How Can Each New Gameplay Feature in FIFA 17 be a Success?

Frostbite Engine

It's unknown that what impacts Frostbite engine will bring on FIFA 17 gameplay although it has been in practice for several years with EA's Battlefield series. But we know aspects like lighting and player rendering should be improved.

There are several questions that need to solve. At what cost to gameplay if EA is trying to create uniformity among its platforms ? Whether the Frostbite Engine take FIFA to new levels, or it take a few years to get the problems solved?

Keys to Success for this Feature - Even if its sole purpose is not rooted in fundamental gameplay enhancements, the overall experience, especially a "Matchday" experience, could use an enhancement. So if Frostbite delivers on this, it will go a long way in terms of replicating the emotion and passion that defines our beloved game.

Active Intelligence System

Another new feature "Active Intelligence System," hopes to build upon the players not on the ball as they work to create space.  By providing more short options, the pace of the game could potentially slow down while also dragging defenders out of position, theoretically opening up space further down the pitch. Another side effect from this newly touted AI system will be the fine tuning of difficulty settings. Instead of an increase in tactical acumen following a jump in difficulty levels, gamers were plagued by lower-level sides pinging the ball around like Barcelona, forcing us to use sliders to lower pass percentages in an effort to create a more sim-like experience.

Key to Success for this Feature - This feature's success hinges on the AI and how they react to changes by the defense (whether it be tactically or input-based). Oddly, there was no mention of how this feature will impact the defensive side of the ball, as for every attacking move there needs to be a defensive game plan/philosophy suited to counter it based upon basic marking principles (man/zonal/combination) and fundamentals (understanding positioning, space, etc.).

Physical Play Overhaul

With some fine-tuning of the referee logic, EA was able to capture the basics but still left gamers with a sense that something was missing. "Pushback Technology" and the new "360 degree shielding" hope to fill in this gray area as players can now utilize their strength to hold the play up by, in essence, holding players off as they formulate their next move.

Key to Success for this Feature - The trailer shows Chelsea's Eden Hazard effectively holding up the play against players like United's Chris Smalling. While Hazard is most certainly capable of using his insane lower body strength and balance to hold off defenders, there must be a balance of outcomes when paired against stronger defenders. 

New Attacking Techniques/New Ways to Attack The Net

"New Attacking Techniques" isn't just focused on your performance in front of goal. New downward headers and low driven/finesse shots are balanced with an enhanced through ball and new keeper options, as they can now perform driven drop kicks or throws in an attempt to start a counter attack with furious intent.

Keys to Success for this Feature - Shooting and passing is all about balance. For too long the finesse shot and sweet spots reigned supreme in FIFA. Sliders and manual shooting can help to tone it down, but there's no substitute for out-of-the-box tuning. 

Set Piece Rewrite

Set pieces in FIFA 17 appear to be overhauled. The biggest change appears to be on free kicks/penalties where you're now in control of your starting position, whether that be side to side or how far your run up will be in an attempt to generate more power. Corners see the introduction of a reticule giving players the ability to precisely aim their ball with a trajectory of their choosing, as well as the ability to control players off the ball. Coupled with the new physicality, corners could finally see an increased sense of excitement, which would be great given their importance in real life. Throw-ins have also been touched upon, with the ability to move freely on the sideline now at the user's disposal. Fake throws have also been added and could be helpful to pull defenders out of position.

Keys to Success for this Feature - I have a feeling the learning curve for penalty kicks and free kicks will be steep. While I didn't feel like this was an area that needed an overhaul, I'm intrigued by the new freedom and support any change that attempts to achieve realism.