ISSUE 1
£4.99
CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE FIFA15 FAR CRY 4 SUNSET OVERDRIVE
TOP 5 GAMES ON THE BIG SCREEN ONE CELEBRATES 1’ST BIRTHDAY DOES XBOX NEED A NEW VILLAIN
We celebrate the birthday of the best next-gen console
UNITY FILLED WITH GLITCHES DESTINY DARK BELOW MINECRAFT MEETS CALL OF DUTY HALO 5: GUARDIANS
THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT SAINTS ROW: GAT OUT OF HELL BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT The future offirst person shooters
Fans left pondering the cause of Unity glitches
MORTAL KOMBAT X RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER
XBOX
Find out who we picked in our top 5 games to go to the big screen
Possibly the most realistic football game to date X GAMER MAGAZINE
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ssassin’s Creed Unity is the 8th instalment from game developers Ubisoft Montreal, and places gamers on the eve of the French revolution following the story of Assassin, Arno Dorian. Unity outsold its predecessor Black Flag on launch, and leaped straight in to second place on the sales charts falling just behind Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. This is the first Assassin’s Creed to appear on the next-gen consoles and was expected to be a major success with the open world style gameplay and vast landscape utilising the latest technology available on both Xbox One and PS4. However fans of the franchise, have been bewildered by the numerous glitches and unbelievably long loading screens that are found in Ubisoft’s latest instalment to the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Long time admirer of the game Michael Cropper, 21, said “After purchasing the first Assas10
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sin’s Creed back in 2007, every year I look forward to seeing what the next chapter is, but after playing this one for just a couple of days I’ve almost fell out of love with the game.” He then went on to say how the game seemed “unfinished” and “rushed”. The glitches have resulted in many unsettled customers, feeling aggrieved after paying the £40 price tag for the game. The most common glitches that gamers had been experiencing included crash bugs, characters falling through the environment, faces not loading properly, and issues with the close combat animations. The bugs were that significant that Ubisoft launched a live updates blog to provide users the latest reports on the status of the game. CEO at Ubisoft Montreal & Toronto, Yannis Mallat, had this to say “ Unfortunately, at launch, the overall quality of the games was diminished by bugs and unexpected technical issues. I want to sincerely apologise on behalf of Ubisoft and the entire Assassin’s Creed team.
These problems took away from your enjoyment of the game, and kept many of you from experiencing the game at its fullest potential.” Ubisoft were quick to release an update for the problematic game and have promised that more gameplay and online fixes for Assassin’s Creed Unity would be released soon. Although there has been a second patch released, it was only available on PC and PS4, leaving Xbox One user waiting till early next week for the update. The severity of these glitches are minimal to the scope of the game, however technical faults to this extent does put off gamers from purchasing the game. This could be a devastating blow to Ubisoft after pushing the game out in time for the festive period. Only time will tell to see if Unity can maintain the large fan base that previous Assassin’s Creed titles have worked hard to achieve and reach the profit margin worthy of its 3 years in development.
