In an announcement that will shock nobody, EA Sports has unveiled 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil — a tie-in to the upcoming football World Cup set to take place this summer. However, the company’s latest footy sim is scheduled to launch before the action kicks off, with EA confirming an April 15th release for North America and April 17th for Europe.
What is surprising, though, is that the game will not be appearing on next-gen platforms; instead, EA has opted to release the latest entry into the franchise on the Xbox 360 and PS3 only due to the sizeable install bases. As a means for compensation, the One and PS4 will receive World Cup related content through FIFA Ultimate Team, though specifics weren’t mentioned at this time.
According to EA, the game is set to be a major improvement over FIFA 14 by introducing new animations and an expanded control scheme, allowing for novel dribbling techniques and flicks. Special passes have new animations, too, apparently catering for the more skilled players. In addition, the publisher has also partnered with Adidas to ensure the physics of the World Cup ball — the gorgeous looking Brazuca — are recreated accurately within the game.
Fans of previous World Cup games will also recognise several of the in-game modes. For instance, Captain Your Country will see you step into the shoes of one player to influence their nation to World Cup glory, while Road To The FIFA World Cup will allow you to play as any of the 203 nations which enter qualifying for the tournament, giving you the opportunity to amend history and see your chosen nation enter football’s supreme competition.
Before today’s announcement, EA’s last foray into a tournament-based FIFA title was the Euro 2012 add-on for FIFA 12. Marred by licensing issues that meant players were labelled with fabricated, Pro Evolution Soccer-like names, the footy spin-off experienced a turbulent release. As such, it will be interesting to see whether EA suffers from these issues again, particularly as 2014 World Cup will be released as a full-price retail title. Choosing to forgo the now current-gen platforms is also bizarre, but if it leads to a significantly better quality product, it will probably be worth it.
A short trailer for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil has been released and can be seen below. Check it out and let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments section.
Published: Feb 7, 2014 12:37 pm