FIFA 15: Release Date, New Additions and Breakdown of Demo Gameplay

Anticipation is at a fever pitch for gamers worldwide with the release of FIFA 15 coming on September 23 in the United States and September 25 in Europe, and signs continue to show that this year's edition will be more than a cut above the rest.

Like in years past, EA Sports has shown a keen interest in revolutionizing the gameplay mechanics to become as realistic as humanly possible.

While they took some major strides in the first year of breaking in the next-generation consoles, it's looking more and more like a mastered product will be unveiled come the game's release.

The crazy summer transfer window that saw dozens of world-class players change locations may be enough in itself to implore folks to buy the new game and play with the new-look rosters many of the world's most notable clubs now boast.

If that's all you're looking forward to regarding the release of FIFA 15, though, you might want to keep reading.

New Additions

Added Ultimate Team Wrinkles

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The wildly popular Ultimate Team mode in FIFA has taken over the gaming world with millions of world football freaks getting in on perhaps the most intricate franchise mode in sports video gaming. 

And as should be expected in such a game mode, more enticing features are set to be rolled out in FIFA 15 as the company's website released on August 13.

First and foremost, the addition that struck me to begin with was the "concept squads." It's exactly what it sounds like—a chance for gamers to build hypothetical lineups with any player in the game.

You can't play with said team, of course, but it allows you to assess what lineups work in terms of establishing chemistry on your squad.

Among the other additions to Ultimate Team is the ability to play friendly seasons against online friends. It's largely for bragging rights between friends, but nothing is more exciting than putting your team to the test against that guy you know who always talks up his Ultimate Team squad. 

Loaning players also got a little easier for gamers, as the option is now available to sell—or buy—players on loan for a set number of matches instead of a season.

Revolutionized Goalkeepers

One of the initial things a first-time FIFA novice draws his or her attention to is the inability to play with the goalkeeper.

He's just kind of there, and although the right one can save your club the match, watching an average keeper struggle can be an unnerving—not to mention helpless—feeling.

Let's hope I didn't get your hopes up—goalies are still computer-controlled in FIFA 15. But they have been completely remastered by the guys at EA Sports.

Much like they did with field players in last year's next-generation installment, the dynamics for goalkeepers has been completely re-written in FIFA 15.

In the past, it was common to see goalies complete the same, formulaic moves, but now keepers have a new AI reading that allows them to anticipate plays like they haven't in previous games.

Of course, better goalie movement inevitably will open things up for more creative scoring chances and even more opportunities to catch those keepers off guard. But if you have a stallion in net, chances are he's going to simply look much better in FIFA 15 than he did in previous installments.

More Fluid Team Management

If you're like me and countless others, the opening few minutes of setting up a game to play revolve around endless lineup changes and tweaks in team management. The starting 11 in place almost always has to be shaken up, as do the formations and tactics a lot of the times. 

As such, EA Sports devoted some special attention to how gamers can alter their lineups by allowing them to create as many as six different team sheets for their respective squads, as EA Sports announced on August 11.

The main draw is being able to save multiple different starting lineups to swap in and out from match to match. But just as important is the ability to alter player roles, overall strategy and even a new wrinkle called "team tactics" to help dictate how your squad plays. 

It's beyond aggravating to constantly have to shake up your lineups every match in a long season, especially when it's primarily swapping between two or three different looks. Now, you can save as many as six of those to assure your favorite half-dozen lineups are cemented.

Breakdown of FIFA 15 Demo

From the opening segment of the FIFA 15 demo, when Martin Tyler observes the rain falling on London's Emirates Stadium, it just looks and feels like a completely new game.

The first improvements that caught my eye—literally two seconds into my first exhibition—were the top-notch dynamics involved with battling players for the ball.

Player movements and contact physics have been a focus for this game in recent years, but one quick demo match will leave you convinced that the platform has made huge strides there again.

Changes to how players catch passes and maintain possession has made FIFA much more realistic-looking—albeit more difficult for novices—in past years, with midfielders taking poor touches when receiving passes with a bit too much mustard on them.

That's still the case in the FIFA 15 demo, but the proper pass can set your player up for a quick first touch and help to dominate possession over your opponent.

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Another ideal tweak to the gameplay is the increased difficulty of crosses. Last year's game allowed for elite wingers to cross balls with insane accuracy, but one cross in the FIFA 15 demo and you'll realize that much more care must be administered to connect on the proper cross.

But above all else, the strides in the game's AI jump off the page most when playing the demo. Seams against the computer are quickly closed down on by opposing defenders, and breaking possession while on defense can prove treacherous.

Speed is also at a premium in this year's game—just try to play against Liverpool and contain Raheem Sterling if you don't believe me.

Speaking of the clubs involved in the demo, playing with the new-look Barcelona side is a must. While Luis Suarez has still yet to make his competitive debut for the La Liga side, lining him up alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar gives you an attacking front that no squad in FIFA 14 can hold a candle to.

Gamers won't be fully engulfed in FIFA 15 madness until its long-anticipated release, and not until then will we see the full capabilities of this game. But based on the demo and the trickles of new features that EA Sports has rolled out, the excitement should not be contained.

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