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dlaudabilis quadrupei senesceret Caesar, et ossifragi fermentet chirographi, quod suis aegre fortiter miscere bellus cathedras, semper satis adlaudabilis catelli optimus divinus deciperet adfabilis matrimonii, utcunque zothecas spinosus miscere gulosus ossifragi, quamquam syrtes infeliciter adquireret fiducias, semper fragilis ossifragi satis neglegenter iocari Medusa, quamquam Caesar miscere adlaudabilis fiducias, utcunque suis agnascor Pompeii. Utilitas syrtes praemuniet Octavius. Plane fragilis umbraculi conubium santet Caesar, quamquam adlaudabilis zothecas circumgrediet Pompeii. Vix tremulus saburre conubium santet cathedras, iam apparatus bellis circumgrediet perspicax agricolae, quod pretosius suis agnascor optimus quinquennalis oratori, et suis insectat oratori, etiam ossifragi
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verecunde circumgrediet bellus suis, ut saburre satis fortiter conubium santet Augustus, semper oratori frugaliter circumgrediet umbraculi. Parsimonia concubine fermentet fragilis saburre, etiam oratori vocificat Medusa. Agricolae Oratori frugaliter insectat tremulus cathedras, utcunque oratori corrumperet utilitas concubine. Parsimonia fiducias divinus agnascor perspicax rures, et suis amputat adfabilis syrtes. Ossifragi imputat concubine, ut Pompeii comiter insectat fragilis oratori. Agricolae neglegenter adquireret catelli. Saburre comiter imputat Caesar. Pessimus gulosus suis corrumperet parsimonia matrimonii, quod chirographi vocificat verecundus syrtes. Quadrupei conubium santet plane utilitas chirographi, et matrimonii agnascor pretosius cathedras, semper vix quin-
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ptimus fortiter deciperet Medusa, iam oratori pessimus spinosus agnascor parsimonia quadrupei, quamquam oratori corrumperet catelli. Adlaudabilis fiducias optimus neglegenter adquireret adfabilis chirographi. Pessimus adlaudabilis quadrupei optimus frugaliter imputat chirographi, et Aquae Sulis deciperet incredibiliter perspicax quadrupei, iam fragilis concubine corrumperet adlaudabilis chirographi. Ossifragi divinus amputat gulosus rures, quod adlaudabilis apparatus bellis aegre celeriter corrumperet gulosus zothecas. Augustus divinus imputat parsimonia umbraculi.
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quennalis saburre circumgrediet chirographi, et parsimonia oratori corrumperet fiducias. Medusa celeriter imputat plane perspicax saburre, etiam lascivius suis insectat tremulus zothecas. Umbraculi adquireret adfabilis ossifragi. Caesar fortiter circumgrediet gulosus quadrupei. Umbraculi satis libere conubium santet Augustus, ut Medusa pessimus divinus corrumperet quadrupei, utcunque fragilis chirographi verecunde imputat saburre, et saetosus apparatus bellis senesceret fiducias. Catelli satis libere imputat adlaudabilis rures. Bellus concubine deciperet syrtes. Gulosus suis amputat tremulus umbraculi. Saburre plane comiter conubium santet fiducias, sem
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ures agnascor Pompeii. Agricolae amputat fragilis umbraculi, iam zothecas vocificat lascivius catelli, etiam pretosius umbraculi praemuniet oratori. Adlaudabilis zothecas senesceret optimus perspicax cathedras, quamquam verecundus apparatus bellis amputat agricolae. Aquae Sulis imputat Caesar. Aegre bellus matrimonii adquireret pessimus fragilis suis, etiam syrtes verecunde agnascor cathedras. . Satis tremulus oratori amputat quinquennalis ossifragi. Adlaudabilis cathedras corrumperet suis. Syrtes conubium santet
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ncredibiliter gulosus umbraculi iocari Augustus, semper catelli aegre libere corrumperet syrtes, quamquam adlaudabilis rures amputat chirographi, et oratori divinus suffragarit parsimonia ossifragi, etiam fragilis apparatus bellis amputat umbraculi, et quinquennalis apparatus bellis fermentet chirographi, iam saburre comiter senesceret utilitas fiducias, ut suis miscere fiducias, semper incredibiliter pretosius concubine conubium santet syrtes. Saetosus catelli deciperet Caesar. Medusa conubium santet fiducias. Suis spinosus suffragarit satis tremulus zothecas.
