For a lot of gamers, the FIFA yearly release marks the biggest date on their gaming calendar. EA sell millions and millions of copies across PS4, Xbox One, PC and even Nintendo Switch, albeit the handheld version is different to what we are reviewing today. It rarely finds itself out of the UK Top 20 sales charts and when it finally does, it’s likely because the next iteration has came out.
Because of this yearly release schedule the development cycle is limited and making meaningful changes from one year to another is a tough ask, so this year the back of the box talking point is VOLTA, the return of street football. This mode was last seen in an EA Sports game when it had been branched out in to it’s own game in the form of 2008’s FIFA Street 3 on PS3/Xbox 360.
So armed with an all new game mode and the promise of countless tweaks and new features to existing modes, FIFA 20 has been released into our hands. Let’s break it down and see how it shakes out~!
CAREER MODE
I am starting with career mode because it is the most important mode in the game for me. If I listed it in order of EA’s priorities it would be somewhere between Gonzalo Higuaín’s Premier League career and Ed Woodward’s respect level among Manchester United fans (low… like really low). Pre-release EA were saying all the right things. A renewed focus on the mode and meaningful changes like press conferences and player morale that effects training and growth.
Unfortunately career mode as it stands right now is basically broken. Teams you are playing against will inexplicably play their fourth or fifth string teams which leads to the likes of Man City and Liverpool fighting relegation. As if that wasn’t game breaking enough there are several reports that when you reach the fourth season both the Champions League and Europa League just stop working, leaving you stranded.
As for the new features, they to are not without their current problems. Journalists will ask you to explain why the previous match was a bore despite it being a seven goal thriller. Players will ask you to rest them and when you do they complain about not being played. Some of these bugs can even lead to you getting sacked, which is infuriating when you feel you had no control over it happening.
On the plus side, there is the foundation for a good mode here. Sure I would like Career Mode to receive the focus it once did but with the breakout popularity of Ultimate Team and how much money it lands EA that is an unrealistic expectation. There is no current ETA on a patch but you can bet these issues will be fixed sooner rather than later and once that is done I will be sinking some serious time into it.
ULTIMATE TEAM
As with the other EA Sports games, this mode comes with a lot of controversy. The argument about whether microtransactions are gambling will rage on into 2020 and beyond as according to reports Ultimate Team last year pulled in 28% of EA’s total revenue. Personally if it was my choice I would drop the FIFA Points and force all players to build teams through coins gained from playing matches. FUT Packs would remain, but they would only be handed out for completing objectives.
For now though, the above is a fairy tale, so let’s take a look at the mode as it stands. I have to say, in FIFA 20 I actually am really enjoying it. Because of the huge problems with career mode I have given FUT a lot more focus than I normally would. House rules matches are a lot of fun and add a nice arcade twist to the already stacked options.
Season objectives are a great way to win rewards without having to dip into your own pocket and they are constantly setting you goals to work towards. I mainly play offline as I find playing against AI makes for a more realistic match but however you like to play FUT has you covered. At this point it is almost like a whole game in itself, which leads us perfectly into our next section.
VOLTA FOOTBALL
FIFA street football has been requested for years. While never being the biggest seller, the FIFA Street games sold respectable numbers and had a cult following, including with myself. So when I heard street football was being resurrected and packed into FIFA 20 I was instantly excited.
VOLTA, much like Ultimate Team is such a fully fleshed out mode it could easily be packaged up as a separate game. Within VOLTA itself you have the option of a story, league or tour mode. Story is what has taken the place of The Journey from the previous few years. This time instead of having an Alex Hunter avatar forced upon you, you create your own.
While the stories five or so hours is nothing that will live long in the memory it is fun while it lasts. The main issue I had with story mode was that you would find avatars in your team duplicated in opposing teams. This likely happens regularly in many FIFA matches, but strips save it from being an issue. In VOLTA though you’ll find players on both sides wearing the exact same outfits, meaning you don’t know which one is in your team until you attempt to pass to them.
In terms of gameplay VOLTA actually has traded in the over the top FIFA Street gameplay for a more grounded style. It is basically the gameplay from the core game with a little bit more creative license and flair. Games in the tighter pitches can get a little crowded and end up with the ball ping-ponging around a lot, but you get the impression that the mode isn’t necessarily meant to be taken seriously.
PRESENTATION
You will be shocked to hear this, but the presentation is really good. Not much has changed since last year but it remains miles ahead of rival PES in this regard. The match day experience and the commentary deserve special mentions. The only negative I have on this is the menus which have been the exact same since FIFA 14. It sounds like a minor gripe but they are in dire need of a refresh.
GAMEPLAY
As with most yearly franchises each new edition tends to bring loads of minor improvements instead of massive ones and that is certainly the case here. One of the biggest plus points is that the AI now acts more realistically. In previous games you would be hunted all over the pitch when in possession but now teams are happy to sit in and allow you to shift the ball around.
The speed of the game is also slower this year which is a huge positive. It feels a little faster than the demo did but that was quickly rectified by changing the game speed to slow in the settings. Obviously this only applies to offline games though, as when you go online it feels like the speed is set to fast by default.
While minor improvements have been made in many areas there are also key areas where they have been overlooked. Certain animations result in players basically skating on the pitch. They can do 360° turns without lifting their feet and sometimes while mid passing animation a players standing leg will begin sliding along the pitch. It is something many may not notice but once you see it, it sticks out a mile.
Ball physics have also been adjusted and unfortunately not for the better. The ball now bounces along the grass during a grounded pass as if you are playing on a concrete VOLTA surface. Playing long balls forces even more noticeably odd bounces to the point where I can’t see it not being toned down in an upcoming patch.
TROPHIES
This is not going to be an easy or a short platinum. Maxing your avatars overall rating in VOLTA, completing all skill games, reaching division 4 in FUT division rivals, 200 club appearances for a player in FUT are just some of hard to get trophies you will encounter on your journey. It is a fair and well balanced list though that encourages you to try out all that the game has to offer.
VERDICT
Overall FIFA 20 finds itself in a similar position to last year. PES continues to have it beaten on the pitch in terms of realism, but at this point I seriously wonder if that is what EA is going for. It feels like they are aiming for a more arcadey FUT friendly style that will appeal to Esports/YouTube content creators and in that regard it hits the mark; It’s fun.
The many bugs that plague the game just now are what brings the score down for me. I gave EA the benefit of the doubt and held this review until after the official release in case a day one patch sorted the many issues but that date has came and went. I have no doubt come November this will be a fully functioning Rolls-Royce of a game, but I can only review what is put in front of me.
-VDZE ✌️
A review code was provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PS4 Pro.
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