FIFA 22 on PS4 & Xbox One backs up hefty price tag with TON of new features

Hypermotion Technology is set to redefine FIFA 22, with the EA team peforming 11 vs 11 motion capture for the first time.

Unfortunately, these new heavyweight features will be exclusive to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Stadia - meaning PS4, Xbox One and PC players will feel left behind.

What hasn't been discussed in the two Gameplay reveals so far, however, is just how much new content will be arriving on the previous generation of consoles.

FIFA 22 Gameplay Trailer

On the ball

The first thing players will want to know is - "How will FIFA 22 feel different on the ball?".

As seen in the official Pitch Notes, EA "focused on improving the player's grasp over the ball, polishing many situations to more reliably obtain control of the ball - in the air or the ground".

Shielding has improved, with a "big emphasis on Player Personality" where strength and ball control will influence its efficiency.

Passing will also feel different, with a focus on ground, lob and lobbed through passes.

Target selection and spatial awareness have been improved, whilst aerial balls have more consistency in height and trajectory.

You can also request a different type of pass halfway through a pass request, with the system adjusting accordingly - we love the idea, but it remains to be seen if this gets a bit hairy when playing online.

Once again finishing receives an overhaul, with more consistency is easy 1v1 situations, whilst there's greater difficulty when the defender is nearby and tight-angled goals will become even more rare.

As for dribbling, you will be able to ride tackles if you "time your dribbling" input, plus there is greater dribbling control at high speeds, quicker turns and more player personality.

Lastly, on Skill Moves - the ability to "cancel" them midway through has disappeared for the La Croqueta, Elastico, Reverse Elastico and Scoop Turn - after being incredibly overpowered on Ultimate Team last year.

That's just an example of greater balancing in Skill Moves, with some moves slowed down, but you do now have the ability to perform Skill Moves first time (but not from driven passes) - which could spell a lot of danger for defences.

Keep them out

The biggest difficulty in FIFA in recent years is how hard it is to defend - especially in Ultimate Team.

First up, expect your GK to help you out some more with 600 new animations, and bespoke personalities and strengths to some of the best goalkeepers in the world.

With your defenders, expect cleaner outcomes from tackle animations, with better ball speed and angles for successful tackles - increasing the likelihood of your side winning possession of the ball.

Conversely, the bane of AI blocks should be less aggressive, with the animation particularly less powerful when not jockeying.

Those who watched the Gameplay reveal would have seen Christian Pulisic shoulder challenging the defender, and this can now be performed by tapping O/B, with its efficiency related to attacker and defender's attributes.

For the first time, you will also be able to perform a manual block by tapping O/B when close to a shot or pass - we can't wait to test this out.

There's also the arrival of "Disrupt Interceptions" which is an attempted intercept where you might not win the ball, but you will at least divert the ball away from its intended course.

You will also see limits on how your teammates can contain attackers, with each player have their own contain stamina - meaning you can't just let the AI do all the work.

Player Switching also improves, giving you four options (which you can turn off and on) to change player, so you can always make the right call if someone is out of position.

Greater insight

Away from the "hands-on" actions, you will perform with the players, there are some great additional additions to bring you even closer to the action.

Data is key in almost all forms of life now, and improved Data Analysis will add that extra layer of realism to FIFA 22, and you may even be able to learn where you've gone wrong.

For those not grinding online in Ultimate Team, it's important that the CPU AI reflects real life.

Player Based Difficulty will add to the personality of the game, with Kylian Mbappe standing out for PSG - when playing on Professional difficulty, Mbappe will feel like a World Class player when playing in an average team.

Conversely, a lower-rated player really standing out if they are significantly worse than their teammates, and will be easier to tackle or dribble past.

FIFA 21 has seen 18 Title Updates, and this should be something we see less of in FIFA 22, with a "Live Tuning Tool" allowing the development to tweak areas of gameplay on the fly without the need for Title Updates.

Yes, the PS4, Xbox One and PC versions of FIFA 22 may not have the shiny features of Hypermotion Technology, but you will still receive a significantly advanced gameplay experience from FIFA 21.

Pre-order FIFA 22 on PS4, Xbox One and PC here.