2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

The greatest football event of the year is back, and it comes paired with the ultimate game for football fans all around the globe. 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is a very special edition of EA's long-running football franchise, filled to the brim with the excitement and colors that define 2014's World Cup.

Despite it being released exclusively for the seventh generation of consoles, 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil still manages to be a visually-pleasing game that features some of the mechanical upgrades seen in next-gen consoles. The only real issue is that most of the new features are only skin-deep.

New Skins, Same Tricks

Before we delve deeper into what makes this specific title different from the rest in the FIFA series, I think we should address the elephant in the room: most of the content in 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is the same as you'd find in FIFA 14. The truth is that this feels more like a "special edition" of FIFA 14 rather than a new title.

However, as the name might suggest, the game focuses even more on the whole "global" aspect of football than its predecessors. Everything on this game's design screams World Cup, and that's both a blessing and a curse for some die-hard football fans.

Live the World Cup

Unlike FIFA 14, you won't find any clubs in 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. However, the developers must have noticed that a sports game where players could only play a single tournament would have been a bit short-lived, which is why the game also features the "Road to Rio de Janeiro" mode.

In this mode, players will lead their teams through all of the preliminary matches before they even arrive at the World Cup. This proves to be an outstanding mode that feels a bit more dynamic than the usual career modes found in games like FIFA 13.

Limited Release

In an intriguing move by EA, 2014 FIFA World Cup wasn't released for next-gen consoles. While some players might think that this translates into the game not looking up to par with some recent releases, I can't say that I wasn't impressed by the visuals of this game.

Sure, the character models and the terrain don't look nearly as good as FIFA 14 on the PlayStation 4 does, but the developers added lots of small details that help make the game feel more alive. Things like shots of the crowd supporting their national teams and the coaches having a nervous breakdown each time you miss a shot are nice additions that help the game feel a bit more organic.

Pros

• Good visuals for a last-gen game
• Lots of new animations and unique details
• Features almost every country that is a FIFA member with their official names and kits

Cons

• Should have been released on more consoles
• Feels more like an expansion to FIFA 14
• Lacks some of FIFA's trademark game modes

Many people are still playing the seventh-gen consoles, though, so the only balls you’ll be kicking are in 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

FIFA 14 is released in 2013

Since we are still very passionate about that game, we could put together a quick list of reasons you should consider playing FIFA 14 again.

So, not many sports simulators make it past their initial year. Like big titles like Call of Duty that come out every year, the latest iteration overshadows the previous version of the game. They are usually left being played by diehard fans or didn’t have enough money to upgrade the console or buy the game.

FIFA 14, however, has held up pretty well. It’s hard to criticize such a sound generation of gaming, but it still has its subtleties to get used to again. Graphically, we have come a long way, so you will notice that the visuals and animations are a bit dated. However, it is still a beautiful game and has held up respectfully. Playing FIFA 14 in 2021 will feel natural, for sure.

Tweaks to gameplay for FIFA 14

When FIFA 14 launched, EA had addressed many of the concerns players of FIFA 13 had in terms of gameplay matters. EA enhanced typical actions like passing, player acceleration, and dribble control in response to those inquiries. This is one of the rare instances where fan input got an active response. While there are issues with avatars feeling laggy during gameplay, the bulk of the problems with clunkiness and player-agency got taken care of.

FIFA 14 didn’t have an Ultimate Team game mode

If FIFA 14 Ultimate Team was a mode that you were looking forward to, this iteration of the franchise did not have it. EA did mention that they were going to bring related content to FIFA 14. However, that wasn’t the entire experience that players were expecting at that time.

You can train before and between games

Typically, you train your players with the hope that they will get better. However, if you do poorly in a drill, your players’ performance in the actual match will be affected by poor morale. It’s an interesting game mechanic that many games don’t do, making FIFA 14 unique and intuitive for players. You are constantly analyzing the metagame instead of just jumping into games and performing the same repetitive actions repeatedly.

The Football Club lets you level up

Comparable to FIFA 14, your Football Club level and participation in FIFA 14 will transfer over to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and there will be unique articles for you to purchase, as well. Every world Cup ball is ready in the Football Club.

What’s the status of FIFA 14 World Cup Brazil?

Well, if you are looking to test your FIFA 14 skills around the world via the internet, you will find that to be impossible in 2021. As of October 2017, EA shut down the servers for FIFA 14. Also, the Ultimate Team update that finally came to the game is no longer accessible.

You can still play the game, but you won’t be able to experience any of the game’s online features. That’s not that big a problem, though, if you have someone with whom to play locally.

Pros:

• Great sports simulator in genera
• Graphics are ahead of its time
• Gameplay is generally smooth for most games

Cons:

• Player agency challenging when controlling avatars
• Online servers are no longer active