FIFA 17

FIFA 17 marked a major turning point for the series – EA Sports moved the football simulation onto the Frostbite engine for the first time, which until then had mainly served action games like Battlefield. The result was a noticeably more realistic presentation: players moved more fluidly, had more distinct individual characteristics, and thanks to better lighting and crowd animations the stadium atmosphere felt far livelier than in previous installments. The football on the pitch itself stayed true to the series, but the new engine allowed for finer physical interactions between players and the ball, most noticeable in duels for possession and set pieces. A more sophisticated dribbling and one-on-one dueling system was also added, bringing the game a step closer to the authentic feel of real football.

The most striking new feature, however, was The Journey game mode, which brought a full-fledged story mode with voiced dialogue, career decisions, and a personal life storyline for young talent Alex Hunter to a football game. The player progressed from a youth academy through a first professional contract to a starting spot on an English club, blending cinematic cutscenes with classic matches against real Premier League clubs. It was a bold move by which EA Sports tried to reach players who don't much seek out classic sports management or online career modes, bringing the football simulation closer to the kind of storytelling more familiar from big action games.

On Xbox One the game ran stably, using the console's power for a smooth sixty frames per second even with full stadiums, which was still exceptional in sports production at the time. Contemporary reviews praised above all the visual leap forward and the inventiveness of The Journey, while players returned to traditional modes like Ultimate Team or Online Seasons out of habit, keeping the series' loyal fanbase intact. Today, FIFA 17 is mainly an interesting reminder of the era when the series was still getting used to its new technological foundation, and as such it works more as a nostalgic memory than a current-day experience.

Why play it: For players interested in a period reminder of the series' shift to a new technological foundation, FIFA 17 offers a stable sixty frames per second even with full stadiums and the inventive story mode The Journey.