FIFA 15

Lore & Background

The game features Lionel Messi on its cover, alongside different players in different parts of the world, and is the first game in the FIFA series to be fully licensed by the Premier League. FIFA 15 received positive reviews across all platforms, although the PC version in particular was criticized for the amount of bugs that were featured at release. For the third consecutive edition, the main commentators for the game are Martin Tyler and Alan Smith while commentators for international matches are Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend.

In Their Own Story

The rain had stopped, but the pitch still glistened under the floodlights. Alex Hunter wiped his hands on his shorts, feeling the familiar knot in his stomach. The trial was over. Sixty minutes of running, of chasing, of trying to be the player the scouts said he could be. Now he stood in the tunnel, the roar of the away end fading to a muffled thump behind the concrete walls, and waited for the man in the blazer to call his name.

Around him, other lads slumped on the bench, headphones in, eyes on their phones. One of them caught Alex's gaze and offered a thin, knowing smile—the look of a kid who'd been told 'not yet' before. Alex didn't look back. He could feel the weight of the season ahead pressing against his chest, the first of a hundred doors that would open or slam shut. The blazer paused at the end of the tunnel. The list was in his hand.

Alex's name was on it.

Reader's Guide

FIFA 15's Ultimate Team introduced a new feature, in which users can sign loan players for a limited duration of matches. Another new feature is The Concept Squad, where players are given access to the game's database and can create a 'dream squad'. The concept players card is grey colored. A number of new legends are also introduced to the game, including Franz Beckenbauer, Roberto Carlos, Peter Schmeichel and Hristo Stoichkov which are only available on Xbox One and Xbox 360. New goal celebrations featured in the game include Luis Suárez's 'kiss the wrist' routine, Zlatan Ibrahimović kicking the corner flag, and Cristiano Ronaldo's celebration from his second goal vs Sweden in the qualifying play-offs for the 2014 World Cup where he raises both arms and points downwards. A demo was released on 9 September 2014, with three new teams – Chelsea, Liverpool and Napoli – alongside the previous game's demo's teams: Borussia Dortmund, FC Barcelona, Manchester City, Boca Juniors and Paris Saint-Germain. A full list of the game's leagues, clubs and national teams was published on its official website on 18 September with the description 'Experience true football authenticity with FIFA 15 – featuring 35 licensed leagues, over 600 clubs, 16,000+ players and 41 licensed stadiums'. EA Sports had signed a deal with the Premier League as the Official Sports Technology Partner. This deal allows all 20 Premier League stadiums to be included in the game, including the seven stadiums from FIFA 14. Official Premier League scoreboards and television graphics are also in the game, as well as real-life referees, chants and advertising hoardings. The Italian Serie A is fully licensed in FIFA 15. All Serie B teams except the three relegated from the 2013–14 Serie A, and several Argentine clubs, feature with generic crests and kits. The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and Brazilian clubs are not licensed, due to a failure to reach agreement with the rights holders, but the Turkish Süper Lig returns to the series. The Brazil national football team feature in the game, despite the domestic league not being included. One of the new features added for FIFA 15 is that all 20 Premier League stadiums are included and officially licensed. On 19 September a list of stadiums in the game was published on its website, alongside 31 generic stadiums.

Did You Know?

• FIFA 15 is the final game in the FIFA series to be available on the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Vita.
• Lionel Messi has starred on the cover of all instalments of the FIFA franchise since FIFA 13, when he replaced Wayne Rooney.
• During the 18th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded FIFA 15 with 'Sports Game of the Year'.
• Some users complained that their version of FIFA 15 suffered from lagging, stuttering and audio looping, as well as gameplay bugs and lighting issues; patches have been released for the PC version, but the major stutteri