FIFA 22

Overall, FIFA 22 is the best new entry in recent years. But the nefarious gutting of play-to-win rewards in its most popular mode means that the shadow of pay-to-win microtransactions looms ever more over FIFA's latest entry.

FIFA 22 upgrades graphics but loses some licences, and an overall experience feels like a “win some-lose some” type of product. While some of the new modes and technical upgrades make it a refreshing entry, it’s starting to be painfully obvious that the series needs some serious calibration in order to get back on the path of old glory.

While not the breath of fresh air many hoped for, FIFA 22 manages to at least improve the experience of FIFA 21. Ultimate Team still has its intrinsic issues, but manages to make itself more appealing thanks to less-infuriating gameplay and a less-punishing Division Rivals system.

A slower-paced FIFA creates absorbing action that feels like a step forward for the series, but the dominance of FUT is becoming less and less inspiring. [Issue#7, p.76]

As always, new FIFA game tries to fix the problems of its predecessors, while making the necessary updates to the core gameplay, in this case, turning FIFA 22 into more methodical and realistic game.

After last year's debacle, Fifa 22 is fortunately taking another step in the right direction. It's far from the level of Fifa 10 or the best parts of the previous generation, but at least it looks like football again.

FIFA 22 adds a lot of improvements going the right way towards a true simulation of football. Yet, the aging frostbite engine spoils these additions and the FUT mode is keeping its arcade grip on the whole gameplay.

There are a number of welcome changes in FIFA 22. The gameplay is more rewarding and the animations are finally interesting. There’s more intricacy to build-up play and often a much more satisfying finish. But there’s also no getting around the large number of bugs, the fairly modest improvements in various game modes and the continued focus on paying to win in FUT. FIFA 22 is certainly more Europa Conference League than Champions League.

For as much as FIFA 22 has done right with enhancements to the the on-field product, they seem perfectly content to not offer up new ways to engage with the sport. While HyperMotion helps bridge the realism gap that’s been present for a bit, it isn’t quite substantial enough to warrant calling it game-changing. This may be a positive step in the right direction for the franchise, but it’s still quite a ways from genuinely raising the bar.

FIFA 22 proves that EA’s soccer simulator is still the most playable of the genre in the market, but it also demonstrates that they know it. Yet again, the blatant disregard for industry-wide skepticism over microtransactions reigns this year in FIFA. Though there are long-awaited improvements to Career Mode and sharp graphical enhancements, it is hard to see past the decision to continue rinsing the most dedicated players of their cash.

Doing better than FIFA 21 was inevitable for FIFA 22. And the task has been accomplished, between a pleasant interface to handle, an ever more addicting Ultimate Team mode and more defensive gameplay this time around. But some flaws persist, others have emerged and overall the container remains the same from year to year. If EA has made the choice to reform the form this season, and under conditions that the patches improve and do not destroy what has been put in place, the developer will have to urgently look at the substance, which needs to be fleshed out.

Microtransactions still loom large, but small iterative changes and the horsepower of new-gen consoles combine to make FIFA 22 feel like a worthwhile upgrade without needing anything revolutionary or terribly exciting from EA’s side.

FIFA 22 is a fundamentally better experience than the one we've had in the past four years, but it is still a fundamentally flawed experience. The HyperMotion system isn't always competent, but the new ball physics, as well as a slower gameplay, make this entry much worthier of the "simulation" label.

A superb second next-gen season on the digital turf – but subtle Ultimate Team tweaks amplify the ‘pay to win’ criticisms that stalk this series annually.

It is hard to recommend buying FIFA at all this year. Like no other yearly release in the franchise, FIFA 22 is a game of thin margins.