Tuesday 11 October 2016 10:55, UK
![Eden Hazard [left] and Anthony Martial [right] face off](https://e0.365dm.com/16/09/768x432/eden-hazard-anthony-martial-football-fifa-17_3794699.jpg?20160926164733)
David Bytheway is one of the best FIFA gamers in the world, having reached the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) Grand Final in 2014.
He was signed by Bundesliga club Wolfsburg in February, and now represents the team at official tournaments and during online streams.
Bytheway got an early look at FIFA 17, which is released in the UK on Thursday. He takes us through what to expect...
FIFA 17 has a revamped engine called Frostbite and as you'd expect, the graphics displayed are by far the best yet - but has the gameplay also improved? The simple answer is yes.
EA have written a completely new set-piece system that adds another layer to the skill gap. It allows you to select the area in which you want the ball to swing into, providing a greater lever of control. You can also select a player and move them as you wish; really giving yourself an extra advantage at free-kicks and corners.
After you select the delivery, you position your player wherever you want; either in the ball's flight path or in an area to run into. You then press the cross button and in comes the ball. It's an interesting new wrinkle and it works well.
EA didn't have to do any of this, the old set-piece system was fine, so it was definitely a risk but in my opinion, but it's one that's paid off!
They have also added another tweak called the "threaded through ball". It's easy enough to do, just use the RB/R1 button and you see the difference immediately. It's a great addition and one that makes counter-attacks absolutely lethal.
As always, EA have added new skills too. In competitive play, fancy skills are usually useless as you just don't get the time on the ball to execute the move. But they are nice on the eye and if you manage to put together a combination you will have your opponent tearing their hair out.
The passing on FIFA 16 was so unpredictable it was infuriating, but thankfully on 17 it's much better.
You can play some lovely one-touch passes and really move up the pitch quickly and through balls have also improved. Sometimes your player still plays the pass on the wrong side of the defender but it's nowhere near as often as it was on last year's game.
Each year this changes. The main issue is one type of shooting is always so much more effective than the others. For obvious reasons the developers then correct it on the following edition, but unwittingly they'll make another shooting method too effective. See lobs or curling shots in previous games.
Scoring from distance and shooting across the goalkeeper is the technique to use this year but I really do credit the new shooting logic - it couldn't be more realistic.
For me, the only thing missing in the past was the ability to drive low shots across the 'keeper. You see these goals a lot in real life but it was next to impossible to do. The developers noticed this and it is extremely effective now. Good news.
This might be a surprise to some, but Manchester United are great and the reason is simple. Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Crossing is a genuine go-to method of scoring now, compared to FIFA 16, when it was about as useful as a chocolate teapot. So, as Ibrahimovic wins the vast majority of his aerial battles, he has proved the difference in quite a lot of my matches.
Real Madrid are always in the conversation because they have players like Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, who demonstrate the perfect balance of speed, height, strength and shooting ability.
Real Madrid can play any style you want and the players will complement whichever method you choose. They have the pace to counter, the technique to keep the ball, the height and strength to win headers and so much more.
Most players switch throughout the year for various reasons, whether it's a change of styles or simply a formation stops working. So far, the formations that stand out for team balance are:
Without doubt the best formation last season. The two strikers and central attacking midfielder really allowed for fast attacking football and this year it is still an extremely effective set-up. It's well balanced and floods the centre, making it difficult for your opponent to find space.
An old favourite and one you used to see in around 90 per cent of competitive matches. It was the perfect formation until the fast-paced nature of FIFA 16 made it an impractical choice. So far, it seems to have regained its balance and is once again that frustrating, hard-to-break-down set-up it once was.
People are always surprised when Lionel Messi gets overlooked. On rating, he is still one of the best on the game, second best in fact. But when it comes down to actually using him, he struggles to make the top five.
Ronaldo will always be the perfect player because he is such a complete athlete. He has it all; five-star skills, aerial ability, speed, shooting, weaker foot. He is just about the complete package.
If Messi had the five-star skill rating he would make the top five without a doubt, but he's missing that and is physically weak on the ball. Ultimately, Neymar is Barcelona's more logical choice as he gives you greater options when taking on defenders.
Ibrahimovic, as mentioned previously, is a force to be reckoned with. He wasn't used a lot on FIFA 16 because crossing was difficult, but with that changing, he is a true asset.
Of course, he doesn't have a lot of pace, but if you can hold the ball on the wings and wait for the delivery, Zlatan will more than make up for it.
It's never smart to make predictions too early, but the signs are very good. The game has taken a big step in the right direction and you can really control matches now.
FIFA 16 often made possession strategies difficult because the ball bounced around between players too much. For me, it was the biggest problem last year.
But now that looks to be solved, it opens up the game to those fans who like to play the famous "tiki-taka".
