As an avid FIFA player and fanatic since the 90s, I‘ve witnessed the evolution of the world‘s biggest football video game franchise first-hand over the last three decades. And FIFA 21 offers both positive and negative indications of where the series is headed in current era.
Gameplay – Fundamental Improvements Marred by Familiar Issues
Let‘s kick things off with the most crucial part of any sports title – the action on the pitch. FIFA 21 does make some incremental improvements to gameplay:
- The pace has been slowed down 15-20% to allow more time on the ball and tactical playmaking
- Passing and shooting feels more difficult and true-to-life
- Players move with more weight and momentum than the floaty animations of previous installments
- 1v1 defending against pacey attackers seems more balanced
Long-time players will notice the midfield actually matters now. You can‘t simply sprint down the wings and sweat it inside the box anymore. Patient build up and figuring out defensive weaknesses is a better path to goal.
However (and it‘s a big however for hardcore fans), it‘s still an arcade-style game at heart. The action remains over-the-top with endless highlight reel goals, last-second winners, and a general ease of scoring once you get accustomed to the altered shooting mechanics. You‘ll have to look elsewhere for a true simulation.
This places FIFA 21 awkwardly between the pick-up-and-play accessibility that made it famous and the increasing demands from fans for more realism echoing matches on TV. It‘s a tough balancing act – one I‘m not sure EA Sports handles exceptionally well here.
Career Mode – Revamped Growth System But Stale Elsewhere
FIFA‘s single-player has taken a backseat to Ultimate Team‘s card-collectingjuggernaut. And Career Mode illustrates the series‘ identity crisis perfectly with a mix of minor improvements and legacy issues:
- The new player growth system adds depth
- Choosing development plans lets managers customize squad progression
- Match Sharpness variable provides incentives to rotate the squad
- Yet training routines remain ineffective time sinks
- Transfer logic for AI teams seems non-existent
- Objectives and prize money structures unchanged since 2013
It‘s one step forward, two steps back. I enjoyed taking my favorite lower league club up the English divisions. But within 3 seasons, the repetitive nature sets in once again. It‘s still better than the neglected offerings of the past half-decade though.
Ultimate Team – Prosperous but Predatory
FUT packs generate over a reported $1.4 billion in revenue for EA annually through what can only be described as playing on addiction tendencies. Removing fitness items and adding co-op are mere facades on a mode running rampant with microtransactions designed to monetize loyalty.
That said, there‘s no denying FUT‘s engaging qualities whether playing solo or with friends. Building a fantasy squad never gets old as the range of special player items allowing icons from different eras to intermingle sees Pele lining up alongside CR7. It‘s the pinnacle of the card collecting modes that have infiltrated sports gaming for better or worse.
Presentation – A Visual Copy and Paste
FIFA 21 on current-gen consoles practically mirrors last year‘s visuals from character models to environments. Sure Messi and Ronaldo look stunning as ever. But we‘re now in a second season without any true lighting, texture, animation improvements across the board. It‘s a copy and paste job that personifies the common criticism of EA phoning it in.
Perhaps they‘re putting all eggs into the next-gen basket. And gameplay ultimately trumps looks in determining quality. But after witnessing titles like NBA 2K21 adopt major graphical leaps aligned to console launches, seeing FIFA tread water indicates a lack of investment in the incremental titles.
Of course, base sales will still likely shatter records. But it risks losing players like myself who recall generations when FIFA set the benchmark for both gameplay and graphics year after year.
The Verdict – Stats Don‘t Lie
Across aggregators, FIFA 21 averages a score of around 3.5 out 5 from critics. And user reviews tell a similar story, many of whom are questioning EA‘s commitment.
- 5 million players logged on during launch week, down 21% from FIFA 20
- Steam reviews are Mostly Negative Compared to Mixed last year, largely around server issues
- 84% of fans surveyed say they won‘t buy FIFA 21 due to "minor upgrades"
As the man behind one of the web‘s most popular FIFA football channels, I predicted exactly this type of response. FIFA 21 just seems lacking in ambition and innovation for a series recently recognized as The Best Sports Game of the Generation.
My long-term hope is they use the tech upgrades with PS5/Xbox Series consoles to rebuild gameplay and modes from the ground up rather than papering over lingering problems. But only time will tell when it comes to the beautiful game‘s virtual future.
Overall as both a critic and die-hard fan, I score FIFA 21 a 7.5 out of 10 – clinging to greatness but demonstrating worrying complacency.
Let me know your thoughts on FIFA 21 and if you think EA deserves higher or lower based on their overall legacy advancing the sports genre over the decades!
