STACK #204 Oct 2021

GAMING FEATURE

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interaction. It’s not just for the player in control of the ball, either, as it applies to how players move both on and off the ball. Speaking of which, subtle yet handy gameplay tweaks are sure to be welcomed by players, a massive one of which is the promise of more consistency and distinct personalities between the goalposts, courtesy of a total goalkeeper system rebuild which brings more realism to proceedings. There’s also a new level of ball physics, thanks to the importation of real-world data, and fresh attacking tactics have been added. In addition, the new ‘explosive sprint’ will give players more control when dribbling or defending via quick bursts of extra speed when triggered. There’s also a new rewind mode, so if you stuff something up badly, you can cue up a do-over. Of course, FIFA fans are used to a bevy of different modes, and this year’s model shouldn’t disappoint. The classic Career Mode returns (complete with a shiny new ‘Create a Club’ experience), as does Volta Football (with “reimagined” gameplay and a new story mode), Pro Clubs and, of course, FIFA Ultimate Team. Beyond the ever-growing selection of FUT icons that now numbers over 100, FIFA 22 also heralds the introduction of FIFA Ultimate Team Heroes, which are completely new items

PLAYING FOR REAL!

This year’s slick soccer sensation is with us in the form of FIFA 22 , and while every format sees improvements, the gulf between previous and new-gen consoles is widening. Words Bec Summer & Paul Jones

repping the stories of cult players and fan favourites. Set to be handy for team unity when placed with players of the same league and nationality, these include the likes of Abedi Pele, Joe Cole, Diego Milito and Aussie legend Tim Cahill. In all, FIFA 22 is bringing us some 17,000-plus players from 700-plus teams,

T he chief difference that FIFA 22 on both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S brings is the introduction of EA Sports’ HyperMotion technology. Aiming to deliver more realism to our onscreen pitches than ever before, it permeates every match and every mode on new-gen consoles. The fledgling system combines advanced 11-vs-11 match capture – taken on an actual pitch rather than inside a studio – and proprietary machine learning tech, and has allowed the motion capture of 22 pro footballers playing at full-on intensity. This brings some 4000-plus new animations into play. That’s not all for the realism-boosting tech, as EA’s clever proprietary machine learning

Tim Cahill

playing in more than 90 stadiums and over 30 leagues from around the world. Exclusive competitions include England’s Premier League, along with the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Bundesliga, LaLiga Santander, CONMEBOL Libertadores, CONMEBOL Sudamericana and Australia’s A-League. Call it soccer or call it football, fans of the beautiful game are going to have lots to get busy with in FIFA 22 .

Hyper Motion

• FIFA 22 is out Oct 1

algorithm studies more than 8.7 million frames of advanced match capture, then creates new animations on the fly in real time,

with an aim to creating organic football movement across all aspects of on-pitch

RECORD BREAKER! If you play FIFA regularly, you’ll know all about marathon playing sessions. The old ‘just one more game’ scenario that extends into the early hours of the morning is a common occurrence, which most FIFA diehards know all too well. But what’s your longest session? Christopher Cook took his obsession to all new heights in 2019, playing FIFA for a record-breaking 48 hours, 49 minutes and 41 seconds. He played the game in four-hour shifts over a period of 74 hours without sleep, and in the process raised a good chunk of money for Special Effect, a charity that helps people with disabilities play games. Have you got what it takes to play FIFA for 48 hours?

OCTOBER 2021

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