EA Sports knows how to deliver gameplay changes

Oct 8, 2014 14:45 GMT  ·  By

As previously stated, my favorite team is Liverpool and my favorite game mode in FIFA 15 is the classic local versus multiplayer that can be easily set up using the Kick Off options from the main game menu, with Everton serving as my opponent most of the time.

The new installment in the football sim title has made it easier than ever to create different setups for each club using the Team Shoot concept in order to choose one on the fly just before the start of the match.

I tend to mostly use a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond center, focusing on two powerful strikers, Balotelli and Sturridge, with Sterling in a free role behind them, but that tends to leave me a little vulnerable to an opponent who is able to put pressure on the right and the left side of my midfield and defense.

My Everton playing opponent tends to do that by using a 4-3-3 with attacking options, with Lukaku and Kone as the main strike forces and Mirallas offering the creative spark.

When I lose a game, especially when I have a full team collapse and do not manage to score while shipping 3 or more goals, I face the tough choice between learning, using the same core team choices while seeking ways to improve my performance, and choosing another system in order to surprise the opposition.

The trouble with change

Tactics sometimes seem to lack any relevance to FIFA 15 and the individual attributes of the various players are more important than the way the player chooses to use them on the pitch.

A solid midfielder can easily perform defensive duties and then lead a counterattack and score, and that huge effort might not influence his future performance for the match.

Attackers do have more finesse than defenders when it comes to strikes, but one can easily substitute a forward for a midfielder and get a solid performance out of him.

The Team Sheets and the new tactical choices introduced in FIFA 15 by EA Sports do offer an illusion of control for the player, but in reality it’s more important to learn solid defensive placement and to deliver good corners, which are purely gameplay elements of the sim.

So when faced with the choice between stability and innovation, use the more familiar choice and focus instead on learning some more moves that can make players more effective on the field.