EA Sports’ FIFA 17 is the 24th edition of the FIFA franchise. With this annual release of FIFA,  the world of football can now be experienced with new features, minor changes, and improved graphics.

The most notable feature that is in included in FIFA 17 is the single player mode, “The Journey.” In this gamemode, you play as Alex Hunter and you begin your football career at a young age and develop into becoming a superstar. This game mode provides something completely different for the typical FIFA veteran and it was a well made  addition.  The characters in the story are interesting and the users are placed in situations in which they must act quickly. The drama and rivalry between Alex Hunter and his best friend, Gareth Walker, make the game more enjoyable.Despite the many good qualities that this game mode has, it can also be repetitive and boring. At first, when one decides to play the game, they are excited to begin their journey, but as you progress through the story, the game becomes monotonous. Also, despite how good one plays as Hunter, it looks as if his performances don’t truly affect the story mode.

Probably the most exciting addition to many fans was the new and improved graphic system for FIFA.The graphics were provided by the Frostbite engine and the results were impressive. FIFA usually falls short compared to PES (Pro Evolution Soccer) when it comes to graphics but this year it looks like FIFA finally came through. The graphics for the fans, stadiums, and the players all look greatly improved, which is a huge bonus for the playing experience

Minor changes to the game have made the playing experience better by a mile. From passing to shooting and from defending to set pieces, the game itself was made more complex and simple at the same time. The passing in the game has improved significantly since FIFA 16 and the shooting in the game seems more realistic. Defending is probably the biggest upgrade in the gameplay due to the fact that it is more difficult to take on players depending on the statistics that they have. The defending system allows players to intercept passes better, and they can easily body out their opponents. The set pieces now have a different system for the way player shoots or passes. For free kicks and penalties, the user is now able to adjust the position of the player, which can greatly affect the way the player shoots.

Overall, I give FIFA 17 a 4 out of 5 stars. The game is great and it feels completely different from the previous games of the franchise. FIFA 17 allows the users to have more freedom in the game  and the game itself seems more realistic. The only negatives that come from the game may be from the players adjusting to the new system for set pieces. This can be seen because many people struggle with scoring penalties. The journey may have been too overhyped but it is still fairly impressive. EA Sports may have silenced its critics with the release of FIFA 17.