and exciting thanks to the noticeable improvement in the performance of the referees, and the disregard for calculating errors in the correct physical tackles, unlike the previous versions, in which you surely lost your nerve more than once due to calculating fake errors at critical times that may cause you to lose To meet, as well as to wait in calculating penalty kicks, except in situations that call for it.
Huge content and game modes to suit everyone, but some are more expensive than you think
From the outside, FIFA 22 looks like another part of the series without any modifications, using the same menus and the same usual structure for each game mode, but the reality is the opposite, as almost every aspect of the game has been deeply modified, from player animations to artificial intelligence And the pace of play that has become slower and more realistic, through the huge changes that the Ultimate mode is witnessing for the first time in this way in years, and it specifically affected Rivals and Fut Champions competitions.
Ultimate has been the beating heart of FIFA games since the beginning of the last decade, not only thanks to the heated competition it offers, which no sane person can deny its excitement, diversity and ability to attract young and old in equal measure, but the beating heart that sacrifices millions of dollars to EA in a way that exceeds the sales of the game Same with the massive reliance on real-money procurement systems through FIFA Points.
The popular game mode returns to its traditional form with friendly matches and co-op and Squad Battles mode for single player players and calm the nerves away from the tension and terrible pressure that puts you in the competitive phases, through Draft tournaments and team building updates to get player packs that will often disappoint you and rarely replace you with a player you can rely on In your team, and finally to the modes of Rivals and FUT Champions, which are the most experienced and the main reason for the popularity of Ultimate in the first place.
The Rivals style has undergone major changes in the way of progression, as it depends on three elements, the first of which is the Ranks or the level, from which you will know exactly where you stand within the Division and what you have to achieve with the detailed stages that link each Rank to the other and the requirements of each stage. The new and wonderful here is the Checkpoints system to prevent Loss, meaning that any progress you have made over the course of your journey between the ranks and within each division will not bring you back, most players may consider this addition to be an advantage, but is it really? You are moving forward from the tenth division to the first division, and if you reach an advanced stage, your level may not allow you to compete with this type of player, and therefore you will find yourself stuck in this section until the entire season ends to be able to return to a lower section, which means long periods of time that may Up to two months or more.
Same situation with FUT Champions, which is now based on the competitive tournament system to qualify instead of collecting points as in the previous version, you still have to collect points from Rivlas competitions, but instead of using them to qualify directly you will play a set of matches with the need to win 3 Matches to ensure qualification, and if you lose your chance to qualify due to a loss, you will find yourself having to collect the required points from the beginning to try your chances again.
These changes contribute to making the game more competitive, but it is unfair to a wide class of players who do not have enough time or effort to continue playing for long hours, and the same is true for building a suitable team to compete in these competitions, as most of the prizes and rewards that players get from daily and weekly challenges, especially With cosmetic items to decorate and customize your stadium, which enhances the idea of spending real money to buy FIFA Points, unlock player packs and build your team faster so you can compete with other players instead of playing for weeks to buy only one elite player that can clearly and positively impact your team’s results and performance within The pitch.
Being able to design your team in the career mode for the first time, but is it worth all the passion?
The Career mode returns in this year’s edition with a focus on the players’ ability to create and manage their own team completely for the first time, an addition that captured the interest of fans of this style and gives them the ability to design the team logo, choose the uniform, determine the stadium and even settle on the goals required of the team in complete freedom , but after spending a while building our own team, it wasn’t as exciting as managing a team struggling to drop to the bottom of the championship standings and lead them to glory and achieve their first official championship.
On the other hand, more excitement awaits you if you design your own player or rely on a real soccer player, as the game turns somewhat into a tactical soccer game like Football Manger with specific goals in each match that you must implement to develop Your relationship with the manager and faster accumulating experience to spend on improving team stats and reaching seasonal goals initially set will keep you occupied for longer with a huge skill tree and many attributes that can be upgraded over time to become a better player that the team can’t do without after being stuck on the bench The substitutes are forever.
Career mode changes are the same as expected with each new part, as more improvements and new features are added, while the company is focusing more on multiplayer modes, intense card-based competitions and the massive transfer market.
