FIFA 22: Top Young Star Player Ratings, Release Date and Best New Features

It's all about the next generation with FIFA 22. 

That has layers to it, too. Friday's global release of the annual football mainstay is the first to go all-in on the newfound power of the next generation of consoles, both on the pitch and along its entire feature set. 

Fittingly, EA Sports decided to keep Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe on the cover for the second year in a row as a way to somewhat signify this emphasis on the future. 

Mbappe, as expected, is one of the game's highest-rated players in the "Top 22" upon the game's launch: 

But we're really dialing in on the next wave of superstar players, so FIFA 22 was kind enough to also share the names with the biggest ratings in the "upside" category for Career modes: 

Simply put, those are the budding superstars players will want to pursue in the Career modes, as they have the biggest potential payoff in the overall ratings category in the years to come. 

Speaking of potential payoffs, it doesn't get much bigger than this for FIFA. Using new technology, plus the power of the new consoles, this year's game has a slower, but more realistic-feeling pace on the pitch. New mo-cap technology, paired with what EA Sports has dubbed Hypermotion, means droves of new animations and better A.I. behavior away from the ball itself. 

Almost sounds too good to be true, but the horsepower bump provided by the new consoles makes for some significantly upgraded A.I. that has full clubs better fitting their real-life personalities (schematically speaking). It also means more varied attacks that players will have to defend, as noted in a developer diary: 

"Last year we improved several aspects of attacking players with Positioning Personality. This year with the new Tactical AI, attacking players can make up to 6 times more decisions per second, better showcasing their nuanced Player Personality. This allows them to be more aware of their surroundings, perform smarter runs in build up play, exploit spaces in the defense, and generally be in the right place at the right time more often."

The big game modes get some notable upgrades on the new systems too. Career mode, for example, finally lets players create their own clubs from the ground up, customizing every little—and big—detail, from creating kits right up to stadiums. 

The arcade-based Volta Football gets one of the game's more noteworthy outright changes thanks to the addition of a Skill Meter that rewards both flashy and smart play, making goals more valuable than they would normally be. 

EA Sports explained the thought process behind the new meter:

"We want to make VOLTA FOOTBALL feel and play differently to any of the other modes in FIFA. For FIFA 22, we prioritized playing with flair and rewarding players for taking each other on with Skill Moves, fancy passes, and wall passes. We wanted to make sure that playing with flair isn’t just possible, but that it is the main way to play VOLTA FOOTBALL. This led to the creation of the new Skill Meter system."

It makes perfect sense and playing some flashy football just matches the theme of the mode as a whole. That players can build a meter that lets a goal count as two, three or even four points is a fun, wild development that should keep things interesting, offline or against others around the globe. 

Rest assured FUT (FIFA Ultimate Team) didn't go unaddressed either. This year's changes, though, seem to primarily center on player progression. Checkpoints that prohibit a player from falling out of the highest skill bracket they've attained should make online play more appealing and quite a bit less frustrating. 

The FIFA series already had one of the most robust feature sets in all of video games. Players could spend so much time in say, Volta Football, that they never even touch FUT. That versatility in the way FIFA 22 appeals to every type of would-be player is once again a strength for the series. 

This time, though, notable upgrades to the modes are all housed in a package that for the first time sees a major gameplay rewrite across the board thanks to the next-generation consoles. That makes this year's game feel unique in the best way possible, as well as a great jumping-on point for new players, not just something returning players will want to check out, too.