Pros:
- Dribbling is a true joy. Can't get enough of it.
- There's a difference in players' pace. I can actually get away from defenders!
- Teams' defensive shapes are 100x better
- Attacking AI has improved vastly. A bit static at times in terms of forward runs, but I guess that can be tweaked via custom tactics and run frequency slider.
- Defending is harder, but the tackle radius could do some further reducing. Not by much, however.
- Lobbed trough pass spamming is gone!
- Shooting is much more varied, and better in general.
Cons:
- Player individuality is still lacking. In general, they're just too skillful. Eg. Ambrosini has the ball control of a mid-table team's playmaker and the passing skills to match it. First touches are way too good in general, whether it's trapping of the ball or quick passing.
- Crossing is still too accurate. Granted, defenders are more capable in defending them, but the issue still remains. Needs more variety in terms of quality.
- Even though the defensive shapes are far better, players still tend to ''switch off'' at times, and especially the central midfielders lack urgency in defending.
- Passing is way too accurate. But again, I think sliders will help with that.
- Finesse shot is still too powerful. Edit: There seems to be some kind of magical sector where the finesse shot is still the monster of a play move which it was in 11, but beoynd that sector, it's effectiveness is well reduced.
- I have to use the driven ground/lob pass too often. I'd like to make ''snappier'' trough passes with the players that are capable of pulling those.
- AI doesn't make enough runs. You find yourself often stuck passing around the box, due to the lack of forward runs. The AI work nicely during the build-up phase, but the ''penetration'' is way too hard to achieve, because the AI is so static. Personally, I don't like to rely on dribbling that much. This might be adjustable via sliders and custom tactics in the final build, though.
- In relation to the previous one, there's some kind of invisible run triggering radius. The players who are long or moderate distance away from the ball carrier, won't make runs, merely the one's who are relatively close to you. It's very disappointing since EA has marketed the new ''AI vison'' feature. Eg. If I'm in possession with Xavi, players should make more ambitious runs, especially the one's who are further away.
- FB positioning is off when defending. They mark the wide men too tightly and the CPU (and the user as well, tbf), is able to play a pass between the CB and the FB 9/10 times.
- Weird referee decisions are getting annoying. I bet these get polished for the final build, but it has to be mentioned.
- Ball deflections are very unrealistic, and the ball doesn't feel ''alive''. Pretty much unchanged from the previous Fifa's.
- The combination of occasional ''switching off'' & lack of awereness from the midfielders, and the passing accuracy, make interceptions as usual as unicorns. Needs tweaking.
- The lack of player individuality is becoming more apparent. Remy is playing some Xaviesque passes to the second wave back facing the goal, Kehl has a silky touch to the ball and the footballing brain to match it, AI controlled players miss passes once in a blue moon etc. Definitely my biggest gripe so far.
All in all, there's not awful lot wrong with the demo build. Few tweaks here and there, and we're really looking at a serious contender to be the best footie game to date.
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