To fully understand where FIFA13 stands now, the story of FIFA 12 must be briefly told. In the minds of EA developers, FIFA 11 had two major issues. First, "ping-pong" passing dominated the offensive game. Players were able to make perfectly accurate passes even if they received hard passes or passes that forced them to fall over, fall off balance, etc. in order to move the ball to the next player. With the ability to have a player pass and then make a run using LB (or L1 on the PS3), the lack of lost accuracy on difficult passes led to a flurry of quick one-two exchanges up the field, resembling a ping-pong match. It was very hard to stop.
That did not mean there were issues on defense as well. In FIFA 11, the B (Circle) button was used to call an additional defender to press. Holding the A (X) button would cause the controlled player to mirror the opponents dribbling and then steal the ball. It was lockdown 1-vs-1 defense in a single button. Interestingly enough, that simply exacerbated the ping-pong passing problem, as it made beating defenders individually difficult. FIFA developers recognized both problems and went about fixing it in the 2012 version of the soccer franchise.
2012 largely did fix both issues. First, passes became less accurate, especially if the player was forced to make a pass while contorting his body or when the service to him was hard to handle. Ping-pong passing became more difficult and gamers were forced to adjust by choosing to attempt passes that were likely to be completed.
On defense, the buttons were switched and a new defensive action was installed into the game. RB (R1) became the "call for second defender pressure" button. A (X) remained similar, but a player now keeps his distance and does not steal the ball. To steal the ball, a gamer must press the B (Circle) button to make a standing challenge, attempting to knock the ball from the offensive player. In doing so, he makes himself vulnerable to being dribbled past if he misses or he could commit a foul. Now, if an offensive player dribbles directly at a defender being controlled by a gamer holding the A (X) button, he will automatically perform a standing tackle and almost always steal the ball. However, the defensive player will not pressure the ball unless manually instructed to so either by use of the left analog stick or B (Circle). This ensures a offensive player will not lose the ball simply because the gamer on defense holds A (X). Defense became harder. Overall, the tweaks to passing and to defense meant that FIFA 12 required a higher skill threshold and became more interactive for the gamer. Both changes were welcome and positive ones.
FIFA 12 also featured one other major addition. Online play changed. In the past, teams were matched up based on a level, each gamer had an overall record, and there was an overall leaderboard. Apart from the elite players that topped the leaderboard, there was little interaction for the more casual fan. It didn't necessarily feel like soccer either. Online seasons changed that. Instead of game after game with seemingly no long-term impact, games played individual seasons. Each season consists of 10 games. A gamer gets 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for loss, exactly like European Soccer. There are also 10 tiers. Each tier requires a certain amount of points for promotion and there is a threshold that must be met to avoid relegation. Once a gamer hits the top tier, a certain amount of points - 20 points in 2012 - results in a league title, the ultimate online seasons accomplishment. Finally, every other weekend, online cups added a tournament element to online play.
FIFA 13 built on the foundation laid by FIFA 12. The buttons have not changed at all; FIFA developers were satisfied with the B (Circle) button as standing tackle. Mechanics and interface have been tweaked slightly. Ping-pong passing has been further punished, as trapping became harder. Forceful passes have become more difficult to control and first touches have became less delicate. In that same vein, there is a very noticeable chasm - wider in years past - between skilled players and lesser skilled players, especially in first touch ability. Finishing has become more realistic; keepers are no longer are glued to the near post. Corner-kicks are more dangerous, as keepers don't gobble up any services remotely near the 6-yard box.
Minor interface changes have also improved the game. First, the tutorials have been expanded. There are several skill challenges in multiple categories; shooting, passing, crossing, dribbling, etc. All of them are genuinely useful in teaching and developing FIFA gaming skills for both newbies and veterans. Online seasons also included a nice new change. Roster and formation changes are saved so gamers don't have to alter them every time they fire up their Xbox 360 or PS3. Points threshold have also been increased, making season advancement harder.
Finally, there is the staple of FIFA for 3 years now, Fifa Ultimate Team. For those unfamiliar with Ultimate Team, it combines FIFA gameplay with the elements of trading card games. Gamers use coins earned through playing and trading to buy players - either off an auction house or by buying card packs - and fit them into their own personal ultimate team. There are other facets involved including contracts and chemistry. In FIFA 13, seasons were added to Ultimate Team, sprucing up that aspect of the game.
Every year, companies will claim that the new version of their game is better. Similar claims were made about FIFA 13. Those claims were largely true in this instance. It must be noted, FIFA 13 wasn't revolutionary. FIFA 12, on the other hand, was revolutionary. However, with revolution comes a mess. FIFA 12 left behind a mess that FIFA 13 cleaned up with small changes that polished the overall feel and presentation of the game. In essence FIFA 12 did the dirty, grunge work that allowed FIFA 13 to shine and shine it has. FIFA 13 has my seal of approval.
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