It's all about the Ultimate Team this year
FIFA 15 for mobile will focus most on the FIFA Ultimate Team mode more than ever, making it the perfect companion for FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) nuts out there. Having stripped other modes to make way for its most popular mode, FIFA 15 for mobile has also been renamed and now will be known as FIFA 15 Ultimate Team.However, according to Lucian Cotreanti, the Senior Product Marketing Manager of FIFA15, users will not be able to cross-save their FUT progresses between home consoles and the mobile version and vice versa. This is due to the fact that the mobile version of FUT will skip Origin sign-ins altogether and use Facebook logins instead. Carry forwards from FIFA 14 FUT accounts are also unavailable.
"We find Origin logins via mobile to be troublesome and most of casual mobile players do not have an Origin account to begin with.... which makes Facebook a logical decision. It is also part of our move to make it more accesible to new and casuals alike". Lucian added.
It is also part of our move to make it more accesible to new and casuals alike.
I expressed my dismay of not being able to import my Liverpool-centric KenDre FC into FIFA 15 Ultimate Team to Lucian, who responded with "The whole new system in FIFA 15 that uses Facebook does not allow us to import teams from FIFA 14 FUT. But on the bright side, you can now access your FIFA 15 Ultimate Team accounts from multiple handheld devices as long as you are logged in to your FB account."FIFA 15 Ultimate Team (mobile) will stay true to its core gameplay where players build virtual teams from almost 10,000 real-life footballers, using currencies obtained in-game to purchase more player packs en route to building their ultimate dream team. Using the 'chemistry' factor, team cohesion is developed amongst players depending on their nationality and clubs they play in. However, just like in FIFA14 FUTs, the history factor will not come into play when it comes to chemistry.
This means, for example, former Manchester City player and new Liverpool Italian striker Mario Balotelli will not have any chemistry bonus when placed with any Manchester City player despite having played with them a few seasons back.
In case you are wondering, users playing FIFA 15 Ultimate Team on mobile will not get access to the legendary players which are exclusive to the Xbox platforms.
One of the new features added into the controls system of FIFA on mobile this year is the close dribbling system where the players, depending on their skill levels, are able to pull off more complex ball controlling skills when you tap the directional button twice. This is equivalent to holding down the R2 button when playing FIFA on the PlayStation 3.
If on-the-pitch controls is your least favorite bit in FUT modes in the past due to several reasons (including sucking at FIFA) then you'd be pleased to know that they have introduced a match simulation option in FIFA 15 Ultimate Team.
Using a few sliders, users can now witness the action unfold from the sidelines with the help of field heatmaps pointing out and reflecting key moments happening in the game. Users can then, in real-time, tinker with the strategy to suit their gameplan.
But, if you're like me, frequently turned off by the touchpad controls on portable devices (nothing beats playing FIFA using a controller) yet prefer a more hands-on approach with FUT; taking charge not only in the background but also on the field, then good news: FIFA 15 Ultimate Team will now support external controllers, making this a good time for you to invest in a decent Bluetooth controller.
FIFA 15 Ultimate Team (mobile) will be available for both iOS and Android, and is set to launch concurrently with its console counterpart around the third week of September.
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