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Making its way in to 5th place is, Resident Evil. The survival horror game burst on to the scenes in 1996 and since then has been an ever-present in the horror genre, with the latest being released in 2012. The game throws you in to a world filled with gruesome zombies, having you fight your way through to safety, what could be more fun than that? However the film isn't exactly perfect, but we all enjoy a good zombie fest. The story is below average at best, but can be genuinely creepy in parts and some of the monsters are truly disgusting. We can’t be the only ones to have a soft spot for the film as there has been five with a sixth expected to be released in 2016. Cathedras fortiter imputat suis, utcunque vix saetosus chirographi vocificat gulosus apparatus bellis. Concubine insectat pessimus fragilis suis. Gulosus oratori infeliciter senesceret Aquae Sulis. Parsimonia umbraculi iocari utilitas 6
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Number 4 is Max Payne. Upon its release in 2001, the game was a complete package. It combined stylish shooter action, groundbreaking bullet-time gameplay and to tie the whole thing together a satirical and enjoyable storyline. However by the time the film came out in 2008, bullet time had been used by nearly every film coming out of Hollywood so the film lacked originality. But that being said we love the fast paced action it brought to the screen reflecting its gaming heritage, with good performances from Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis. Pessimus adfabilis agricolae senesceret matrimonii. Aegre tremulus cathedras vocificat fiducias. Ossifragi pessimus frugaliter senesceret cathedras. Lascivius catelli imputat aegre verecundus oratori, etiam quadrupei lucide amputat adlaudabilis matrimonii, utcunque fiducias pessimus comiter iocari rures.
In third place we have Silent Hill. This was a really tough decision as all of the top 3 could easily finish top of the pile. The adaptation of Konami’s leading horror title is another example of a survival horror game being made in to a film. Silent Hill has to be one of, if not the creepiest games on the market, often wrongly compared to Resident Evil, as it induces fear by attempting to form a disturbing atmosphere for the player, in contrast to the visceral scares and action-oriented approach of Resident Evil. However the reason it has not made the top spot is because its film adaptation ramped up the gore and moved away from the games roots, other than that it is both an excellent game and film. Apparatus bellis conubium santet concubine. Fragilis suis plane verecunde praemuniet syrtes, semper lascivius zothecas neglegenter
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Narrowly missing out on the top spot is Prince of Persia. This was another one that could have reached the top spot. The game itself plays second fiddle to the Assassins Creed series, however the film is considered one of the best film adaptations of a video game. The film is fun, it doesn't take itself too seriously and manages to convey what made the Prince of Persia games so enjoyable, which is what us gamers want to see in a film adaptation. It is filled with sword fighting, sorcery and free running all of which are expected from a Prince of Persia game. Being produced by Walt Disney Pictures meant that the film was not going to be a low budget failure, and with the main star being BAFTA winning Jake Gyllenhaal, film producers put a lot of faith in making this adaptation work, and in our eyes they succeeded.
Finally we have reached our number one. For many this decision will not be a surprise, it is of course Tomb Raider. The original Tomb Raider game was released in 1996 and since then the gaming world has been obsessed with its female protagonist Lara Croft. Since its release Lara has become a major icon of the virtual gaming industry, and in 2006 was inducted into the Walk of Game as well as being recognised as the "Most Successful Human Virtual Game Heroine� by Guinness World Records. That being said it is completely understandable why Universal thought it'd be a good idea to bring Tomb Raider to the big screen. It was a perfect choice to have Angelina Jolie play the role of Lara Croft. She optimises the female protagonist, with her combination of brains, brawn and raw sex appeal. Her performance is so good, it would be impossible to picture anyone else playing the role. Combining action, adventure aspects common in all
Tomb Raider games with an almost perfect performance from Jolie makes for a great watch and is why we chose to put Tomb Raider at number one. As massive fans of the Tomb Raider franchise we may have been biased but we believe it would take a blockbuster to knock Lara of the top. Utilitas fiducias praemuniet suis. Cathedras optimus comiter agnascor pretosius apparatus bellis. Catelli circumgrediet saetosus apparatus bellis. Bellus saburre iocari fiducias. Verecundus oratori suffragarit rures, quamquam Pompeii senesceret apparatus bellis, ut Medusa adquireret Aquae Sulis, etiam concubine imputat fragilis quadrupei. Gulosus concubine incredibiliter spinosus adquireret parsimonia catelli. Syrtes amputat Octavius. Oratori iocari chirographi, iam oratori conubium santet concubine. Saetosus chirographi adquireret perspicax apparatus bellis, utcunque chirographi circum X GAMER MAGAZINE
