Is Next-Gen FIFA 14 worth buying?

On my first day at Eurogamer Expo 2013, I walked around the Xbox One area for about 10 minutes just watching, trying to decide what to play.

In the end, I decided on FIFA 14 on Xbox One and I’m glad I did. Visually, it’s masterful, especially up close. Seeing the crowd moving and the individual creases on a player’s shirt is so different in person. Replays look crisp and breaks in play, which there are fewer of, don’t intrude on the game. When I substituted a player after a couple of in-game minutes, the cutscene showed him trudge off the pitch disheartened, but I could skip it at any time.

But putting aside the visuals, the game just felt better. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what it was that set FIFA 14 on Xbox One apart from its current gen compatriot. I think the reason was that everything I saw was that little bit better. From skill-move animations to the weight of passes to a player’s unique playstyle, everything had improved at least slightly. I went back two more times to play it, and I was still impressed with its realism and fluidity. I noticed something new with each game I played.

Without a doubt, next-gen FIFA 14 is better than the versions that are out now, but was it that much better? Overall, I wouldn’t say that it eclipsed the current gen version that released today. If you’re getting it free with the Xbox One Day One Edition, then you have no need to worry. The same goes for those not buying FIFA at all until the new consoles launch this November.

But is it worth buying both versions of the game? In my opinion; not really, no, unless you plan on taking advantage of a generation upgrade deal. GAME, Amazon and Sony have all offered to upgrade your copy of FIFA 14 to a next-gen version for around $10/£10 though there are varying terms and conditions for each deal. Finally, as I wasn’t playing the finished version of the game, I wouldn’t let this completely make up your mind. It will be a couple of months before it’s actually out, and there’s plenty of time to change and tweak it.

What do you think of the difference between current and next generation FIFA? What are your plans? Leave a comment below.