FIFA 18 is the new normal, for better or worse. Do not hold out hope for sweeping changes or a more realistic football simulation, one where defense actually matters. No longer are we going to anticipate next year's "big" thing or see any sort of huge departure from the current gameplay. On the other hand, this regularity is bleeding the excitement out of future FIFA releases. On one hand, I am glad I know what to expect now after seven years of inconsistency. We can now expect FIFA 18 to be the norm going forward - slightly improved graphics, tight gameplay, and an overwhelming emphasis on scoring goals and basking in the opulence of FIFA's presentation. This new philosophy is ultimately bittersweet for us longtime fans. With its counterpart PES still constantly striving for that carrot of realism, FIFA has doubled down on what it already has: slick presentation, relentless attacking football, and a penchant for its addicting modes and over-the-top style.
#Fifa 17 vs fifa 18 gameplay series#
But in the age of diminishing returns, I am afraid the series has settled into a groove that it is not looking to shake off.įor the first time, I question whether EA has finally given up, finally stopped dangling the carrot of authentic football we so desperately want to reach. The atmosphere and rush of excitement have become more intense than any other FIFA thus far. The graphics are pristine, leaps and bounds over its older predecessors. Not to say FIFA 18 isn't an impressive or enjoyable game. With FIFA 18, I am beginning to seriously question if that trajectory is over and if the dream is finally dead.
How much better will the next game look? How realistic will it feel? And those answers have been satisfactory enough until now, where it seemed like each year FIFA was trying to improve or at least strive for the realistic soccer game we've always dreamed of.
#Fifa 17 vs fifa 18 gameplay driver#
That strange feeling has really been the primary driver since FIFA 10. Maybe that was not enough to warrant a new release every year, but it was enough to make each previous game feel strangely outdated. The 20 versions of FIFA are largely considered classics, FIFA 2014 was our first foray into next-gen, and 2016 couldn't have been worse after the abysmal FIFA 2015.ĭespite these inconsistencies, the hook for the last seven years has been largely the same: Improve the graphics and strive for realism. You could argue that every odd-year FIFA since then has been entirely skippable FIFA 11, FIFA 13, FIFA 15, and recently, FIFA 17, were seriously non-essential and often worse than their even-numbered counterparts. However, since the expansion of those key features in FIFA 2010, the franchise has faced a rocky road. Combined with the introduction of Ultimate Team, FIFA had found its successful gameplay loop for the modern era. Rapidly improving graphics and the introduction of online Head-to-Head further changed the game, allowing you to test your skills against real opponents at any time.
In the previous decade, the novelty of playing a virtual soccer game used to be exciting enough to warrant a purchase. As a die-hard fan of the game for the last seven years, logging hundreds of hours in Ultimate Team and thousands of head-to-head matches, it is clear to me how FIFA got to this point and what it will need going forward. This will not be a re-litigation of FIFA's many known issues, nor is it a nostalgia-fueled cry for FIFAs of old, but rather an attempt to figure out the last piece of the puzzle for this stagnating franchise. Then, after a couple of losses and a dozen or so moments like this one, you come crashing back to reality.
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