FIFA 15 Ultimate Team for Android: Daily App Pick

Posted By Puching Zhang in App Picks, Engage, Features, Gaming, Mobile, Sports, Tech

BreakingModern — Messi’s got it, he’s moving to midfield, crosses over to Rooney, Rooney takes the strike … it’s in the back of the net! GOOOOOOAL!!! And Manchester has just won the UEFA Championship in dramatic fashion.

Puching Zhang here, and that’s right, today’s review digs in to FIFA 15 Ultimate Team (UT). In short, FIFA 15 UT is the ultimate soccer game for the mobile genre — it combines innovative graphics with console-level features. Let’s begin, shall we?

Gameplay

I want to point out right away that FIFA 15 UT is not a straight port of FIFA 15, the ever-popular Electronic Arts (EA) franchise. The mobile version doesn’t allow you to jump right in, pick a real team like Real Madrid or Bayern Munich and battle against rivals. Instead, and thus the name of the game, the player is able to create their own team. This team, which can be built up with skill over time, can be played in an innovative single-player campaign against real football clubs (like those mentioned above), or you can duke it out in a huge multiplayer.

The single-player mode is what I’m really impressed with. There are over 30 leagues covering five continents and over 500 teams to play against. You can decide at any time to play against Liverpool, FC Barcelona and other legends, or you can match up against your local MLS team.

Because your team starts out with pretty low skills, don’t think that you can go toe-to-toe with the elite teams of the world right away. As the game progresses, you can buy packs that allow you to build up your team and get better players, which in turn allows you to take on other teams in better leagues.

Exhibition matches are fun, but the single-player mode also has a tournament feature, which is awesome. In tournament mode you’ll have to unlock different leagues. You start by playing leagues like the A-league in Australia before working your way to the top — leagues like La Liga in Spain or the prestigious Premier League in England (yes it’s England, Great Britain separates for football leagues) can only be played after you’ve unlocked them.

Total War

However, the best part of the game isn’t in the vast diversity of teams, but the fact that the game does what I call “going Total War.” This means when battles (or matches in this case) are played, they’re done so in real time. In FIFA 15 UT when you compete against anyone, it isn’t just a calculated simulation by the computer (which you can do, if you want) – you can actually play your characters in real time. I love this part of the game because it mirrors the aspect of FIFA 15 that console players love – scoring your own goals.

Graphics and Goals

The graphics for FIFA 15 UT are absolutely stunning. The mechanics work flawlessly, and EA has included my favorite part of any soccer game: the celebrations. Players let loose with all kinds of party tricks when that ball slams into the net — the slide, the shoe shine — all your favorite FIFA antics are in this mobile game, which really improves the transition from console to mobile.

One issue that is prevalent for FIFA 15 UT is that it’s subject to bugs. Sometimes the server is down, which makes it so you can’t connect to the game at all, which is pretty much a buzzkill when you’re stoked to score some goals.

Overall, this game deserves a 9/10. FIFA 15 UT is, essentially, a console game on your smartphone — fantastic graphics, great game modes and an awesome overall soccer experience. It’s like FIFA on the go, and plus it’s free (though there are many in-app purchases). You can get FIFA Ultimate Team for Android on Google Play or Apple iOS.

Until next time, this is Puching Zhang singing off for BMod.

All screenshots: Puching Zhang courtesy of EA