Current-gen and next-gen FIFA 14 will feel very different

They may carry the same name, but there are two versions of FIFA 14 on the way this year.

September 27th sees the release of FIFA 14 on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PSP, Vita, 3DS and PS2. However, the version of FIFA 14 heading to Xbox One and PS4 (whenever they decide to make an appearance) will be a very different beast.

Current-gen FIFA 14 is a refined version of the game we play today, albeit with an impressive range of improvements that according to critics make it feel quite different to FIFA 13.

Next-gen FIFA 14, however, is built on EA’s much-touted Ignite engine. And that makes all the difference.

Put them side by side and play them one after the other, then you realise how vastly different they are. It’s remarkable,” executive producer David Rutter told OPM.

[Next-gen] gives us the ability to render with more fidelity. We’ve got roughly ten times as much animation in the next-gen version. You can take shots in places that weren’t there in previous generations. On next-gen, shooting has the full power of Ignite behind it, so you’ve got tonnes more animations in there.

We’re really pleased with the synergy between the build-up to the shot and the connection actually happening.”

Producer Kantcho Doskov added: Locomotion is the lowest-level system in FIFA gameplay, meaning it affects everything else – you change the locomotion system, you have to rebalance dribbling, positioning, first touch. All the other systems hinge on player movement.”

Next-gen FIFA 14 will contain an additional mode, too. It’s called Living Worlds and aims to capture the essence of storytelling in football like never before”.