14 DAY TRIAL // FIFA 12 was such an evolution for the football (being in the United States, I might need to say soccer) simulation series from Electronic Arts that it’s hard to see how the development team at EA Sports would be able to improve on it with FIFA 13.
I played the game at the E3 2012 stand of Electronic Arts and I must admit that the developers have found niches for innovation and have moved to quickly use them in order to create a much better football experience.
The main addition, which might sound somewhat counterintuitive, is that there’s less precision.
Players receiving long balls, regardless of their skill, will struggle to make a clean move to control it and defenders, especially those under pressure, will tend to have more problems with quick and skilled attackers.
This makes FIFA 13 a much more unpredictable and entertaining game, as chance plays at least a little bit of role, something that real-world football is known for (see Chelsea run to the top of the Champions League).
What virtual players lose when it comes to their skills on the ball, they gain when it comes to intelligence, mainly when executing attacking moves.
A new system will allow them to think about phases ahead in order to gain better positions based on possible passes, while the developers at EA Sports also gave them the ability to see empty spaces better and exploit them.
Outside of the actual matches, EA Sports is adding an extra layer to the Football Club element of the game, giving gamers a chance to earn extra content, like perks and historical kits, when reaching certain milestones.
The core FIFA 13 experience will be launched on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and the PC at some point during the fall of this year, most likely in late September.