FIFA 17: Release Date, Best New Features and Cover

Led by cover boy Marco Reus, FIFA 17 promises the most comprehensive football experience ever seen on the virtual landscape.

Like Borussia Dortmund star Reus, FIFA continues to push the envelope, bringing new features to career mode, new choices on the pitch and an all new user-focused mode called "The Journey" in this year's edition.

GameSpot shared a picture of the smooth cover:

Even that doesn't do it justice, not with EA Sports using the epic Frostbite engine to run the game for the first time. That's used in games like Battlefield to knock down buildings—in FIFA 17, it will bring the most realistic physics ever seen to the world of football.

EA Access Release Date	Official Release Date	Systems	Sale Price
Thursday, August 18 (Requires $4.99 EA Access Monthly Subscription)	North America: Tuesday, September 27. Worldwide: Thursday, September 29.	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One	$59.99

Best New Features

The Journey

FIFA's new game mode, available exclusively on PC and next-generation console versions of the game, centers on the story of a young footballer by the name of Alex Hunter.

As Hunter, users can play any position they want as they attempt to etch out a career in the Premier League. Off the field, Hunter will interact with players, coaches and more through an interactive dialogue wheel akin to those found in game series such as Mass Effect and The Elder Scrolls.

This is obviously meant to allow users to project themselves onto Hunter, giving them the authentic experience of what a pro player would feel while on the pitch, talking to coaches and even deciding to go on loan.

It's an engrossing, brave initiative by EA Sports, and one sure to hit home with users based on similar modes in other sports games.

Gameplay Overhaul

Where to start?

FIFA 17 is an ambitious endeavor outside of game modes themselves. During games, users will experience new set pieces, a new intelligence system for A.I., more in-depth battles for positioning and new attack techniques.

On the attack, users can utilize a new shot meter meant to allow for more control or go into a counter more effectively through driven goal kicks. And on set pieces, users now not only have more control over corners, but also more customization than ever on free-kicks.

Perhaps best of all is the new intelligence system. In past iterations of the game, it wasn't uncommon to see off-ball players simply run around next to each other while waiting to take part in the game again. 

That changes this year. EA Sports explained the gist of it: "Now every player analyzes the proximity of their opponents and the space around them to better identify opportunities in attack. When you are on the ball, your teammates understand if you can make a pass and adjust their movement to show for you or make a new run."

It's a huge, welcome change. The increased realism away from the ball itself is another step toward keeping FIFA as the best simulation around.

Expanded Career Mode

One can't chat about new features in FIFA 17 and not mention the career mode.

It's a staple of any quality sports game, and EA Sports hasn't slacked in this regard. It's added a new league users can compete in (Japan J1 League) and used the Frostbite engine to add managers to the fray.

Each team in career mode has a board overseeing a user's progress, meaning the mode will mimic real life in that users need to meet expectations. Even better, each team has a board with a slightly different personality meant to mimic real-life counterparts.

Perhaps best of all, those who love crunching numbers or busting out spreadsheets have a new financial system to look forward to, which EA Sports broke down:

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FIFA 17 Career Mode introduces Club Worth, a rewritten and authentic club financial system with different sources of income and expense. You'll now be able to see a detailed breakdown of your income from transfers, loans, match-day revenue, media and merchandising, while your outgoings on player and scout wages, youth facilities, stadium maintenance and travel will also be visible to you in the Finances menu.

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Again, this is just another step toward making this the most realistic simulation around. For those who wanted the most in-depth experience possible, it's clear EA Sports continues to provide the tools to put users in control.

If it sounds like a lot, it is. The complexities added to FIFA 17 on and off the pitch properly reflect not only the desires of fans of the game, but of the sport itself.