FIFA 15: Release Date, Notable Features for Franchise's Latest Edition

The second next-gen console edition of EA Sports' FIFA franchise will release September 23 in North America.

With its predecessor already having time to adjust to the PS4 and Xbox One, FIFA 15 figures to be a particularly notable entry for world football fans and gamers alike. Advertisements like the one below will only amp up the anticipation:

"Buy it — this is the biggest upgrade we’ve seen since the games came to Xbox 360 and PS3," concludes Sportsgrid.com's Jake O'Donnell in his glowing review.

While the graphics will undoubtedly take a step up as always, the new game's features will be the primary focus when critics assess the overall quality of the game.

Now that the release is less than a week away, let's shine the spotlight on some of the wrinkles that ought to make FIFA 15 an unprecedented football gaming experience.

Note: Game information and videos are courtesy of EASports.com.

Analyzing Notable Features

Next-Gen Goalkeepers

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The intersection between science and gaming is fascinating when it comes to motion-capture technology.

As much of an impression as the innovative art form is leaving in cinema in films such as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, among others, it's creating amazing authenticity in the video game industry, too.

Take FIFA 15's incredibly realistic creative control over goalkeepers as a prime example. A far more diverse array of saves and reactions to shots define the latest FIFA upgrade at the position.

USA World Cup superstar and Everton netminder Tim Howard was part of the cutting-edge approach game creators took approximately two years to put into action.

Converging motion capture with the computers' upgraded artificial intelligence will decrease the monotony and repetitiveness that tends to diminish frequent game-play simulations. The more variety EA Sports continues to present with this feature, the more unpredictable and therefore exciting FIFA will be.

This feature presents a big stride in the right direction, and since the upcoming edition marks the first time the change has been implemented, it will be fascinating to see what creators come up with next.

For now, it appears users can rely on their CPU-controlled goalkeeper to bail them out more often than in the past. A smarter keeper will also eliminate the tendency video games have to reward specific shot types with goals more than others.

Team Tactics

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Sticking with the theme of realism, part of what is making video games increasingly fascinating is the ability to enact strategies and learn more about the particular sport.

FIFA 15 allows for this with its Team Tactics feature, a subcategory that EA Sports calls "Unrivaled Intelligence." That may sound like a bold proclamation, but the game play appears to live up to the label.

Having authority over the more cerebral side of the sport gives FIFA a great balance between enhanced simulation and the opportunity to increase one's football knowledge. It can be both an educational and entertaining pastime in that sense.

Tactics such as "Park The Bus," "Time Wasting" and "In the Mixer" are available to both users and CPU based on how the match is unfolding.

AI opponents will thus press for a tying goal if they're trailing late or will go conservative to preserve a lead if they have the upper hand toward the end. Combining upgrades in tactics with faster game speed is one dynamic that makes FIFA 15 such an enthralling entry to the franchise.

Emotional Intelligence

Part of what allows the players to execute the tactics that gamer managers draw up is the magnificent Emotional Intelligence that FIFA 15 deploys.

Players have actual memory about what transpires throughout a match, which will impact how they perform on the virtual pitch. All 22 players are linked together and will have certain sentiments about each other based on how they interact.

Senior FIFA producer Nick Channon discussed how there are over 600 new emotions, so that provides an idea of just how varied each match will be. It will take dozens upon dozens of simulations to reveal all the player reactions based on the context of the match.

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EASports.com names Emotion and Intensity as "one of the core pillars" of FIFA 15.

The fact that both the crowd and the complexion of a game can affect the footballers in such a dynamic way shows some of the significant strides EA Sports is making in pushing the envelope in this franchise. FIFA is so popular that creators could opt for a "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" motto.

However, that's what makes each new release so exciting. EA Sports has so many exceptional franchises, including Madden, that there is always motivation to make the best game possible with each release.

FIFA 15 appears to live up to the hype in every way, so those who are fans of the game ought to be racing out to stores to buy it when it drops next week.