EA Sports’ FIFA franchise has been successful across the entire world. Each year, the game sells millions of copies and makes millions of dollars through initial sales and through “FIFA points”.

In short, the “FIFA formula” is a well trodden path that is in need of refreshing. This year, FIFA is now fully licensed to use the Champions League in their game. The addition of Champions League truly creates a more immersive experience for the player as they can march their custom player through the tournament and see him lift one of the most coveted trophies in the world of soccer. Moreover, this year FIFA 19 has added a plethora of new “Kick-Off” modes that take that normal match with a friend after school to a whole new level. Alongside the original Kick-Off mode, we are now presented with a House Rules mode, Survival mode, No Rules mode, Long Range mode, Headers & Volleys mode, Best Of Series mode, Home & Away mode, and a Cup Finals mode. House Rules mode is a place where the player can customize the rules at whim, Survival Mode is a place where when a user scores a goal, a player is removed from his/her team, No Rules mode is exactly what the title suggests, Long Range mode only lets players score from outside the box, Headers & Volleys Mode is a place where you can only score with headers and volleys, Best Of Series is the classic three or five series of matches to determine a winner, Home & Away mode is played much like a Champions League semi-final and is run on aggregate, and Cup Finals mode lets you simulate the Final match of most tournaments. These new gameplay features are quite refreshing to see and add an extra level of fun to the beautiful game.

When looking at actual gameplay mechanics, FIFA 19 has mixed results. EA Sports markets us their “Active Touch System” for FIFA 19. After playing around in Kick-Off and career mode, I can say that this system is truly immersive for all the right and wrong reasons. The ball control is almost too sensitive to the point where early in the game, I would see the ball bounce awkwardly off of Cristiano Ronaldo’s knee and into Dybala’s left arm and out of play. However, as you continue to play, your mastery of the touch system starts to develop to the point where you are using subtle movements, fancy flicks, and body feints to terrorize your opponents defense. In summary, there is a slight learning curve. Much to my surprise, a player’s “pace” does not seem to have the same effect as before. I can no longer blow past opponents like in previous FIFA titles. Gone are the days where I could use Cristiano Ronaldo to jet down the left wing and score. In FIFA 19, pace is only noticeable if Olivier Giroud is trying to chase down Kylian Mbappe. Regarding all of FIFA 19’s gameplay mechanics, it is a mixed bag in terms of results. The Active Touch System is slightly difficult to master, but loads of fun once learned. In summary, this FIFA title is much less about having a high pace stat, and more about using tactics and finesse to score that sweet upper-90 goal.

As for graphics, the player faces seem to improve year over year and add more to that feeling of being immersed in the game. The stadiums and fans within them seem to come to life with authentic banners, chants, and reactions. The greatest feature is the amount of detail put into recreating players tattoos. Neymar’s tattoos have been incorporated into the game down the the finest detail; this detail provides evidence to the level of commitment the FIFA 19 team has towards creating a real soccer experience.

Lastly, lets talk about The Journey: Champions. This year, we play through three protagonists storylines each with a different scenario. We watch our main man Alex adjust to stardom at Real Madrid, his little sister Kim battle between school and becoming a World Cup star, and we see Danny struggle through the Premier League. The Journey is a good game feature, but it is plagued with numerous redundant training sessions and dull post-game interviews. Moreover, while users have to make choices throughout the campaign, none of these choices actually have any major impact upon the story. FIFA 19 The Journey presents this illusion of choice when in reality you are playing through a set, linear story that has only a single ending. While The Journey was once a headline FIFA mode, it has fallen from that position into a category I only dive into when I am truly bored.

Overall, FIFA 19 is a breath of fresh air for the franchise with new Kick-Off modes, gameplay mechanics, and brand new detailing. The addition of the Champions League really adds a new dimension to the game while the Active Touch System adds depth to ball control and skill moves. However, a poor performance from The Journey, and a relatively unchanged Ultimate Team hold FIFA 19 back from true glory.

FIFA 19: 7.9/10

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