14 DAY TRIAL // 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is only offered on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, consoles that do not support the all new Ignite engine that powers FIFA 14 on the next-gen devices from both Sony and Microsoft.
That means that the new title offers a lower standard of graphics quality and that certain gameplay elements are absent.
At the same time, 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil includes a large amount of graphics, team presentation, stadiums, special kits and player likenesses that are licensed from the governing body of world football and are directly associated with the real-world tournament that will take place in June.
The big question is whether the impressive presentation that EA Sports has created is enough to balance out the more limited gameplay offered by the new title.
I tend to be one of those gamers who praises the mechanics of a title rather than its graphics or its art style, but for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, I do think that the development team has managed to strike a solid balance.
Sure, there are moments when players behave erratically and when the ball moves without any respect to real-world physics, but most players will not be able to notice them easily because they are more preoccupied with the new team presentation, the way stadiums are introduced or with the reaction shots that use fans and coaches for the first time.
I have played FIFA 14 on the Xbox One almost every day since it was launched against another human gamer and even I am often so enthralled by the EA Sports created presentation that I fail to be annoyed by the failings of the AI or by the weird faces of some of the included superstars.
After all, the real-life World Cup is less about the competition between teams and more about the spectacle for most of those who will attend the matches in Brazil and for those who will only watch them on their TV.
Only a minority will be concerned with team selections and with tactical decisions and most will savor the goals, the celebrations, the unique month-long party built around football.
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil would have been a better game on the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, with full use of Ignite, but even its current incarnation is great when it comes to spectacle and presentation.