Review for FIFA 21. Game for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and | , the video game was released on 09/10/2020
Version for PlayStation 5 from 03/12/2020
Version for Xbox Series X from 03/12/2020
A few weeks later than the traditional release period, it hits the market FIFA 21, the new chapter of the saga dedicated to the most loved sport in the world, by Electronic Arts. Net of the many problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the arrival of the next-gen, now around the corner, Electronic Arts has decided to let itself be carried away by the best possible intentions and, in addition to providing all players with the free update right to the new generation version, he tried to launch on the market a transitional chapter full of novelties, some of which are juicy and capable of offering fans of the series different reasons to open their wallets.
Of course it should be emphasized that in many respects a minimum of work has been carried out and almost exclusively tied to shore up and overhaul rather than reinventing but overall, since it is a transitional chapter, we feel we can applaud the Canadian company at least for the good intentions shown.
However, it is impossible not to turn up your nose under various aspects, also because these are often represented by some choices that are almost inexplicable and that we have not understood and which concern the whole structure and which prevent - at least from our point of view - the title of aiming for a much higher position in the current videogame ecosystem. In any case, make yourself comfortable: the FIFA 21 football season is about to begin!
Is Football Manager really you?
Aside from our visceral passion for the addictive Fifa Ultimate Team (which we will talk about later) increasingly the epicenter of the overall offer of EA Vancouver football, our main attentions for this FIFA 21 were largely directed to the Career mode , never as full of news as this year. The players have been asking for years for a more or less marked reinterpretation of the modality in question that this year, we can say without fear of leading to the lynching, has finally arrived. FIFA 21 would seem to have thrown himself into the arms of a sumptuous production as Football Manager, inheriting a vein with the due limitations and differentiations of the case simulation never reached for such a title.
The first big step taken with the new one Career lies in the more total and above all stratified management of the team, starting from the growth and development of young talents up to the structuring of a daily training plan for the first team. This implies that it is precisely the player who chooses how and where to improve every single (or almost) element of the squad, which results from the very first bars a sufficient mechanic to offer regular FIFA players, increasingly distant from its offline iterations, a reason in itself valid enough to go back to wearing the clothes of the coach and maybe detach a little from the playing field.
Precisely in this regard, the developers have introduced another incredibly functional mechanic, although still not free from some uncertainties of sorts, namely the interactive simulation of the game. This mechanic, as the name implies, allows you to approach games in full style Football Manager, that is, leaving the CPU to carry them out.
By observing the game “from the outside” with the old style dots of the older chapters of Sports Interactive's work, it is also possible to take control of the action at any time, a feature much more interesting than it might seem. If you are down or if you are noticing difficulties in scoring you can take the field "physically" thus taking control of the action directly.
This combo between simulation and played football offers a career to say the least profound dimension, which obviously also binds to the management of the team itself, which we mentioned earlier, now more complete and capable of ensuring that a player can safely choose to simulate everything and let the coach in him take over. The managerial aspect of the career is also enhanced by a more realistic management of the transfer market, which in many cases is also able to reflect reality. We have seen teams not wanting to sell players to direct opponents for safety or for the championship or players who are opposed to the idea of returning with the old teams who may have unjustly sold them.
A much requested feature peeps out in FIFA 21: loans with the right to redeem. The option turned out to be quite useful also in exit, but despite the good intentions the attitude of the artificial intelligence showed the side to some blunders that sometimes turned out to be the limits of the inexplicable. For example, we tried to propose an identical offer already made by the AI which, however, was furious when we took the initiative, which made us smile and does not affect the quality of a Career finally able to represent a good alternative to FUT and a solid reality for single player fans. However, and not a little, EA's choice to make the backups of the current gen versions on next-gen incompatible, which will undoubtedly discourage players from starting a Career, especially if they are planning an upgrade for their console.
New year, old FUT, but with some interesting news!
If the Career has undergone numerous changes, some of which are important and "heavy", as regards the FUT - the other key mode of production - the same cannot be said. Thanks to a safety and an advantage over the unsettling competition, EA Sports has limited itself to small but significant additions and changes, making the experience even more immersive and addictive. It starts with a general review of menus, filled with shortcuts if necessary to keep track of all the daily, weekly and seasonal objectives, this year as rich as ever in activities to be carried out also in co-op.
