Home Gaming FIFA 17 review round up

FIFA 17 review round up

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FIFA is back this year. Of course it is – it’s one of those annualised franchises that you see every year. This time though, there are some big changes afoot. The game’s transitioned to a new engine, dropping Ignite in favour of the same tech that powers Battlefield and just about every other EA game, Frostbite. It’s also introduced a fleshed out story mode campaign – which seems to be one of its most compelling features.

FIFA faces its toughest competition in PES yet this year. If you’re a fan of football, it delivers just about everything you’d want in a digital recreation of the game. Other than licences, that is. Thankfully, it’s also easier than ever to load up kits. That said, reviews for EA’s FIFA 17 have started dropping, and it’s apparently quite damned good too, with most praising the new story mode. Called The Journey, it puts you in the shoes of Alex Hunter, a rising star in the Premier League.

Here’s what reviewers have to say of FIFA 17.

Gaming Nexus – 9.5/10

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The Frostbite engine has allowed FIFA to take the next step in gameplay, with better mechanics and smarter AI to create a bigger challenge. The Journey mode will suck in those wanting a new single player experience while Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs will give all the online players the fix they want. This is a must have for fans of the beautiful game.

God is a Geek – 9/10

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Football has never looked so good, and with a new story mode and some welcome additions to gameplay, EA has got a great football title on their hands.

US Gamer – 4/5

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FIFA 17 bounces back nicely after a down year without sacrificing any of its primary strengths. The Journey is a well-produced campaign mode that complements the existing feature set nicely, and the move to Frostbite appears to have gone off without a hitch. It’s not really accurate to say FIFA is back since it never really left, but it is fair to say that it has momentum again, and that speaks well of its future as we head into the back half of this generation.

Attack of the Fanboy – 4.5/5

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The sports game genre’s toughest task is to make consumers feel a need to buy each year, so an incremental upgrade can often not be quite enough. FIFA 17 was already coming off one of the series’ best outings in awhile, but with features like the The Journey mode and the even more realistic Frostbite engine, EA Canada has once again given players a reason to buy the game yet again with FIFA 17.

Gamesradar – 4.5/5

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It may be an unfashionable choice among critics, but to those seeking a complete footballing package, FIFA 17 remains the greatest show on turf. And goodness, does the Frostbite engine make that turf look pristine.

IGN – 8.4/10

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For all that FIFA promises something for every football fan, from the casual observer to the full-kit fanatic, I still find myself wishing that EA Sports would spend a little more time focusing on the basics. You could probably create the perfect football game by letting Konami handle everything on the pitch, with EA Sports responsible for everything off it. But FIFA plays well enough that the gains elsewhere – in terms of licensing, authenticity, and big-match atmosphere – more than compensate for those shortcomings. For my money, PES is still ahead where it counts most, but The Journey gives FIFA something unique and rewarding. If you can afford it, this year it might just be worth getting both.

It looks like the real winner in this year’s battle between PES and FIFA is fans of football. The loser? Their unfortunate wallets. It’s out next week – just remember that the story mode won;t be available to those who buy the last gen versions of the game.

Last Updated: September 22, 2016

16 Comments

  1. Fox1 - Retro

    September 22, 2016 at 10:23

    Played the demo and was surprised at how solid the new gameplay an graphics engine are. It took us 3 years to get a proper next-gen FIFA.

    Reply

  2. Dungeon of JJ

    September 22, 2016 at 10:29

    That’s a lot of soccer.

    Reply

    • Scott Lee Clayton

      September 23, 2016 at 18:01

      Football!, F O O T B A L L….

      Reply

      • Dungeon of JJ

        September 26, 2016 at 09:49

        Soccer is part our dialect, like saying bakkie instead of pick-up, or truck. So…soccer.

        Reply

  3. miaau

    September 22, 2016 at 10:50

    Ok, so this is the one I get to upgrade my Fifa 2010, then.

    Nice. Too many games……

    Reply

  4. Anon A Mouse

    September 22, 2016 at 11:16

    Can someone please confirm this? Some sites state that the end result of The Journey is for your player to end up playing for Man U. Others state that you can end up at any Premier League club of your choosing.

    Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      September 22, 2016 at 11:34

      EA’s official ste says you can play for whatever team you choose. I think forcing anyone to play as a MANC would piss off too many people. They can;t be that daft, surely?

      Reply

      • Anon A Mouse

        September 22, 2016 at 11:57

        That’s what I thought when I read that as well. I know EA likes to piss off people but that will be taking it to the next level. I for one will not buy the game (if I was going to) if they force me into playing for a certain team, although having it limited to just the Premier League is also not the best option, but at least it is something to build upon.

        Reply

        • Geoffrey Tim

          September 22, 2016 at 12:25

          Okay. it’s 16 hours long and (spoiler) lets you play as any team in the Premier League (confirmed)

          Reply

          • Anon A Mouse

            September 22, 2016 at 12:31

            “For the first time ever in the FIFA franchise, fans will have a chance
            to live their story on and off the pitch as Alex Hunter, a rising star
            in the Premier League in The Journey. Players will have the opportunity
            to play a select experience as a member of Manchester United, one of the
            world’s top clubs.” ~ This is the quote from another website that got me all in WTF mode. Glad to hear they where wrong.

          • miaau

            September 22, 2016 at 13:17

            The demo text on my Xbox One said they are forcing Manchester United, as all I know.

          • Geoffrey Tim

            September 22, 2016 at 13:21

            That is true for the demo – but the full game allows you to diverge.

  5. Aries

    September 22, 2016 at 11:34

    I really want this, but that price tag is pushing it abit out of my sane range

    Reply

  6. chimera_85

    September 22, 2016 at 12:14

    Too bad it’s so expensive.

    Reply

  7. Raidz19

    September 22, 2016 at 13:58

    Sigh…Now it’s going to be EVEN harder to decide which one to buy!

    Reply

  8. Mabenito

    September 22, 2016 at 14:57

    PS3/360 players should skip this because “The Journey” game mode is not included, plus cost the same price as PS4/XOne.

    I know 25 people still playing FIFA on PS3, online. This made them mad.

    Reply

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