FIFA 20 - Review

FIFA is one of those franchises where you can put your life saving on their being another one announced. The franchise has become a yearly fixture right as the Football season is getting into spin, which will make it an ideal time for people to buy into the newest version, but should you be buying this year's edition? Has enough changed from the previous year to warrant buying the new version?

One of the first things that I noticed about the game when I was playing a match was the control the players have on the ball, and how not having it fully under control can lead to misplaced passes and shots. This was one of the things that EA had said that they had improved on FIFA 20, and if I’m honest this has improved, you can tell at the time of taking a shot whether it’s going to be on target or blazed wildly out of play. This is meant to help bring realism to the game, and it does, not every ball played is perfect, even with professionals you see passes go wayward or shots flying straight over the bar or well wide, and this is down to the control, whether the ball has bobbled before, or they have just done it in the hope of something. It’s a good addition to the physics of the game, as it will mean that you’re taking your time when it comes to shots and not just spamming them left right and centre in hope of a 40-yard screamer.

There was a lot of buzz around the launch of the game that this year’s version would make you pass the ball and build-up play that way instead of the norm of just getting the ball and running at the defence. I must admit that I am still to see this, I have noticed that if you get the ball to your quickest player, you can still run at the defence and they can be pretty easy to get past. However, one thing I have noticed is that defenders can be alarmingly fast, one instance would be Adama Traore, the man is like the flash, once he’s going, he’s gone, and defenders have a hard time keeping up with him, yet in FIFA 20 and to be honest, this has been prominent for me in a fair few over the past years where a defender with the speed of a slug will be able to keep up with someone who in real life would tear them a new one. I just don’t understand how this happens and playing a through ball where you expect your attacker to get past and win the ball and be in with a chance of scoring is denied because the defender was able to keep up, it shouldn’t be happening and seems to give the advantage to the defender. This for me is a point that needs looking into and fixing, even if the stats reflected are correct, there is something in the gameplay that isn’t doing what the stats say.

Volta football is a new addition to FIFA 20, it’s kind of like a version of FIFA street, being able to play street football in little enclosed 5 a side street pitches showing off your skills to pay the bills. I haven’t really played this mode in too much depth, mainly because of my fingers have no coordination to pull off all the sick skills needed for this mode, and in the end, my games feel quite boring playing them like a normal match and not giving all the flicks and tricks that I feel should be played. Still, the mode is decent for what it is and did give me memories of playing FIFA street.

Familiar modes are still prevalent within the game, Ultimate Team and Career are there, which need no introduction and really do as they say on the tin, Ultimate team you ‘collect’ players and try to make the most awesome team going, and in Career, you can start as a player or manager and play through their career… As I said, does as it says on the tin.

Technically the game is good, the play is smooth, but there are still those annoyances that come with each FIFA, ones that year after year still get forgotten and swept under the rug. If you’re after a FIFA experience and don’t care about Volta, I would go with or stick to FIFA 19, if you’re after updated kits and like the sound of the street football experience, then pick FIFA 20.