It does get welcome new features – the clean, list-based transfer hub is a godsend, and negotiating with other real-life managers via interactive cut-scenes raises a smile, or at least has done throughout my single season so far. Critically, career mode remains in need of a comprehensive overhaul.
Fifa 18 the journey pro#
Pro Clubs adds a new match-room layout and extra hairstyles and celebrations, but still feels like an afterthought. For instance, maxing out the ‘cool’ side of Alex’s personality meter gifts you Coolio-style-dreads, while going the other way and making him fully ‘fiery’ earns a Paul Pogba-esque leopard-print ‘do.įive-star football all-round then? Not quite.
Cleverly, your conversational decisions throughout affect which unlockables you get. You can give Alex tattoos, new hairstyles, and edit his clothing both on and off the pitch, from hoodies and trainers to wristbands and good-God-my-eyes football boots. GTA-style customisation options are a hilarious touch, too – and yes, I really did write ‘GTA-style’. The final chapter drags from too many matches, but its narrative far surpasses standard sports-game fare. It’s full-on exhilarating when you form a strike partnership with a very famous current pro, but also surprisingly touching in places too. For those torn between the two, story mode The Journey 2 tips the balance in EA’s favour.Ĭoming in at around the 14-hour mark Alex Hunter’s second season expands his world in both the literal (you get to play in three other countries) and figurative sense. That will suit FIFA devotees, but immediately rules out the chance of any PES 2018 admirer switching sides. It makes for an experience that feels like a natural, if unspectacular, step on from last year. Like it or not, these are the pros most FIFA players most want to utilise - so while the focus on them over League Two 'bronzes' is easy to criticise, the imbalance is understandable.ġ5 tiny, brilliant FIFA 18 details you might have missed Raheem Sterling’s leisurely amble is nicely replicated, as is Arjen Robben’s awkward, left-foot-heavy shuffling motion. Ronaldo, as well as having his robot-gazelle gait, constantly hogs the ball rather than cross, while every Barca player is capable of zipping a first-time pass with Exocet accuracy. It’s clear that individual player uniqueness has also been high on EA’s improvements list, with stars given bespoke running styles and decision arcs. Yes, FIFA AI teams finally understand Pulisball. Play Arsenal away, and they pass until you (and their home support) are sick of it host German 3 Liga - this year’s sole new league - team Chamnitzer FC, and they sit deep and look to stifle you into a 0-0 stalemate.
That works both up and down the leagues, and across the globe. As ever, there’s a small issue with lower-league players handling like hungover part-timers, but the AI does at least vary its tactics team-by-team something I’ve clamoured about for years. No sooner had I penned that line above when, in my very next match, an Exeter vs Forest Green fixture became a comical parade of feeble shooting and overhit crosses. It’s impossible to examine every incremental change here, because so many are contextual. There’s more punch to shooting from distance, more intent on crosses (with genuine whip added to the ball - my favourite of all the new changes), and players are sharper when it comes to breaking onto loose balls or throwing themselves at shots. First impressions this year are that while Konami’s offering still feels a tad smoother, EA has closed the gap again by tweaking some key fundamentals. And certainly, it felt like last year big rival PES edged away with regards to pure football feel. The other big criticism of Ultimate Team is that its addictiveness off the pitch covers up for FIFA’s failings on it.
Fifa 18 the journey Offline#
They’re an exclusion specifically geared to the offline fan who doesn’t wish to spend real cash: while rankings are online, all Squad Battles matches are offline-only, played against celebrity-made teams. But in actuality, last year's card-collecting mode made it easier than ever to make coins via Squad Building Challenges – as detailed here - and this time around, it's expanded further with Squad Battles. Cynics may well spit at the notion of covering Ultimate Team at all - for many, it’s a cash cow designed solely to milk unassuming (and, late on Friday night, drunken) football fans dry.