FIFA 15: Release Date, Top-Player Ratings, New Features, Preview and More

On Tuesday, FIFA 15 will release for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC. XB1 users may have already begun playing the game via preview on EA Access.

I've had the full retail version in hand for a little over a day, so that's not quite enough time to give a full impression. That said, we can go over the various features and details in this year's game.

Let's start off with some player ratings.

Top-Rated Players

Messi is King

It wasn't much of a shock to learn that cover athlete Lionel Messi is the highest-rated player in the game. At 93 overall, Messi is just one point superior to Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Two Bayern Munich stars (Manuel Neuer and Arjen Robben) and Paris Saint-Germain star Zlatan Ibrahimovic  round out the top five. The three of them are rated 90 overall.

You can take a look at the top-50 rated players by clicking at EASports.com.

Newest Features

Emotional Intelligence

FIFA 15 captures the emotions of all 22 players on the field. If you've ever watched a football match, you know, facial expressions run the gamut on the pitch. 

This is designed to drive home the authenticity that the FIFA series strives to obtain.

Players will now recognize situations during the match. Their faces will emote the proper response based on the events taking place. While this doesn't directly effect gameplay, it does add a great deal to the presentation value.

Dynamic Match Presentation

Speaking of presentation, new match details are designed to make matchday the event that it is in real life.

From region-specific behaviors, crowds and chants to situational commentary, the new dynamic match presentation hopes to change the feel of a matchday game.

Next-Gen Goalkeeper

Thankfully, goalkeeper logic has been redone in FIFA 15. It wasn't exactly a sore point in the previous versions, but the system had been in place for years, and as technology advanced, it was time to update this aspect of the series.

Team USA and Everton star Tim Howard was brought in to assist with motion capturing and to add insight that only someone who plays the position could provide. It was apparent from the demo that the physics around the goal had been improved.

It'll be great to see how things have progressed in the full retail version.

Improved Visuals

image from FIFA 15, provided by EA Sports

Graphics are always important and EA Sports clearly understands that. By using the latest 3D technology, FIFA 15 brings near photo-realistic player models to the game for the first time.

This is purely cosmetic, but a major part of realism in a video game is tied into looking authentic. This new technology ensures that this FIFA  will be the most visually realistic version yet.

Follow Brian Mazique aka FranchisePlay, the Sports Video Game Journalist