Just played FIFA 14 for the first at a buddy's house, and I really disliked it. The game is slow, plodding, the players seem like they have tank controls turned on, and every time you pass the ball there's uncertainty if your player is going to properly get the ball under control. I think FIFA 13 is the best football game I've played in ages, and 14 really let me down. Yeah, I know they were going for a more "sim-like" experience, but honestly, I mostly play football games while drinking with a bunch of friends, so this kind of slowed down experience doesn't really fit the context.
Maybe I'm judging the game unfairly, because I didn't spend a lot of time with it, and I played the game on PS3, which has the worst fucking controller known to man, but I can't help but feel that there comes a point where being "sim-like" detracts from the experience. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think PES 6 is the best fucking football game ever created, and that was pacey and arcadey as shit. Honestly, playing that with friends is a blast, and there's still a TON of skill involved to make it work. So maybe I just prefer that kind of game, but I thought FIFA 13 was an awesome compromise between being realistic and being a videogame. FIFA 14 felt like a chore to play and control, and I don't see myself spending a whole lot of time with it. SoSH, tell me what I'm missing!