Review for FIFA 19. Game for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 28/09/2018
When we talk about football video games, we talk about FIFA. Electronic Arts, backed by more than twenty years of experience, it is the leading software house in the sector; sure, in the last editions the title of EA is slowly moving on the online market, however the offline component remains solid and in FIFA 19 with many new additions. Perhaps, precisely this slow drift towards the almost total multiplayer of the latest editions has given Electronic Arts the idea to modernize and improve the offline sector.
We have already said it with FIFA 18 and we reiterate it in this edition: FIFA 19 in its offline and online components is a completely different video game. If, offline, edition after edition, the Electronic Arts simulation manages to improve, the same cannot be said of its online counterpart: FIFA Ultimate Team is slowly becoming more of a pay-to-win mode. Funny, of course, but the microtransactions have perhaps carved out too important a space.
The entire mode almost completely follows what we had already played in FIFA 18, so we recommend that you read our editorial before continuing to read. The only novelty lies in the main online modes, the Division Rivals, weekly matches in which our skill level will be determined based on the results and in which, by obtaining enough points, we could earn promotion to a higher division. Electronic Arts has therefore decided to abandon the climb of the divisions for an ever greater challenge. Based on the results obtained, as mentioned, we will have the opportunity to qualify for the FUT Champions Weekend League, a competition that will ensure ever higher prizes and packages.
Electronic Arts did an exceptional job of improving a product that was already of excellent workmanship. Of course, it should be emphasized that defenses and goalkeepers always have the usual problems. Especially the extreme defenders seem to have step back several steps: capable of extraordinary parades, more and more often they incur excessive ducks. On more than one occasion we have noticed that they tend to often come out of poles and get surprised even with simple shots: in various circumstances this trend has allowed the attackers to easily overcome the goalkeepers with very banal and not irresistible head shots to lob.
However, the result obtained in the remaining areas of the field is different. The actions are becoming more and more reasoned and the creation of customized tactics becomes almost indispensable to try to stem the most solid defenses. By recalling the tactics with the directional arrows, we will be able to change defensive and offensive form and intensity, as well as the game system by choosing between continuous pressing or long possession of the ball. The new ball control system is able to personalize the players even more: with the Active Touch System each individual athlete has a different way of controlling the ball and this is able to characterize the game phases even more. Added to this is the new tackling system that now seems less scripted, making the recovery of the ball much more combative, especially between attackers and defenders with great physical strength. In addition, the shooting system has been redesigned. A bit like it already happens in NBA 2K, a bar will appear at the feet of the players and by releasing the button at the right moment we will be able to hit the ball to bag it behind the goalkeeper. Obviously, if we fail to make a calibrated shot, we will very often find ourselves missing even easy goals.
As mentioned in the introduction phase, Electronic Arts has added some interesting new modes for Kick-Off. In addition to the simple friendlies, it will now also be possible to customize the game rules: "Long shots" in which every goal scored from outside the area counts as double, "Survival" in which a random player is sent off for each team that scores a goal, " Headers and Volleys "in which it is worth scoring only by hitting the ball while it is in the air," The first to ... "in which you have to reach a certain number of goals to win, and" No rules "in which there are no fouls and offside. Definitely a significant step forward to modernize a modality that in recent editions had become rather niche.
A special mention goes to the "The Journey" mode, a fundamental part for some edition now. This new final chapter follows Alex Hunter in search of a top European club after his best friend Danny Williams and sister Kim Hunter's experience in the United States. The stories will intertwine in the usual alternation between training sessions, cinematic cut scenes and official matches. The Pro Club modes, the Women's World Championship and the Career, as always, playable as a footballer or a coach, close.
FIFA 19 excels in its offline component. The gameplay has improved further, despite some shortcomings, and the new modes can give hundreds of hours of gameplay. Online is a different title, certainly fun, but increasingly based on microtransactions. If you are looking for a football video game to play locally with friends, FIFA 19 is the right choice. If you are looking for a title online, perhaps you should veer elsewhere, were it not that the competition now seems light years away. So choose FIFA which, despite its flaws, has a very solid offline component.
► FIFA 19 is a Sport-type game developed and published by Electronic Arts for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 28/09/2018
