Few sports games have earned the praise and admiration of the FIFA games. Powerful, simple, fluid, and responsive, these games invite players who may have never played a game of soccer in their lives to kick and run their way to victory. FIFA 15, the latest in the line of energetic sports simulators, offers new realms of intelligence, coordination, and detail over its previous titles and promises players a rewarding and immersive experience.

One of the biggest improvements FIFA 15 has to offer is its enhanced AI.

The computer-controlled players now react to the game emotionally as well as intelligently, sometimes fumbling around under pressure or doing things without much thought while fighting for control of the ball.

This is a great detail, as it brings out the idea that the computers are humans too, and that humans do mess up; however, this also leads to some issues. For instance, in order to compensate for them sometimes making mistakes, players can also appear to be superhuman at some times, getting immaculate play after immaculate play.

One of the best examples of this is in the refined motions players make.

Goalkeepers now twist, lunge, and bend in the direction of the ball, giving an air of true effort to them trying to stop the goal. No longer are they reserved to flying in one direction while the ball goes the opposite way, they now respond and react to the changes that the wind, players, and other variables can exact on the ball as it soars towards the net.

On the other hand, though, sometimes they too break under pressure, and it seems far easier now to actually aim for the goalie and hope they mess up than to plan an accurate shot.

The issues with superhuman skills is apparent numerous times. Defenders can chase down wingers with speed they should not have, which sometimes ruins great plays and confuses the roles of the players. The sense of speed is something FIFA 14 captured well enough, but FIFA 15 seems to be struggling to keep up with its predecessor’s balancing mechanics.

Another nice change to the game’s mechanics is the updates presented to the Ultimate Team features. Players can now create a ‘dream team’ by allowing users to access the game’s player lists and assign players they want into their squad.

FIFA 15 is a great revamp on the series’ traditions and offers fans of gaming and the sport alike to experience the series in a way previously unavailable. The introduction of ‘smart’ AI and emotions throughout a match to reflect its course make every match intense and interesting, even if it may get a bit glitchy at times. The immersion of the game is unmatched with the new aspect of emotion, making players feel less like they’re an omnipotent spectator and more like they’re a player in the game itself. FIFA 15 delivers a few underpowered kicks, but is still the intense, interactive powerhouse that is to be expected of the series.