'FIFA 17': Elite-Player Ratings, Release Date and New Star Face Scans

Tuesday, September 27 marks the return of a juggernaut of the world of video games with the release of FIFA 17.

Not content to simply drop another annual installment and call it a day, EA Sports has gone above and beyond what sports fans have come to expect with this latest edition.

Other than obvious gameplay and graphical improvements, this year's contender for top football sim features a new physics system, extensive upgrades to team-based modes and a Hollywood-inspired single-player mode.

EA Access Release Date	Official Release Date	Systems	Sale Price
Thursday, September 22 (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

But more on those upgrades in a moment.

One of the first things fans of the game flock to right out of the gates? Player ratings. How and why EA Sports comes up with the ratings always sparks an international debate, and this year won't prove much different.

As one would expect, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi lead the way, with Neymar and Luis Suarez not far behind:

Player	Rating
Cristiano Ronaldo	94
Lionel Messi	93
Neymar	92
Luis Suarez	92
Manuel Neuer	92
Gareth Bale	90
Zlatan Ibrahimovic	90
Jerome Boateng	90
Robert Lewandowski	90
David De Gea	90
Sergio Aguero	89
Mesut Ozil	89
Thibaut Courtois	89
Sergio Ramos	89
Luka Modric	89
Thiago Silva	89
Antoine Griezmann	88
Paul Pogba	88
Gonzalo Higuain	88
Pepe	88

Fans of the game can find a full ratings list at EA Sports' official site.

What seems like a close second to player ratings, though, is just how accurate the graphics can make a fan's favorite player resemble the real thing.

Given the worldwide spread of football and its stars, it is difficult for EA Sports to hit each and every locale and implement the face-scanning technology. Like it or not, some teams' players don't get the face scan and instead rely on artists to do the best they can.

Of note, the developer hooked up with Juventus over the summer to get those all-important face scans in, meaning Gianluigi Buffon, Paulo Dybala, Giorgio Chiellini and others all have official scans.

The result:

Bayern Munich also received the treatment, with superstars such as Thomas Muller, Arturo Vidal and Manuel Neuer getting full 360-degree scans.

Again, the results are nothing short of impressive:

Fans will undoubtedly find improved faces even after the game's release as the technology continues to improve.

What makes these upgrades all the more impressive is how fans can then deploy players in various game modes and action. 

For example, EA Sports has revamped the on-pitch game through the use of the Frostbite engine, a realistic physics system used in other games. This pairs with improvements such as new set pieces and better player movement off the ball to create what looks like the best football sim to date.

Users who grab this year's edition can deploy these upgrades in almost countless ways. One such way is through The Journey game mode, where users themselves are the stars of the show through Alex Hunter, who plays in whichever position the user chooses and also conducts interviews and interactions off the pitch through a new dialogue system.

Those wanting the more all-encompassing experience, in which they control teams, transfers and all the works, can return to an improved Career Mode. More refinements have hit the mode, allowing users to travel deeper down the rabbit hole than ever, controlling moves, pursuing titles and keeping a board with expectations happy, not to mention the fans.

EA Sports detailed just a small sampling of what awaits players there:

"

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.

"

It's easy to look at a game such as FIFA 17 and zero in on one aspect of improvement. In past years, one area might have been it.

This year, though, EA Sports has worked on wholesale changes in many different areas, from star face scans to how players and the ball interact in a new physics system.

In a way, EA Sports has helped redefine what sports fans should ask for in an annual video game release. With the next-generation consoles in full swing, the developer has stepped onto the field with the best edition of FIFA to date.