FIFA 17: Analyzing Latest Trailer and Career Mode Features

The release of FIFA 17 is drawing ever closer, and while fans of the franchise haven't seen a new trailer in some time, EA Sports lead producer Garreth Reeder has given gamers worldwide plenty of reason to be excited by confirming the demo will be released this coming Tuesday.

Reed provided few details of the demo in an interview with Ricardo C. Esteves of Gamereactor, so it's unclear which teams and modes will be playable. The demo release also falls remarkably close to the full game release, which is scheduled for September 27 in North America and September 29 for the rest of the world.

This year's biggest innovation is undoubtedly the introduction of a story mode, called "The Journey," which is a feature gamers have been waiting on for some time now. Here's a look at the latest trailer EA Sports released for The Journey:

Other sports games―most notably the NBA2K series―have found plenty of success with their story-driven modes in the last few years, and while EA Sports have gone rather conservative with their first try―you'll be playing a fixed character named Alex Hunter rather than creating your own―it's undoubtedly something the company will expand on in the coming years.

The big question is whether the emphasis on The Journey has had an impact on the development of this year's Career Mode, which has long been the primary mode for single-player gamers.

Charley Gallay/Getty Images

The manager mode finally saw some clear changes in FIFA 16, with the introduction of a training system, an addition fans had wanted for years. While that marked a nice step in the right direction, the mode played much the same way as it did in FIFA 15, but it appears that won't be the case this year.

Per EA Sports' official website, there will be a renewed emphasis on managing a club in this year's Career Mode, thanks to the introduction of Total Club Management:

"

Total Club Management gives you new objectives to fulfill based upon your board's priorities. Each team now has a unique personality which dictates the goals you'll need to achieve in both the short and long term to succeed at your club. ...

Promote youth players, return to the top division, expand your club's brand in Asia, sign world class players - these are just some examples of the objectives you can expect in Career Mode in FIFA 17.

"

In short, aspiring managers will have to do far more than just win matches in FIFA 17. The club board will also ask the player to work on things like brand exposure and talent development, setting clear goals in each category.

Futhead TV were invited to try the new mode and gave their impressions:

The enhanced set of objectives should add to the replay value of Career Mode, as guiding a mid-level club or even a team from the lower tiers of football will be far different from managing a top club.

Like The Journey, there's a good chance Total Club Management won't be perfect out of the gate―Futhead TV noted the additions weren't always clear or even logical―but it should provide EA Sports with a foundation to expand upon.

Gamers who prefer to spend their time playing Career Mode haven't seen many new challenges in the past few editions of the game, but that won't be the case in FIFA 17. EA Sports are even introducing a new league, per their official Twitter account:

The financial system has also seen some changes with the addition of Club Worth, which will take into account things like matchday revenue and merchandising. And for the first time ever, players will be able to choose an avatar for their manager and watch as he goes to work on the sidelines during matches.

While The Journey and Ultimate Team will undoubtedly soak up the headlines this year, it's good to see EA Sports didn't just leave Career Mode as it was. The list of new features may not be very long, but the addition of Total Club Management should ensure the mode doesn't feel exactly the same as it did in the past.

The introduction of proper press conferences in The Journey might lead to more features that carry over to Career Mode in future editions of the game, but for now, fans will have to dive into the story mode to get the full cinematic experience.