FIFA 17: Top Young Star Player Ratings, Release Date and Best New Features

EA Sports aims to keep the sports simulation throne with Tuesday's release of FIFA 17.

With Marco Reus on the cover leading the way, the latest edition of one of the globe's top sports sims features lofty improvements in key areas such as physics and A.I., not to mention realism-producing upgrades on and off the pitch.

Some have their hands on the release already thanks to EA Early Access. For the rest, the wait is almost over.

Official Release Date	Systems	Sale Price
North America: Tuesday, September 27. Worldwide: Thursday, September 29.	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One	$59.99

Player Ratings and Top Young Stars

Player	Rating
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 can find a full ratings list at EA Sports' official site.

Looking at the list, there isn't much in the way of surprise, as guys such as Cristiano Ronaldo continue to dominate the sport.

For those with longevity in mind or who just love finding the needles in haystacks to build a dynasty around, there are plenty of young stars users should know about.

EA Sports released a list of hidden gems headlined by Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester United forward Anthony Martial also lands toward the top of the list of players capable of hitting 90 overall.

Given only 10 players have a rating at 90 or better, the list of young stars is one to memorize before users tackle a managerial role.

New Features and Breakdown

On the pitch, the first thing fans of the game will notice is the new physics engine.

The Frostbite engine won't be blowing away buildings into bits of rubble like it does in the Battlefield series, but it works hard and quite effectively to make each player seem more realistic and improve on one core area—ball physics.

This is important because another new feature is something fans have clamored for as well—better artificial intelligence.

In a nutshell, players the user isn't controlling will move more realistically without the ball, and some will even make mistakes based on their rating instead of the static, predictable ways of old.

One notable review, via IGN's Chris Schilling—who assigned the game an 8.4, said, "It's the most authentic FIFA has felt to me in quite a while."

This newfound realism has allowed EA Sports to make each team reflect the strategies of its real-life counterparts, meaning playing against one club won't feel like going against another despite opposite strategies in real life.

Improvements while in control of players doesn't matter much if the user has to play the same old thing over and over again. EA Sports has ensured this won't be the case with strong additions to career mode and the new The Journey mode.

The Journey is the story of Alex Hunter and his rise through the Premier League. Users can pick his position, from netminder to anywhere else, then experience what it would be like to play pro football while handling interviews and behind-the-scenes interaction rather than just the on-pitch happenings.

Career mode is another beast entirely, as it takes another step toward being the most realistic team-managing experience in a football game.

While assigning the game a score of 8.75 in his review, Game Informer's Matthew Kato detailed some of the changes: "Career mode includes more season objectives (financial, youth prospects, competitions, etc.), and thankfully not meeting them doesn't always mean instant termination—an improvement from last year."

Looking up one of those wish lists for the next edition of FIFA will unearth much of what EA Sports has accomplished. Off-pitch features new and old dive deeper than ever before. The on-pitch action has a revamped, real feel with new set pieces and better computer play all wrapped in a neat, new presentation package boasting better physics and graphics.

If it sounds like a lot—it is. But like the way fans of the sport view its young stars, fans continue to expect more and more out of the popular annual release. Like a superstar in the making, FIFA 17 delivers.