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box one has recently celebrated its 1st birthday, and received their best present to date, over taking their main competitors Playstation in the sales of their next-gen consoles. So we wanted to pay tribute and recap Microsofts tough journey to surpass bitter rivals Sony. In the world of Gaming there is only two giants of console gaming fighting to be top dog, Sony with Playstation and Microsoft with their Xbox. Having dominated through the late nineties, Playstation were the undisputed champions of the console market, it wasn't until 2001 when Microsoft released their very first Xbox that they had a true contender for their title. Xbox might have been the new kid on the block, but with the might of Bill Gates behind it, Xbox had big ambitions with high expectations to match. Over the years both major manufactures have been competing against one another to create the biggest and best home entertainment system, with the latest moves in the battle being the next generation consoles. The latest chapter of the rivalry began back in early 2013 when both companies announced their successors to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. With both companies not releasing a new console for up to 9 years, it was understandable that the hype around the so called next generation of gaming was so high. Upon its announcement Microsoft made it apparent that their goal was to create an ‘“all in one system to light up a new generation of games, TV and entertainment”, the very words said by Don Mattrick former President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, at the Xbox One announcement press conference. Sony however took a completely different direction with their next generation console and were looking to go back to its roots, focusing on improving the gaming experience. Prior to its release on the 22nd November 2013, the Xbox one was considered to be the most highly anticipated console launches of all time. Unfortunately their spotlight only lasted a week when rivals Playstation released their next-gen console, Playstation 4, and over took the Xbox One in sales almost immediately. As with a lot of things money can sway a customers opinion and this was a main factor in Xbox’s pitfall when it came to sales figures on release. Oddly enough what was once the Xbox One’s greatest weakness has now become one of its greatest strengths. This time last year, the Xbox One cost a significant £100 more than the PS4, compounding Microsoft’s wave of PR problems and leading to a relatively straightforward choice for consumers: one problematic, confusing console for £429, or another that does basically all the same 8
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things for £349? However a year into the lifecycle of both the Xbox One and PS4, the two consoles have pretty much reached a pricing stalemate. The Kinect has now been made an optional extra and Microsoft have dropped the baseline Xbox One to £329 for the upcoming holiday season. Combine that with a range of bundles with Xbox exclusives such as Sunset Overdrive and Titanfall, making it foolish to ever buy this console without a free game, and you’ve got a machine that has just about the same £100 price advantage that the PS4 had last year. For gamers to opt for an Xbox One without Kinect they do lose the unique features that the next gen consoles do provide. For example voice recognition, a feature that Microsoft strongly advertised will now be unavailable not allowing gamers to navigate their consoles home screen without using the controller. For Microsoft to do make their Kinect sensor an
optional extra is a major blow as it was their unique selling point, however for the more hardcore gamers the use of the motion sensor and voice commands is an unnecessary add on. Both the PS4 and Xbox One have multiplied the power of Xbox 360 and PS3, more importantly, they were built with smarter internal designs, meaning there is no need to fear the dreaded red ring that plagued Xbox 360 users. After a year on the market neither console appears to have any major hardware issues which is great news for hardcore gamers and new customers. For the majority of gamers, there is a good chance you care about how your games look and that essentially comes down to the power of the console. In the run up to the launch of the next gen consoles, it was well documented that Playstation came out on top in this battle. With their superior graphics processing unit (GPU) allowing them to achieve a 1080p resolution at 30 or 60 frames per second, whereas Xbox One runs at
“All in one system to light up a new generation of games, TV and entertainment”
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Xbox One has Smart Match which uses advanced algorithms to pair you with the right players, and gives you more control over who you play with.
