As confirmed at EA’s press conference, FIFA 17 will receiving a couple of major updates this year. Firstly, FIFA has been moved onto Frostbite, the game engine developed by EA Dice for graphically intensive games such as the Battlefield series. This is the technology behind the majority of EA’s upcoming and recent lineup, including Battlefield 1, Mass Effect Andromeda and Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst. The result of this transition is that FIFA 17 will feature realistic lighting and animation improvements that haven’t been possible in previous iterations.
At the E3 press conference, newly-appointed Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho appeared on stage. This was to showcase the new technology and the facial mapping techniques they’ve used to create many famous players and managers in the game. FIFA 17 also has four player ambassadors to lend to the game’s authenticity; James Rodriguez, Eden Hazard, Anthony Martial and Marco Reus.
Secondly, FIFA 17 will also feature a story mode. This will play out almost like a role-playing adventure in which your young football prospect rises to the top to become a world-class superstar. You will take control of youngster Alex Hunter, charting his rise to success through a series of matches and life dramas. Interestingly, your choices will shape the narrative of the story, so you’ll get to choose how your character reacts if he gets sent out on loan, and will affect your relationships with other players and managers.
FIFA 17 is scheduled to be released on 27 September 2016. As of 2011, the series has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling sports video game franchise in the world.
