The Twenty-Seventh Installment
When thinking about a game that I both enjoy and dislike I automatically thought of FIFA 20. As a long time FIFA player, It’s been relatively sad to see the games decline in performance. I’ve been playing since FIFA 12 and personally feel that FIFA15 was the best in the series. The difference between installments from before and today is drastic. For example, the game mechanics are no longer “novice-friendly”. The game’s learning curve is a big one. If you played prior installments, the controls aren’t too different but once you start trying to do the more advanced tactics in-game it gets trickier. The dribbling can seem clunky and the skill moves are hard to memorize and pull off in-game. I refer to skill moves as the tricks soccer players pull off in order to get past their opponent or to get into their opponents head. I never became the best “Skiller” but I felt pretty confident in my abilities when it came to 1v1 situations with other players. Although performing skills in game is hard, EA made it a vital point in-game. If you cannot beat a player off the dribble (beat them with skill) be ready for a long and strenuous match. Another headache found in this year’s FIFA is the tactics. These tactics make the newer installments a lot more calculated. World Class players can change a tactic to combat yours and could ruin the entire game for you. EA has tried to make it too realistic relying too much on skills instead of making the game fun.
Another vital difference between past renditions and recent ones is that the former ones stuck by the arcade style format making the game feel more like a game. It added a sense of unexpectancy to the game leading to very competitive games. Stats didn’t guide players as strictly as they do now. Players would be able to score long-shot goals from meters out giving anybody a chance to compete. The gameplay was simpler back then. Skill moves weren’t a thing and players only had to worry about their WiFi connection.
The unanimous reason why this game is one of the worst in the series is because of its poor gameplay. It is filled with bugs and glitches making the game rage-inducing for many players. These glitches include the goalkeeper not coming out to parry the ball away, players getting stuck in animations, and the dreaded black loading screen. Many of these issues have been brought to EA attention but the lackluster company can’t seem to fix the game. Even after countless patches and hotfixes, the game is still about the same. They seem to downplay it and stray from the consumer’s complaints. It has gotten so out of hand that the FIFA community has come up with ideas to bring light to this injustice. These ideas include boycotting the game and starting a “#FixCareerMode” hashtag. Sponsored player and former #1 FIFA player in the world “Fnatic Tekzz” stated that “Nobody enjoys playing the game.”
Even though I could go on and on about how bad this game is I always find myself squeezing a game in on the weekend. I personally think it’s just because I love soccer but there could be something else that keeps calling me back. As an avid Chelsea F.C fan, It’s fun to use them in career mode and see the younger players develop. Another compelling feature about FIFA is its addictive but unrewarding “Ultimate Team.” Ultimate team is a gamemode that allows you to collect players cards new and old and use them in your starting lineup to take on other Ultimate Teams. You can take players that were legends and play them with your personal favorite players for an added spin. For these reasons I am not sure if I will be purchasing FIFA 21. I think I’d rather wait until it goes on sale during Black Friday. I would rate the game 6/10 soccer balls!
