FIFA 18 Review

Every year, fans of soccer face the same question, whether they choose FIFA or PES. The release of FIFA 18 was no different. It can be a tense time as friends decide which franchise to go with and argue that their choice is the best option.

Pro Evolution Soccer has largely been seen as the connoisseur’s choice in recent years. Its refined gameplay made it a better playing experience.

With FIFA 18, EA finally began to fight back against that stereotype. With major improvements made to several areas, could FIFA start to rival PES in terms of gameplay?

Gameplay

A major issue in FIFA for several years has been the transition as players go from attacking to defending. Animations would slow down the pace of the game and players would be locked in to following through with all their actions. It meant an individual could easily end up out of position through no fault of your own. The developers fix for this was new animations that you can interrupt, allowing quicker response times.

Other areas have also seen improvements in FIFA 18. Goalkeepers are no longer the haphazard last defense they once were, while a rework of the crossing mechanic is very welcome. Now, balls can fizz in with a simple button press and cause mayhem in the box. Individuals feel as if they have more weight to them, able to shield the ball effectively. Additionally, taking advantage of pacey players to make better off-the-ball runs to get in behind high defensive lines is possible.

Player A.I. is also better than in previous iterations. Characters play more intelligently and have a larger pool of options to draw from when it comes to making a decision. You no longer feel like you have to manage every player on the pitch. Being able to put more of your trust in the CPU-controlled players frees you up to actually enjoy the game.

There is also the addition of playing styles for each team, which helps them be distinct from each other. It is possible to see the different ways that teams play. For example, you can clearly see the difference between Pep Guardiola team and a Tony Pulis side.