As part of a presentation, we at MeinMMO were allowed to experience the gameplay of the new FIFA 22 for the first time. It quickly becomes clear that the new features are indeed noticeable – but sometimes only with a keen eye for details.
What was tested? At the EA Play Spotlight on July 20, the new gameplay features of FIFA 22 were presented in detail. We were allowed to test a pre-beta build for several hours, which is still a very early version of FIFA 22. Although the new gameplay features of FIFA 22 were already included, it visually resembled FIFA 21 in many parts.
The kickoff mode was available with a handful of teams. These included Dortmund, Liverpool, ManCity, as well as the legends selection “Soccer Aid”.
Our first assessment of the new gameplay is shown in the following paragraphs. Additionally, we spoke with gameplay producer Sam Rivera about the new features. You can find the interview about FIFA 22 gameplay here.
Oh god, they really hold
Only a few meters separate my Soccer Aid striker Pelé from the opposing goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. As I have done thousands of times in FIFA 21, I place the ball on my right foot and want to blast the ball into the right corner of the goal. With a curved shot I pull the trigger – and Schmeichel just manages to catch the ball with a powerful save from the corner.
Huh. That’s new.
EA Sports spoke of a “revised goalkeeper AI” during the presentation of FIFA 22. And during my test, I found that this was the standout new feature for me.
Because Schmeichel’s save was not an isolated incident: In the next match, where I controlled Liverpool against ManCity, my keeper Alisson saved a ball that I would have counted as a goal, just managing it with his foot. Incidentally, this was an animation I had never seen in many years of FIFA – nice!
Even better, the goalkeeper later solved another situation where he deflected a ball with his flat hand to my player – and not to the opponent. That is already a really useful innovation for a FIFA player who is used to a lot of grief from goalkeepers.
But what about the rest of the FIFA 22 gameplay?
“HyperMotion” is the big new thing that FIFA 22 is being marketed with this year. And yes: The new animations are also noticeable in the game. Everything seems smoother, slicker, more realistic. The “Kinetic Airbattles” – meaning more realistic aerial duels – catch the eye as well. Everything looks great – but I couldn’t really determine a direct effect on how the game plays for me yet.
The situation is different with the improved AI. Because especially when you hold the ball a bit longer and don’t just dribble forward, you notice that the computer-controlled teammates really make an effort to create proper attacks.
They offer themselves, tear gaps, and don’t behave like mediocre amateur league players who run offside, but rather like top offensive players should.
The organized defensive line is also noticeable. The defenders now move together in lines, cover spaces, and allow fewer individual actions.
However, I noticed that the AI is apparently quite vulnerable to counterattacks. When it gets really fast, especially after a corner, strikers often have the entire field ahead and only the keeper in front of them.
That means: My opponent’s Pelé completely dismantled my defense after my own corner and laughed at my goalkeeper while trying to keep the ball. No goalkeeper AI could help with that anymore. “And the goalkeeper is left to wonder, what the defenders were doing,” I hear from the commentator in this situation. He is right.
In the offense, there are still some question marks. I had a game where my AI-controlled opponent apparently thought it was the best tactic to constantly run to the corner and confuse my players there. That would be a good idea if he wanted to take a few minutes off the clock to secure a narrow lead for the last moments of the game.
However, I was leading 2-0. And it was just before halftime.
What’s cool is: At halftime, I am shown more precise statistics about the game. With the help of a heatmap, I can see that I am apparently attacking almost exclusively from the wing – and also which areas of the field my opponent prefers. The game shows me where I lost balls. Those are points that I can address in the second half. That could be very helpful, especially in close matches.
What else stands out in FIFA 22?
The more closely you look, the more innovations you discover. This also applies to the new ball physics, which are particularly noticeable when the ball sails through the air over long distances. Then it spins and turns, and sometimes lands differently than you are used to from FIFA 21.
When you press R1 for pressing, the corresponding player is clearly indicated. Additionally, the player loses stamina and simply stops attacking. Defending may therefore become somewhat more demanding; timing may be crucial.
Also a small detail, but: The net now flickers differently depending on how the ball hits it. It’s just a tiny detail, of course. But it makes a perfectly aimed shot into the corner even more satisfying when it shakes the net.
It is precisely these small effects that stand out in the first test. How strongly all these nuances ultimately impact the game remains to be seen. After all, the test version was a very early build that is said to be far from the finished game. Additionally, more testing time will be needed to evaluate the gameplay overall.
It will be exciting to see how the game develops in the coming weeks and what innovations we can still expect. The release is still a few months away. Everything known about the FIFA 22 release so far can be found here.