Precisely the possibility of carrying out different activities together with a friend online is certainly one of the most interesting additions: it makes the overall experience even more long-lasting and satisfying and from our point of view it can push players to stay on the servers with greater taste and for longer. time. Some modes have also been added to the friendly park, some of which are very fun and which represent a valid alternative to the main types of meetings of the Ultimate Team play package, namely the Division Rivals and Squad Battles.
Assuming that these races can also be played in the company of a friend, with the possibility of unlocking prizes and rewards, however, mainly for those who host the session, it is necessary to report some changes that have occurred in the management of them and in the related prizes.
In "Rivals" it is now possible to rank over only thirty games which, similarly to Squad Battle, determine the placement of each player at the weekend. This move could displease less skilled players who in recent years could easily access higher rewards simply by playing a lot, which with FIFA 21 will no longer be possible due to the new features introduced.
Different speech for the Squad Battles: EA has expanded the range of the "Top 100" extending it to double the possibilities, thus giving the possibility to more players to finish in the first tier and thus access rewards of the highest level. To remain the center of attention, especially for FUT, it is certainly spectacular both on and off the pitch, in this FIFA 21 even more central and of great importance.
Electronic Arts has added a large number of new objects for the personalization of their team, with the possibility of making every single aspect of the squad exclusive, especially as regards the Stadium. Thanks to FUT Stadium it is possible to choose every aspect of the image of your franchise, from cheering to the customization of billboards, from the color of the seats to that of the structure itself, which we are sure - at least at the beginning - will push many players to spend hours and hours in the game menus.
Even on the pitch, FIFA 21, in particular the FUT mode, is even more spectacular than in recent years and, to be honest, it took us a few minutes to understand it.
Beyond the introduction of all the cosmetic objects we were talking about, it is in the field that we notice this increasingly strong push in a more arcade and less and less simulative direction, although the words simulation and FUT (and in general FIFA) us we realize that they struggle to stay in the same sentence without attacking each other. The pace of play is even faster, the ball has an even lighter and less credible physics and, although they may seem like big flaws, we don't feel like pointing them out too much as such as these are elements that highlight a very specific policy keeping in mind that what has become the gameplay of the little boy of Electronic Arts.
Gameplay: lights and shadows of a tried and tested system but not for everyone
This happens because, and we had already discovered it in the presentation phase of the game, the "new" gameplay of FIFA 21 is even more intent on pushing the work of Electronic Arts far away from the aims of simulation, in honor of increasingly more gameplay spectacular, fast and above all fluid, without losing the possibility of offering the player a more convincing work from the point of view of general feedback. The most interesting additions undoubtedly concern the management of artificial intelligence of the elements in the field, such as the Smart positioning, which guarantees - based on the player's role - a series of more realistic and more useful attitudes on the pitch for the purpose of constructing the maneuver. You immediately feel, for example in the attack phase, the specific weight of this feature which leads the action to stagnate until you see a shot by a striker or a winger, which proves to make the gameplay a moment more unpredictable, succeeding however only in part.
Because of the even higher pace of the action, in fact, being able to wait for the right cut is one of the most important doctrines to learn in this FIFA 21 but it is also extremely complex, which defeats (in essence) another mechanic introduced with this chapter: gl 'creative insertions. The completely manual mechanics consists in throwing a player by controlling him directly in a cut in the area and then serving him the ball but precisely because of the enormous speed of the action it is practically impossible to manage, and it is a shame because taking advantage of the incredible gaps defenders could go on goal with great simplicity and spectacularity.
This however, and we return to artificial intelligence and its performance on the field, occurs in any case especially due to the poor ability to read the actions of the defenders, often helpless under enemy shots. Supporting the attack this year is agile dribbling, one of the most exciting but potentially damaging mechanics of FIFA 21. Pressing the button R1 in fact it is possible to soar in more or less elaborate skills (depending on the player, of course) that often make the intervention of the defender in vain, net of the latter's skills.