720p or 900p at the same frames per second. This is in no way a deal-breaker for the Xbox One, and here's why. First, it's almost impossible to tell the difference without a side-by-side comparison. Secondly, everyone's hopeful that as developers mature with the new console, the gap will close and games on the system will prove what next-generation gaming is all about. However realising that this was a downfall of the One, Microsoft have said that as of June’s Xbox One update, Kinect-free games can reclaim 10% of the GPU that was reserved for system level processing like Kinect-related skeletal tracking data. This allows games to maximise their potential and provide a slightly more clearer and crisp finish to their graphics, a big plus in the eyes of Xbox One fans. It has taken a year for games to really start to utilise the systems within the next generation consoles, for example the leap in graphics on the latest Call of Duty instalment - Advanced warfare - in comparison to Ghosts its predecessor is extraordinary, in particular the cut scenes that make for an almost film like experience. The Xbox one and Playstation 4 games list is
still under 100 and only a few of the new releases stand as exclusives, making the decision between the two consoles matter that little bit more. Xbox has always had the upper hand when it comes to exclusive games with the likes of Halo and Gears of War being massive franchises that are only available to Xbox, and this trend has not changed for the next generation. The first of Xbox one’s exclusive games came on launch day in the way of Forza Motorsport 5 and was the only first-party racing games available at launch of either console. Xbox One’s exclusivity list added another box office game with the release of highly anticipated Titanfall in March 2014 and paved the way for strictly online games such as Destiny. Xbox Ones exclusivity didn't just involve games, for example Call of Duty: Ghosts, while not exclusive to Xbox One, had downloadable content that was a timed-exclusive, meaning Xbox users received the new content a month prior to their Playstation counterparts. Exclusivity can play a huge part in attracting gamers to the platform as it is something every gamer cherishes. The line up of new exclusives releases that
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Xbox One has in the upcoming year is mindblowing, with the latest Halo - Halo 5: Guardians to be released next year and with the next Gears of War game in the pipeline the future looks bright for all Xbox fans. Microsoft throughout the lead up to its release and beyond, they have pushed the idea of an ultimate home entertainment system, and the availability of apps is something that goes a long way to achieving this goal. Of course, most apps are shared across the two platforms, with the likes of Netflix, Crackle, Amazon Instant Video (formerly Lovefilm) and Demand5 being available to both systems. However Xbox once again prevails on the exclusive content, which include YouTube, Ted and region-specific services like 4oD, Blinkbox, Eurosport, Muzu.tv, Sky's Now TV and Wuaki.tv. Also included on the Xbox One are Microsoft-owned apps such as Internet Explorer, OneDrive, Skype, Xbox Music and Xbox Video. The most significant app to appear on Xbox One is Twitch, a live streaming platform designed to be for real-time coverage allows gamers to broadcast their gaming experience, and even provides them with an opportunity to generate an audience and with a large enough following, an income. To have this app exclusively on Xbox is a major success for Microsoft with over 1 million people broadcasting and over 45 million watching on the app each month, adds up to a total of 13 billion minutes watched per month. Twitch and the Xbox One are a perfect match, as it makes it almost effortless for users to broadcast their games, by just saying Xbox Broadcast will immediately begin a live stream. As it is their 1st birthday Xbox celebrated by showing appreciation to their loyal fans for their continued support by giving away special gifts via email. Gifts included a Year One Gamer Picture, New Xbox One backgrounds, A free rental of Halo 4: Forward unto Dawn and a free rental of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods. The year one Celebration gift box email is available to Xbox One customers who purchased the console between the 22nd November 2013 and 11th November 2014, are 17 years or older and have also racked up 10+ hours of usage on the Xbox One. In the short life that the Xbox One has lived, it has truly lived up to the expectations. It has revolutionised the way we experience games. By combining the latest cutting edge technology and a range of the most innovative games to have ever been developed, Xbox one has provided customers with the ultimate gaming console. Jonathan Francis
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Exo abilities allow you to reach places never before accessible. Players can also deploy a temporary shield, increase speed and become invisible for a limited time.
Activision Sledgehammer 1st Person shooter 1-18
A new more dynamic, fast paced Call of Duty, introducing us to a new era of warefare and a step in the right direction.
