Thanks to EA’s new Hypermotion technology, FIFA 22 is looking to change things up considerably, and at last football fans can see more of what’s coming thanks to the game’s first extended gameplay trailer.
Although EA has previously teased some of the Hypermotion features coming to FIFA 22 when the game's release date was announced, the amount of in-game footage available has been limited. This gameplay trailer shows us why the feature is a game-changer for FIFA.
This four-minute-long trailer showcases several of FIFA 22's new core mechanics like Hypermotion, Tactical A.I., Kinetic Air Battles, and Player Humanization, which come together to show an improvement in the game’s fluidity and animations. The FIFA team has been quite vocal over their extensive motion capture process for this year’s edition, but even more impressive are the A.I. tweaks that promise CPU-controlled players will behave more like real footballers.
The gameplay trailer also shows off a set of features that haven't previously been mentioned, such as an overhaul to the way goalkeepers behave when they make a save, with personalised animations for more intense saves. The expanded possibilities for attacking tactics are complemented by Explosive Sprints that aim to replicate the true running bursts and change of pace that the world’s best players use to trick defenders in real matches.
One of the less positive elements of the trailer is that fine print that acts as a glaring reminder for viewers that all these Hypermotion features will be exclusive to the PS5 and Xbox Series X editions, further showing PS4, Xbox One, and crucially PC players that they’ll be missing out on the improved experience.
All next-gen FIFA hype aside, this will be a unique year for football games as FIFA 22 will be competing with the revamped free-to-play eFootball that aims to give millions all over the world a new way to experience the beautiful game. Considering how much of EA's millions come from FIFA’s Ultimate Team, it's possible that we'll see FIFA follow suit and become free-to-play as well.