Gameplay significantly improved: Fifa 20 becomes an authentic time waster

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Improved gameplay significantly
Fifa 20 is an authentic time waster

From Michael Bauer

The popular football simulation goes into the next round: Fifa 20 revives a long-awaited mode for street footballers and improves gameplay in many corners. Gamers will have to be much smarter – and invest more time.

For Fifa disciples, the hottest time of the year begins despite the approaching autumn, because Electronic Arts (EA) is releasing the latest offshoot of the popular football simulation. In Fifa 20, the evil image of addictive in-game purchases is to be shaken off and replaced by more authentic simulations on lush green, varied game modes and a high fun factor. The undertaking succeeds, with some compromises. Because the game is developing into a real time waster.

But what counts first is on the field – and EA can score here this year. The Canadians gave the game a real slowdown, but it is obviously good for what is happening in the virtual stadiums of this world. The speed of the individual kickers is no longer the non-plus-ultra. Pace monsters like Kylian Mbappé or Kingsley Coman stay damn fast, but physical effort, positional play and tactics are given significantly more weight.

This can be seen, for example, in header duels. The timing is particularly important here in order to catch the ball at all and, in the best case, to convey it to the teammate. But a lot has happened on the ground too. Good luck no longer intervenes so clearly in what is happening. While duels were more or less predictable and often similarly animated in the last titles of the Fifa series, the behavior of the players in the fight for the round leather now appears more varied and authentic. Even with slides and tackles, alignment with the ball and the right timing are much more important.

CR7 now kicks for Piemonte Calcio

With a revised ball mechanism, real football should be emulated even better and more playful variety should be possible. Fifa gamers have the opportunity to have the ball "doted". A deliberately bumpy pass can jump over the defender's leg. The developers have also worked hard on the spin. Both in the game goal shots are much more difficult to sneak into the box, as well as with standards. Aiming, dosing and cutting: With free kicks, the most beautiful flight curves can be drawn, but uncontrollable flutter balls a la Cristiano Ronaldo are also possible. Once you've got the hang of it, you'll score goals worth seeing in this Fifa.

There are also two new effective methods that can lead to goals. In "penalty dribbling", the player can guide the ball tightly and quickly. Combined with tricks, this new variant becomes a real offensive weapon. The "Set Up Touch" is even more dangerous, but also more difficult to use. The player puts the ball in the correct position before finishing. This often results in sensational goals. The procedure sounds simple, the necessary key combination is also, but the movement is very slow overall. Means: Without enough space, the ball is easily intercepted by the opponent or spittled away.

Volta – new mode electrifies

The innovations in the gameplay can be carried out both in the known modes and in the new Volta feature. The fresher version of the popular Fifa Street is the Mecca for tricksters and indoor fetishists. The mode convinces with great settings. If you feel like playing cage in a Brazilian favela or on a high-rise roof in Tokyo, you will feel right at home with Volta. 3-on-3 or 5-on-5, there are tricks and goals in this mode on the assembly line.

In addition, Volta is a kind of replacement for the story mode, which has found its conclusion in the last part. It is more of an extensive tutorial, but the street football atmosphere of the "From-Zero-to-Hero" story is still worth it. The player can design his own freestyler in a particularly creative way. The high degree of customization in this detailed version is actually something completely new for Fifa players and ends in crazy hairstyles and outfits.

What's missing from the game? There are a few licenses that competitor Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) snatched from the industry leader. Juventus Turin does not exist in Fifa. Although all players around Ronaldo and Co are licensed with the league, the club had to be renamed Piemonte Calcio. The Allianz Arena of FC Bayern Munich was also banned from Fifa through an exclusive partnership between the record champions and PES. There are also some clubs from South America that run under a different club name.

On the trail of Fortnite

There is also no video evidence in the literal sense of the word in the new Fifa, after all, referee decisions were always visible in super slow motion, even if not always comprehensible. A decisive new rule from world football has also not found its way into EA. It is not possible to play your teammates when kicking in the penalty area.

The missing licenses are not really noticeable in Fifa's "Ultimate Team" mode (FUT). After all, it's about the kickers and less about the clubs behind them. The mode has been revamped for FUT players. The “pay to win” principle gives way to the “play to win” principle. EA has set up a kind of season pass for this, in which players receive rewards for progress made. Fortnite is taking the same approach.

But this is exactly where you have to be careful: FUT is only a variant in Fifa, but for many gamers it is also "the" mode par excellence. And the amount of time it takes to get prestigious cards or objects is enormous. What the players do not want to invest in the game from the real money account, they can deduct from the time account of their life.

There are entertaining alternatives to the online duels for coins and rewards that enrich every gaming evening with friends. In survival mode, the opponent's players can be eliminated after goals, header goals and volleys count twice, or offside, fouls and cards are omitted entirely.

DISPLAY

FIFA 20 – Standard Edition – (PlayStation 4)

The variants "Mystery Ball" and "King of the Hill" are new in this Fifa. In the former, the player in possession of the ball gets an extreme boost – either when shooting, passing, speeding or dribbling. The differences to the opponent are really enormous. This leads to a fast-paced and open exchange of blows. The better FIFA player does not necessarily win.

However, if you continue to enjoy the traditional duels, significantly more skill is required of you in FIFA 20. The artificial intelligence of the players is no longer as proactive, especially on the defensive, as in the predecessor, which forces you to think along and act quickly. Since EA usually pulls out a comprehensive patch after a week, the gameplay – like last year – can change significantly again. For the start, the developers have succeeded in taking the next step, making players around the world a little happier.