4.0 skill gap test and impressions.
Skill gap test is done by playing with lower rated players mainly 3\* and 4\* and by measuring how my skill can influence the match.
Skill Gap result:
Defending: requires low skill as 1 button (match up) can do it all, auto sprint, tackle, movement, whatever, smart assist does very little in defending compared to attack. When the inertia is activated it actually requires more skill but i don't feel inertia is present in this game enough.
Attacking: Dumb through passes and stunning spam are still a thing, in general i don't feel like the current versions rewards skill as it used to be, rebounds and weird animations can decide a game. Dribbling doesn't feel that good against the auto defending specially when there is no inertia.
Handicap: It does feel in some matches like the players are stuck and can't dribble, run quick enough, there is also the interactions problem where they feel stuck.
Players: Worse than EF 22, 23, 24 release versions, and has some features very similar to low skill gap versions like 2.4,3.4. I feel like this game favours more all-arounded players to deal with most of situations with at least some decent speed. Limited players like Ibra or Iniesta are harder to use than previous release versions.
Match Results: more positive ones, but i never felt like i had the control of the match in my hands, players get too much stuck in animations in this version.
Comparing to other efootballs release versions so far, EF 25 is the worse release version when it comes to skill gap.
Most of the problems related above happens even when using a good team.
Quick Impressions of Playstyles:
Possession Game playstyle is not good right now, the high line is a problem as there is always some random defender man marking a forward and breaking the line, the positioning is bad in transitions against counters. Offensively DLF are often stuck, Wingers are stuck at the sides. Possession was very good in EF 23 and EF 24 release (without FBs or anchor FB). This feels worse than the buggy EF 22 version.
Out Wide playstyle is very good and a better option if you want to play a possession based playstyle, the AI can still do some shit like the defenders spinning like crazy.
QC still has the most AI auto pressing, smart assist? It shares some of the high problem with Possession but to a less extent.
LBC has less problems when defending as defenders in a low line appear to spin less and have a better positioning.
General impressions of the game:
* Servers are bad in co-op, heavier than EF 23.
* I'm not sure but it appears Smart Assist can have some effect on the opponent team, some matches that i played in co-op our players were stuck very often in animations and felt heavy to dribble.
* Players are in some frequency losing the timing of aerial duels and jumping in the wrong place and time, EF 23 had random aerial duels but the timing at least was good.
* Headers physics are still random and scripted, it's v4.0 and we still have the baloon physics headers.
* Auto shielding is much better to look than manual shielding but it can be weird and needs improvements, they could have tested it more before releasing.
* Finesse dribbling is fine, but i think they should have kept the old one as optional because the current one has limited usage and needs the player to face the goal.
* Tackling range and interceptions range sometimes appears to have been decreased, similar but to a less extent when compared to EF 24 release.
* Collisions and interactions between players can be very buggy. Attackers can pass right trough defenders when shielding glitches. Sometimes the players will be stuck and take a while to move.
* Freezing is reduced but sometimes its still happens, at least right now there is some form of counter-press.
* Ball often rebounds between players because of the lack of animation triggering but at least the ball doesn't pass right through their legs.
* Inertia is back at some form but it's not always and not frequent enough to be good, i wish it was frequent when you mistep defenders with feints/dribbles.
* Some feints sometimes make the player stuck like scissors feint.
* Turning sometimes is very slow and unresponsive, worse than EF 24 i guess.
* Defending in this game even in 1v1 already has "smart assist on", i face a bunch of players that are only holding LT/L2 for the whole match.
* Match Up assisted movement helps with blocking passing lanes, dealing with dribbling and reducing the inertia effect. One of the worst things that has happened since v2.4.
* Match up assisted movement can also ruin your intended zone cover and passing lane block as it doesn't make the player move to where you want.
* Double Press is still based on reading inputs.
* AI doesn't appear to read inputs in the same frequency as it was in EF 24.
* The usage of shielding by defenders to block runs to through passes are good to see.
* Passing is very automatic even in PA3, they still haven't fixed that shit EF 24 system, another basic thing that used to be better.
* Ping pong, 180 degree passes, are all still in the game and more accurate than it should.
* Ball Control is still bad, why they can't revert it to v1.0 or v2.0?
* Dash Dribbling is not responsive and the players take a long time to accelerate, quick change of pace used to be a trademark of this game in v1.0 and v2.0, with the current inertia effect this doesn't feel right.
* Speed very often appears to be useless as every player feels heavy and slow even without the ball.
* Speed is very inconsistent as in the same match a player can randomly run quicker and randomly run slower, nothing shows this is based on fatigue as in one co-op match Denilson at 60 min mark started being responsive and fast with the ball.
* Sharp touches can be used much better in the current version when the game let's you to.
* Shielding can be triggered at the worst times making the player be stuck in animations and not trigger the intended move like a pass. It can also ruins dribbling.
* Game doesn't feel responsive with all the animation stuck issues even in matches with supposedly good connection.
Final impression:
Probably the worst release version this game ever had. Konami never fixes their game after release so i'm not optimistic with the next patches unless the problems can be fixed with the servers becoming more stable. I don't expect a good year for gameplay and it will become worse once they add smart assist to other modes, co-op is already ruined by it. If this game doesn't randomly improve by second week it's a good time to leave the game.
Warning: Just like the positive reviews of 3.4 (the worst update this game ever had) i expect things to stable by second week and people realize the many problems this game has.
Link:
https://www.reddit.com/r/eFootball/s/DpNsVdo64r
