FIFA 17: A pro gamer’s review

David Bytheway is one of the best FIFA gamers in the world, having reached the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) Grand Final in 2014.

He was signed by Bundesliga club Wolfsburg in February, and now represents the team at official tournaments and during online streams.

Bytheway got an early look at FIFA 17, which is released in the UK on Thursday. He takes us through what to expect…

What’s new?

FIFA 17 has a revamped engine called Frostbite and as you’d expect, the graphics displayed are by far the best yet – but has the gameplay also improved? The simple answer is yes. 

EA have written a completely new set-piece system that adds another layer to the skill gap. It allows you to select the area in which you want the ball to swing into, providing a greater lever of control. You can also select a player and move them as you wish; really giving yourself an extra advantage at free-kicks and corners.

After you select the delivery, you position your player wherever you want; either in the ball’s flight path or in an area to run into. You then press the cross button and in comes the ball. It’s an interesting new wrinkle and it works well.

EA didn’t have to do any of this, the old set-piece system was fine, so it was definitely a risk but in my opinion, but it’s one that’s paid off!

They have also added another tweak called the “threaded through ball”. It’s easy enough to do, just use the RB/R1 button and you see the difference immediately. It’s a great addition and one that makes counter-attacks absolutely lethal.

As always, EA have added new skills too. In competitive play, fancy skills are usually useless as you just don’t get the time on the ball to execute the move. But they are nice on the eye and if you manage to put together a combination you will have your opponent tearing their hair out.

Passing

The passing on FIFA 16 was so unpredictable it was infuriating, but thankfully on 17 it’s much better.

You can play some lovely one-touch passes and really move up the pitch quickly and through balls have also improved. Sometimes your player still plays the pass on the wrong side of the defender but it’s nowhere near as often as it was …

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