It doesn't look significantly better than FIFA 21, but it's got more impressive player animations.
On the visuals front, FIFA 22 looks fine. Then anxiety kicks in over the online match to come. Just good results, a wry smile and arms folded as relief washes over you. Nothing here for the YouTube compilation videos, the '20 goals we'll never see again' algorithm chasers, the '10 times Ronaldinho shocked the world' advert sinks. Maybe Jesse Lingard comes on as a sub to curl one in from 20 yards during the closing stages. And then Kalvin Phillips passes to Declan Rice, who passes back to Harry Maguire, who drills it out to Luke Shaw, who lays it off to Raheem Sterling, who goes past a player before passing it back out to Shaw, who then crosses the ball for, hopefully, a Harry Kane or Sterling tap-in.
What you get instead is a bucketload of stress with the occasional dollop of satisfaction that comes from crafting a well-worked goal. There is little joy to be had playing FIFA 22, but I think that is by design. Two defensive midfielders who battle to control possession and race to regain the ball when they don't have it skillful, pacey wingers who look to get as close to the box whenever they can slow but dominant defenders who are good on the ball fullbacks who create as many chances as they prevent. You know what playing FIFA 22 is like? It's like watching Gareth Southgate's England. That or a finesse from just outside the area. It's early days, but so far I've found there's joy to be had from working your way towards the box from the wing for a potential cutback goal. Driving into the box and simply shooting isn't as effective. Through balls - either in the air or on the ground - are an early favourite of mine, particularly for playing in a forward from the wider parts of the pitch. Lofted passes are more effective this year, and the ball physics for these passes looks more realistic. There are some lovely additional touches players make when controlling the ball, bringing a high pass down, for example, before spraying it out wide. Playing FIFA 22 can sometimes feel like getting 11 tiny oil tankers to run after a pretend football. Players seemingly take an age to pass or shoot after you've pressed the button. There's a new Explosive Sprint (R2 / RT) mechanic but I find it barely makes a difference. The players are at the heart of this new, weightier feel, which is certainly an improvement over last year's hyper-ball, but sometimes it feels like they react too slowly to your commands. Defenders with low pace are more viable because they have a habit of blocking shots and passes in the final third. They'll reach across with their strong arm to save shots now, and pat strong shots to the ground before gobbling up the ball. There are some new animations for the keepers and you'll see them quite often. In one-on-one situations they're all prime Buffons, with an annoying habit of getting a hand to shots from inside the box that would almost always go in in last year's game. That is to say, it's harder to score and harder to win for a raft of reasons. It is a reaction to FIFA 21's high-scoring fun, which by the end of that game's life had become something of a joke within the hardcore FIFA community. It's slightly slower, more considered, with less emphasis on ridiculous skills and more emphasis on passing. I'm going to start with the good news because I like to kick things off with a positive.
#Fifa 21 review Pc
Availability: Out now on PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC and, in legacy form, on Nintendo Switch.