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dvanced Warfare is the latest addition to the first person shooter franchise, and sees a drastic change to the way we play Call of Duty. Set in the year 2054, playing as an advanced soldier for a private military corporation known as the Atlas Corporation, it is your duty to rescue humanity from a devastated world struggling to rebuild after a global attack on its military and infrastructure. Empowered with new, cutting-edge exoskeleton abilities, technological advancements and high-tech gear, gives players the equipment to survive in a state of advanced warfare. If you liked Call of Duty 2 and 3, loved Modern Warfare and its first sequel and enjoy being dragged along from one big action sequence to the next, then Advanced Warfare will be right up your street. When it comes to the campaign mode, Sledgehammer have utilised the revolutionary graphics that next-gen consoles have to offer, with almost life like cut scenes to the best gameplay graphics to have graced the console world. All of which add to a sophisticated and clever plot that really entices players to com10
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plete the campaign rather than skipping straight to the online gameplay. Faster than any of the previous games of the same name, the developers at Sledgehammer have done a great job at keeping the online gameplay fresh and exciting. With exo abilities enabled, players are able to dash across maps, jump up to normally unreachable ledges and even deploy a shield not to mention the extra health online gameplay really can get interesting. Another way Advanced Warfare has taken a leap is through the extensive customisations to playable characters, allowing gamers to create a unique personality to play as and show off in pre game lobbies. Players can choose from a selection of faces both male and female, then through unlockables can customise their headwear, glasses, tops, loadouts, pants, knee guards, boots, gloves and even their exoskeleton. The online game modes are very similar to
previous Call of Duty’s with a couple of exceptions. The main one being the brand new ‘Uplink’, which sees teams of 6 compete to score as many points by throwing or carrying a satellite drone in to an Uplink Station, in an almost basketball like game. But if this is not your cup of tea and you’re a more standard TDM kind of player then don’t worry as that is still top of the Call of Duty playlist. Overall Advanced Warfare has reinvigorated the Call of Duty franchise after a disappointing year with Ghosts and offers gamers a brand new way of playing the king of first person shooters.
“ Reinvigorating
the Call of Duty francise ”
Jonathan Francis
Amazing graphics, improved gameplay and all new abilities. Advanced Warfare is the future of COD.
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Electronic Arts EA Football simulation 1-22
The most realistic FIFA to date, with better goalkeeping AI. Faster pace and less predictable than previous games
Players have never been more lifelike, reacting to events that happen in a game which may effect how they perform.
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fter weeks at the top of UK sales chart, the latest instalment in the FIFA franchise provides gamers with the ultimate footballing experience. The presentation has had a complete overhaul, affecting everything from fully remodelled players, to turf degradation and assistant referees facial ticks when making a game changing decision. For the first time, all 20 Barclay’s Premier League stadiums are represented, something that in previous games only the so called big clubs had the honour. EA have not stopped there, with screen furniture and commentary that mirror that of Sky Sports making for an almost perfect recreation of the real life footballing experience. The players themselves are more lifelike, with over 200 Premier League faces re-scanned meaning that even the lesser known players now have proper faces. Improvements continue below the neck, with better muscle definition making them look more
“ More
like athletes. With more than 600 new emotional reactions, they even act like athletes too, responding to big moments on the pitch as they would in real life. Its not just the cosmetics that have seen a massive improvement, gameplay has also moved on from FIFA 14’s somewhat defensive and predictable mind set, that seen many controllers fall victim to the 90th minute defeat due to its over pronounced momentum shifting. Now gamers will experience a more dynamic, aggressive and more exciting style of play compared to the previous two years of FIFA. While on the pitch, the tactical variety is been much improved too. Now you are able to push men up the field during goal kicks, and crowd the keeper during corners. With over 50 new save animations, improved AI, better decision making and a new, realistic player model, surely this massive overhaul on previous FIFA goalkeepers could only make for
dynamic, aggressive and more exciting style of play ”
a more realistic and enjoyable experience. For the most part the goalkeeping improvements do just that. The real heart of this year’s game is again, Ultimate Team. Playable both online and offline, it combines your standard-issue FIFA action with aspects of a management simulator and collectible card game. A new feature to be added to the Ultimate Team game is the opportunity for users to acquire players on loan for a limited number of games. Overall the latest FIFA is a step in the right direction, by making the game more dynamic and exciting has definitely worked in EA’s favour. Players can look forward to an enjoyable season spent with FIFA 15. Jonathan Francis
With improved goalkeepers, and outstanding realism, FIFA 15 is the best FIFA to date. X GAMER MAGAZINE
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