Every year, it's a bit the same tune. Electronic Arts is launching its football simulation at the end of September / beginning of October and football lovers are jumping on it to put their favorite team back on the path to success. After an iteration straddling two generations of consoles, the American publisher had to materialize by taking full advantage of the power of the new machines from Sony and Microsoft. So is FIFA 22 being realistic to accomplish its goal? We will discover this through the lines of this test.
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See the priceRead the conclusionFIFA 22
- Content with small onions
- More responsive defenses and goalkeepers
- Always this exceptional atmosphere in the stadiums
- An ultra-complete playlist
- Graphically too close to FIFA 21
- The HyperMotion does not bring much
- Full of small bugs on the right, on the left
- Noticeable absences at team level
Before getting to the heart of the matter, it is important to point out that the real novelties of this episode are only included in the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions. All other media, PC included, are therefore deprived of it and are content to update the jerseys and squads of each team. Thus, in order to avoid spending sixty euros in the wind, we recommend that you, if you can, opt for a copy that will run on next-gen machines. Already a first yellow card... The match starts well!
A short trip to Paris... and beyond!
For the second year in a row, it is the PSG player Kylian Mbappé who finds himself on the cover of FIFA. Once the game is launched, it is possible to launch a kind of tutorial used to more effectively understand the basics of the gameplay. At this moment, we are immersed in a small scripted story that begins in the streets of Paris before ending in the legendary Parc des Princes. World stars like David Beckham and Thierry Henry even make a small appearance (but unfortunately without their real voice). This lead-in is hugely entertaining and surprisingly well-narrated for a simple football game. We will even go so far as to regret its rapid conclusion after barely a few minutes. Anyway, it's a good way to warm up before getting down to business!
Once again, FIFA 22 shines for its gargantuan content and completely contradicts a moribund eFootball which does not offer much at its start (free-to-play requires). In the Electronic Arts camp, almost every team in the most influential leagues on the planet is officially licensed. However, a few clubs are missing, such as Juventus, Lazio Rome and Atalanta Bergamo. Let us also note an astonishing erosion of the African national teams which are totally absent this year. Same observation at the level of women's football which is still too underrepresented. But apart from these pitfalls, it is almost flawless. The continental competitions that are the Champions League, the Europa League and the Copa Libertadores are in the game. This is also the case for the very recent Europa League Conference.
It's the way you play
On the fashion side, there are no major changes to declare. Apart from the traditional "Kick Off" matches to play without worrying with friends, let's highlight the return of VOLTA Football. Highlighting street football, this mode opts for a much more "arcade" gameplay and offers unparalleled fun. The atmosphere is inevitably more urban and the staging more spectacular thanks to the arrival of powers that allow our avatar to perform powerful strikes or even to move at lightning speed. But this time, Electronic Arts did not see fit to add a story so we are content to chain the matches online or locally. A slight taste of FIFA Street rather pleasant so...
As for FIFA Ultimate Team (or FUT for short), the biggest change concerns the Division Rivals mode which has been largely redesigned. Seasonal progression is now in effect with weekly rewards. Skilled players can put their skills to the test in the Elite Division and additional customization options (like stadiums) have been added. Unfortunately, FUT does not get rid of its good old habits since microtransactions remain at the heart of the experience. It is therefore mandatory to pay euros to hope to obtain the best players. An economic model which therefore remains very questionable although EA finally allows you to consult the content of a booster before buying it.
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Also, Club Pro and Seasons modes entertain players looking for a more connected experience. But the big piece is obviously the Career mode. The latter remains a model of the genre as he impresses with his generosity. Four ways to get started are current with the choice of creating a pro or selecting a real player. As a manager, we can coach any team on the FIFA 22 roster and above all create a brand new club by customizing the crest, jerseys or even the stadium. Another novelty much requested by the community and which finally arrives in this episode. Victoire !
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It does not move too much on the bench
From a marketing point of view, Electronic Arts masters its subject. When the game was announced, one word regularly came up in the mouths of the publisher's representatives: HyperMotion. Behind this name hides a technology that is supposed to lead to better capture of the movements of footballers. The whole thing should also give rise to more realistic animations but also to better ball handling or even more marked collective movements. Alas, the expected revolution is not really there despite various adjustments. For example, defensive and offensive blocks are no longer radically split in two as was the case in FIFA 21. Defenders have become more responsive and anticipate certain actions such as through passes which no longer have their devastating side. The goalkeepers, even if they are always subject to beautiful balls on sometimes hazardous reminders in the axis, finally act as the last solid rampart!
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But for the rest, the contract is not really fulfilled. The animations lack fluidity and the contacts between the players sometimes give rise to surreal scenes (an arm that rotates 360°, really terrible collisions...). Players also had to gain humanity through HyperMotion by talking to each other more frequently during an intense game. Unfortunately, this aspect is anecdotal and does not transcend the gameplay. In the end, both the qualities and the faults of previous editions remain in FIFA 22. The sensations of the controller in hand are still there since the gameplay and the key combinations have not changed one iota. The experts will find their marks from the first seconds.
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Beautiful as a haircut with big ears?
We are not going to beat around the bush, the efforts leave something to be desired on the visual level. Once again, the comparison with FIFA 21 is inevitable and no graphic added value can be noticed. Yes, overall, the players (at least the best known) are relatively well modeled despite facial expressions that are still robotic. But not everything is to be thrown away since the atmosphere of the great evenings is also palpable within the most beautiful venues such as Anfield, Santiago Bernabeu, the Velodrome or San Siro. The public participating is no stranger to this fervor with crowded bleachers of supporters and close-ups of the reactions of the audience after an occasion. A small glitch to note, we noticed that the fan animations tend to jerk slightly when they are in the background. Nothing too bad since a patch should be able to correct the problem.
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To conclude, it is quite logically necessary to stop on the sound dimension of this FIFA 22 whose playlist which punctuates the navigation on the menus is composed of 122 distinct pieces. There is something for every taste. And as for the comments during the matches, the Spanish language is definitely not in the spotlight since only Hervé Mathoux provides the show following the withdrawal of Pierre Ménès. If the language of Shakespeare does not scare you, choose the latter. The English commentaries are more dynamic and above all show greater accuracy.
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FIFA 22 on Xbox Series X, the opinion of JVFR
FIFA 22 provides the minimum service with its graphics without significant evolution and its gameplay which has hardly improved over the years. While we could have hoped for a real revolution in these areas thanks to the performance of the new generation machines launched by Sony and Microsoft, Electronic Arts preferred to play the card of continuity rather than innovation.
That being said, the richness of the content will erase these disappointments among football fans without great difficulty. The career mode has lost none of its beauty, VOLTA Football is still just as fun and all the competitions are present. In short, the regulars will not be out of place, which is both appreciable but also fairly agreed. FIFA all spat in short.
FIFA 22 coins7
The routine sets in a bit with this FIFA 22 which takes up the best as well as the worst of previous editions. It is nonetheless a complete and convincing football simulation to spend good evenings with friends.Most
- Content with small onions
- More responsive defenses and goalkeepers
- Always this exceptional atmosphere in the stadiums
- An ultra-complete playlist
- The little tutorial
The lessers
- Graphically too close to FIFA 21
- The HyperMotion does not bring much
- Full of small bugs on the right, on the left
- Noticeable absences at team level
