With the days drawing closer until the official release of EA SPORTS FIFA 17, the company released the official demo on Wednesday. The demo offers only a glimpse into what the full game has in store, but it does more than enough to assure players that EA Sports has finally unleashed the potential of latest-generation consoles. It also offers some a look at some of the MLS-specific content to boot.
Though it doesn’t include any more significant insight into the highly anticipated “The Journey” game mode, the demo does offer the chance to play as a host of top-level teams. That includes the likes of Juventus, both Manchester giants, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, as well as newcomers like Japan’s Gamba Osaka and Tigres UANL, and MLS’ own Seattle Sounders FC.
Impressively, every team in the demo feels unique. EA did great work making it feel like every club’s playing style, players, and — when applicable — stadiums are uniquely detailed and emphasized in the demo. And, yes, in the demo, you can play as the Sounders in CenturyLink Stadium. CenturyLink rocks — like, the camera actually shakes — and the place absolutely explodes when you score with Clint Dempsey. It’s good, folks.
Before each match, commentators discuss player partnerships in each team’s starting XI in-depth, describe the atmosphere in the stadium, and give insightful background on clubs’ recent seasons and histories. It’s a nice refinement of the pre-match presentation and it makes FIFA 17 feel just a bit more captivating and jubilant than it has in the past.
During the match, you’ll immediately notice gameplay tweaks and improvements are, particularly with ball physics. There’s no real concise way to describe this one, only that everything feels more real. There’s no more of the ball clipping through the goalkeeper’s arm, no more insanely, unrealistically good first touches from line-drive, field-switching passes in traffic, no more nonsense that breaks the suspension of disbelief. Every pass, every first touch, every bounce and ricochet is more unpredictable and true to life.
For example, you’ll have plenty of chances to get roasted by your friends after they score because Joevin Jones slams another clearance of the back of Chad Marshall (which I did today). That’s exactly how it should be.
Closely related to the improved ball physics is the physical play overhaul. On full display in the demo, players have more control over jostling, shielding, battling for possession in pursuit of the ball, and battling the goalkeeper on a set piece. It’s a huge improvement that highlights the skill set of players who thrive with their backs to goal and use their hold-up abilities to create space for teammates.
On the other side of the ball, it sets up some incredibly fun defensive play. Every slide tackle is that much crunchier and every clearing header feels that much more triumphant. The element of finely tuned physicality was a feature that EA SPORTS sorely needed to include in this game, and they got it spot on.
There’s plenty in the EA SPORTS FIFA 17 demo to get players excited about the upcoming release of the full game, and the in-game experience highlighted in the demo is only the beginning. New leagues, new stadiums, and new game modes promise that this edition will be the best in years.
If you want to keep salivating, check out our close looks at the FIFA 17gameplay trailer, the soundtrack, and check out other MLS fun already revealed in the game, like Sounders player ratings, MLS five-star skillers, and MLSers ranked among the top for strength, physicality, and speed.
