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FIFA 22 post patch review

I decided to hold off and give EA the chance to address a number of issues which made FIFA 22 almost impossible for me to play and enjoy on release. Now the game - in its 29th season - has received its first major patch we can truly assess this year’s release.

The series has veered from generic to groundbreaking.

From underdogs to champions.

Eventually it won the war with Pro Evolution Soccer, its licenses and gloss forcing Konami into submission as evidenced by this year’s name change to eFootball and making that once iconic, untouchable title free to play.

The first thing to note regarding FIFA 22 is the introduction of Hypermotion Technology, which uses motion capture data collected by putting 22 real-life players into high tech Xsens suits and making them play a complete, high-intensity football match and resulting in over 4,000 new football-informed animations being added to the game.

And while it sounds like the latest gimmick, it is genuinely noticeable when playing and the experience is much improved as a result.

There is another big change in that career mode now has the create-a-club option in manager career. Unlike previous titles, where players could only take control of an existing team, this year, players have the option to take to the pitch with a club built from scratch, even customising kit, club crest and home stadium.

When I first fired up FIFA 22 it was essentially unplayable due to some of the worst gaming lag I have ever experienced. Matchmaking settings were also a joke, pitting me against a clutch of the same elite teams over and over again.

I am pleased to report these issues have been addressed and improved with the patch along with a host of other bugbears to long to mention.

But how does it play? Well, this is where I feel FIFA 22 comes into its own for the first time in a long time.

This is FIFA just how I like it. The pace of play is slower but much more responsive. Player attributes make a proper difference to how you play and carefully thought-out play gets rewarded with shots, goalmouth action and goals. Yes, modern football is a game for powerful, fast athletes. But not all top players are super-quick speed freaks. And this game sees the balance of power shift back towards technical play over outright pace. It was needed and the game is all the better for it.

With the core issues now resolved, this year’s FIFA is one of the best releases in the modern history of the series. New additions to Career Mode and Volta have made FIFA’s major modes more fun and while the controversial

5 microtransactions still cast the usual shadow over things, this is the best FIFA I have played – post patch – for years.

Rating: 8.5/10