Fortunately, Pro Club is still remembered by EA
Despite being one of the favorite modes of millions of players and one of our top priorities in FIFA games, Pro Club hasn’t seen any huge improvements for a long time, probably because it reached the top and there are no drastic changes that could add more excitement and fun to these competitions. Or perhaps due to the laziness of the developer itself and the focus of resources on other game modes, however, Pro Club allows you to control a single player in 11v11 matches with other players, where communication and cooperation together becomes a mandatory option to ensure superiority over your opponents, with the ability to Change your position and experience new defensive and offensive roles in every match.
You can play individually and develop your player abilities over time, or join a team of friends and climb the Amjad ladder together by defeating competitors and advancing to the higher leagues, one addition worth mentioning in this part is the ability to customize the aesthetic appearance of the entire club by choosing from Hundreds of kits, stadiums, badges and even fan choreography, a welcome addition to the new waiting screen that shows your player in the background instead of looking at other players’ names and listening to their ridiculous comments.
Volta is better than any street soccer game EA has developed before
Volta mode – or as it was previously known in its standalone version as FIFA Street – returns with a larger and more varied content than any previous installment, and a new addition that is originally a classic and appeared before, which is a skill meter that automatically works during matches by executing tricks, shots and On goal, passing passes, and any useful skill that helps fill the bar will multiply the value of your goals.
The game also introduces the new Signature Abilities feature with two main purposes, to increase the excitement and tension of gameplay, and to give you more control over how you affect the match. This feature is completely new, easy-to-use and game-changing capabilities for you to implement during the match. Whether you want to shoot balls from anywhere on the field, pass your opponents at lightning speed, or cut the ball with powerful tackles.
There is a Signature Ability meter that is filled in during a match, while each of the three skills needs a different amount of time before its Signature Ability meter can be refilled, forcing you to make effective use of that feature to give your team an advantage, especially since it is available It only takes a few seconds and takes longer before it is available for use again.
On the flip side, VOLTA ARCADE offers a whole new way to play FIFA online with friends, a free-for-all and fun addition where you and up to three other players can compete across a series of all-new Party Games, including Foot Tennis and Disco Lava. , which are indescribably fun game modes, and provide an innovative and unfamiliar atmosphere away from the pressure and usual format of competitive matches.
FIFA 22 brings the festive and exciting atmosphere of football matches to your TV screen as distinctively as usual, with perfect stadium designs and more realistic lighting that reflects the atmosphere of each stadium distinctly as if you were sitting in its stands, as well as the cheers and cheers of the fans that continued throughout the 90 minutes, and the interaction of coaches outside Lines with what’s happening on the field, and the winning team’s wild celebrations with their fans at the end of the match, complete the system with a huge and varied list of 122 tracks split between the main game and the Volta mode.
The game was reviewed on PlayStation 5
Conclusion
Fifa 22 represents a significant leap forward in the series on new generation devices in terms of the level of realism, accuracy of animation, physics of the ball, player contacts with each other, improved AI and improvements to goalkeepers and defenders in particular, all with the usual and repetitive content in most game phases except The changes in Volta are very welcome, and the Ultimate changes are a step backwards in terms of the progression system that force you to spend many hours to get to the rewarding way to qualify for the Weekend League, or direct and indirectly direct you to spend your money on player packs in order to Build your dream team and stand up to the legendary players.
FIFA 22 Rating
- Playstyle: 9
- Graphics and sounds: 9
- Improvements and changes: 7
- Content:7
Positives
- Slower and more realistic gameplay.
- More accurate animations and realistic dockings.
- Enhanced AI for defenders and attackers alike.
- The best movement physics for the ball and the players in years.
- Premium graphic level and more detailed lighting system.
- New game modes in Volta.
- The best goalkeeper performance version.
Negatives
- Pro Club mode is neglected as usual.
- Career improvements aren’t enough.
- The Ultimate progression and qualification system is a step back.
- Push players towards paid digital transactions Microtransactions directly and indirectly.
- Fifa 22 Reviews EA Games Review