FIFA 22 Review: Improved Gameplay and New Features

FIFA 22 – Date of Release

Many fans of this attractive and competitive game have many questions – when does FIFA 22 come out? All players could get access to the game starting from 1 October 2021. But there were a few more possibilities to launch the football simulator even earlier. People, who pre-ordered FIFA 22 Ultimate Edition or subscribed for EA Play, were capable of picking a football club and play the game on 27 and 22 September, respectively. This early access included a ten-hour trial period only and nothing more. But it had to be enough to see what the game developer prepared for you.

Changes in Gameplay

Talking about changes in gameplay, you will not see so many differences and some colossal improvements. But Electronic Arts made everything possible to satisfy all the players’ needs. First of all, the football stimulator had a few shifts in terms of realistic gameplay. In this part of the game, you will be immersed in a more realistic environment, where all details are considered. Consequently, you will see explosive sprints, new goalkeepers’ animations, dribbling, more accurate ball control and many other little changes. And the most significant FIFA 22 features are presented below.

Top 5 New Features of FIFA 22

HyperMotion Gameplay Technology

The game’s version developed for PS5 and Xbox Series features a HyperMotion technology, which supposedly enhances the realism of animations by digitizing the real match and processing by neural networks. Perhaps the smoother movements are due to it as well. These movements include players’ actions on the field, their interaction with each other, and animations of the first touch of the ball and sprints.

But nothing ground-breaking and revolutionary has happened in this regard. One of the marketing moves, which undoubtedly does not feel superfluous, is the jump to the last generation’s gaming consoles, and the PC game process seems no longer cohesive and smooth. It is not so critical but still leaves bad feelings. Apparently, the developers motivate players to switch from the past-gen consoles to the latest ones.

Improved AI

The game studio tries to improve football players in every new game of the series by using artificial intelligence (AI). And in FIFA 22, the opportunities of modern consoles finally came to the aid of the authors of the simulator. There are no metrics that could objectively estimate how much smarter computer players became. But it is possible to compare FIFA 22 with its predecessors in this regard when the balance was skewed to the attack, and in defence, the players were often lost and could not counter the attacking team.

In this new game, both offensive and defensive positions are balanced. Defenders and midfielders try to stick to a logical arrangement on the field, practicing the tactics invented by the coach, but still sometimes make mistakes. Forwards react more quickly to passes when attacking and understand when it is worth rushing behind the defence to catch a pass, but without being caught offside.

Updated Volta Mode

Volta Football is an arcade mode of street football that takes place in various locations and sometimes in extremely crazy places. It first appeared in FIFA 20, and since that moment, Electronic Arts has been developing it in every possible way.

In FIFA 22, the developers added a skill meter with three divisions. You can fill up this meter, giving accurate passes from the flange, outplaying opponents using feints, taking the ball from your opponent, throwing it between the opponent’s legs and simply passing the ball nicely. Each filled division of this meter gives you a goal multiplier – 2x, 3x, and 4x, respectively. The mechanics with the skill meter allow you to make a comeback at the very end of the match.

Player Humanisation

Interaction between virtual players is the thing that you are dealing with during every single football match. Thanks to the eagerness of the EA studio to make the game close to the real world, you will notice not only players’ moves during a base game but also how football players interact with each other (confronting, arguing, talking, etc.).

True Ball Physics

The team of developers put a lot of effort into making the game incredibly realistic. So, during your gameplay, you will see a new way of how the ball moves. The trajectory of the flying ball is influenced by such outer parameters as swerve, air resistance, air drag, power of friction, etc. This approach allows players to witness a whole new level of realism.

5 Interesting Facts About FIFA 22

1. FIFA 22 has a career mode, which presents you a chance to create your player, play for your favourite football club, and even build your own team.
2. The online competitive mode FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) provides you with an opportunity to build a dream team of famous players.
3. In FIFA Ultimate Team, there are heroes - special versions of famous football players of the past years, among them Mario Gomez, Abedi Pele, Jurgen Kohler, and others.
4. The new part of FIFA was created for the previous generation consoles, but all the innovations, such as HyperMotion technology and tactical AI, are available only on PS5 and Xbox Series S|X.
5. FIFA 22 is available on PC and consoles, including Nintendo Switch, starting from 1 October.

Pros and Cons of Buying FIFA 2022

How Much Does FIFA 22 Cost?

For sure, you think about what is the price of FIFA 22? As usual, the price for a standard edition of the game starts from $59.99 for video consoles (XBOX and PS). The price for Nintendo Switch is slightly different and is $49.99. If you want to get an extended version of this football stimulator (Ultimate Edition), you need to be ready to give $99.99 (independently from the platform).

FIFA 22 is a nice sequel to the football franchise with many innovative updates and pleasant modifiers. Electronic Arts wanted to immerse football admirers into a more realistic environment with a realistic atmosphere. And the company could reach this goal partly. Anyway, this partly improvement of the gameplay is only the first step for something global and more significant.