FIFA 19 Review

With limited competition coming from Pro Evolution Soccer, the FIFA series has been able to stagnate in recent years. New installments largely focused on minor improvements rather than wholesale changes. That is still very much the case with FIFA 19, but there has been more of a shakeup than you might have expected.

Over the last decade or so, EA has focused on making the FIFA series look as realistic as possible. Every iteration has aimed at trying to replicate the sport as closely as possible. The developer has taken a different approach with this game. They’ve finally realized that the reason people love soccer is because it is entertaining. Accordingly, EA has opted to bring the fun with FIFA 19.

House Rules

The main way that this is manifested comes with the newly-introduced House Rules system. After selecting a match from the kick off menu, you have the chance to add modifiers such as headers and volleys or long range. In total, there are five different options to choose from and they drastically change the way the game is played. Those two examples force players to mix up how they score goals, as only those from outside the penalty area or hit without touching the floor will count.

Things get even more interesting with some of the other house rules. Survival adds an interesting dynamic by removing a player from the scoring team every time there is a goal. It helps to even the teams out and stops better players from running away with games, as they just won’t have the manpower on the pitch to show utilize their quality.

The final modifier is simply named No Rules, and it is exactly what you would expect. There is no referee and absolutely anything goes. Getting rid of the laws of the game might not sound like a great idea, but it is genuinely a blast. Being able to wipe out your friend’s players without any punishment is great fun.