All this translates into an increasingly fun and sparkling gameplay, but unfortunately potentially unbalanced and chaotic in which those who have more practicality in front of goal can easily get the better of the opponent, also due to a level of efficiency of the goalkeepers dangerously close to zero. . After the terrible work done with the extreme defenders with the previous chapter, we expected for this FIFA 21 an important step forward, in this sense, which unfortunately has not arrived. Rather. If possible, the extreme defenders seemed even more "useless", especially in the one-on-one phases, and we expect some improvement in this regard, perhaps with some subsequent patches. Overall, however, FIFA 21 is fun to play and addictive enough, thanks also to a richer and more refined animation sector, but the imbalances listed above cannot go unnoticed and risk undermining the longevity of the title in the short and long term.
A new Time!
To undergo some interesting tweaks is also the mode Volta, which this season looks much leaner and more social than ever. For this new edition, the developers have created a more streamlined and lively story in which characters known as Kaka and prominent faces of the sector that accompany the adventure, always and in any case linked to clichés typical of the structure and its origin. Even at a playful level, the mode has changed a bit, distancing itself more and more from football itself and taking on very different dictates from what happens in the green rectangle.
Therefore, the ability to exchange the ball in the strait and the coldness in blocking the opponents' shots become relevant, for a gameplay which overall amuses but which is likely to tire quickly. Even counting the possibility of playing online, in fact, and despite everything being very stable and solid, we quickly realized how much not even this time (excuse the pun) Volta can be a valid alternative to other game modes, definitely more satisfying and long-lasting.
Graphics and technique
On a purely technical level, FIFA 21 does not represent a big step forward compared to its predecessor, quite the contrary. The bulk of the changes were concentrated in the appearance of the menus, especially those of FUT, made faster and more accessible (but with a few bugs too many) and on aesthetics in general, leaving out the most “important” details and sending them back, obviously to the new generation. If the treatment reserved for the most important players continues to be commendable, thanks also to new scans and the presence of new hairstyles that in some cases border on perfection, the same cannot be said of the secondary players, left as always to themselves albeit however recreated in a slightly more likely way than in the past.
Even in the rendering of lighting and details, FIFA 21 represents a mere reinterpretation of its predecessor, but it does so with good results and above all managing to bring out those already convincing and appreciable aspects seen in recent years. FIFA 21 is more and more social, it is more and more stylish and it can be seen on the pitch as well as off, net of a path of innovation that - rightly - limits itself to making the minimum effort, obtaining satisfactory results overall and able to give passionate about that taste again without pulling their hair out for the effort made.
The audio sector is good, able to return the right feeling between choirs, hymns and various whistles once you get on the pitch and in the menus, thanks to a OST as usual of excellent level that combines with great skill the most famous pieces and hidden gems with great skill. Finally, a small step forward for the commentary: even if the usual ones remained in the control room Pardo and Nava, this year seem to have a range of sentences more consistent with what happens on the pitch and, listen, listen, apparently they have stopped asking Matteo Barzagli (from the sidelines) how much is missing at the end of hostilities. In short, a happy ending.
FIFA 21 is indeed a transition chapter but at the same time it does not miss the opportunity to try to bring various innovations to the market, some of which are very interesting and more or less successful. The most successful aspect is undoubtedly the content: FUT is increasingly the epicenter of production, and the new additions made to the mode, between the aesthetic variants and the possibility of playing in co-op, takes it to an even higher level. high. The Career is also splendid: the new additions are very valid and make the overall experience more enjoyable and satisfying than in the past, making it one of the most successful aspects of the game. However, the gameplay is out of tune, even faster and not very credible that is linked to a very specific policy that EA has been pursuing successfully for several years now, to which, however, are added several problems related to defense and goalkeepers, even more at the mercy of the attacking opponents. Overall FIFA 21 is an excellent product, capable of making the fans of the saga happy with an impressive offer that will make many players turn a blind eye to a fundamentally unchanged technical sector compared to previous years.
► FIFA 21 is a Sports-type game developed by Electronic Arts and published by EA Sports for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and | , the video game was released on 09/10/2020
Version for PlayStation 5 from 03/12/2020
Version for Xbox Series X from 03/12/2020
