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Through small tweaks and refinements, FIFA 21 plays as well as it has done in recent memory, but lacks the relatively big features that are usually used to justify a new version of an annually released game. Collisions seem to have been improved, with opposition AI being dragged up in tandem.
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Players still clatter into each other and fuse into well-paid Cronenberg monsters, making the ball’s trajectory anyone’s guess, but it’s a rare occasion this time around. Midfielders will react naturally to the blowback from a strong pass, and wingers with high dribbling stats feel more flexible on the break. This may sound like brain-numbing marketing jargon, but it actually results in tangible improvements on the pitch.Ī forward’s legs will buckle from the momentum after they ping a shot in the top corner from outside of the box. Most of the improvements this year can be attributed to “HyperMotion,” a new motion-capture technology that EA is leveraging to make FIFA 22 feel more fluid on new-gen consoles by adding over 4,000 new animations harvested from real-life matches.
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This is where FIFA 22 has made some meaningful progression. If you’re a perennial FIFA player, you’ll know that graphical bumps are nice-to-haves, but gameplay is king.
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