The new Ignite engine adds a layer of realism to football

Jun 13, 2013 04:48 GMT  ·  By

I was pretty sure that the FIFA series was unable to ever surprise me again, but EA Sports has managed to prove me wrong with the new installment of its series, which is the first one to use the new Ignite engine technology on next-generation consoles.

At E3 2013, the team at EA Sports has a dedicated laboratory where players can get a close look at FIFA 14, the new UFC title, NBA Live 14 and Madden NFL 25 for next-gen consoles.

And the new football game simulation is certainly the star of the show, a title that's full of great new ideas that will change the FIFA series forever.

Ignite makes the game smoother than ever and introduces a number of gameplay innovations that bring the simulated sport closer than ever to its real-world counterpart.

I have played a match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, controlling the champions of Spain, and each player revealed more personality than ever.

Gamers will get access to new mechanics, including new physics for the ball and an improved focus on momentum, that make older FIFA titles feel obsolete.

The ball feels like it has weight and players, depending on their skills, will have more options to dribble and move fast in order to open up defenses and create scoring opportunities.

EA Sports has added a huge number of animations in FIFA 14 as powered by Ignite. The title has new shot preparation sequences for all players, who will decide how they approach each phase of the game.

I have managed to score two goals with Atletico in less than 45 minutes and they were beautiful and teamwork based, better than anything I have managed in FIFA in previous installments.

FIFA 14 will be launched in late September for the PC and current-generation consoles and versions for the Xbox One from Microsoft and the PlayStation 4 from Sony will be out before the end of the year.