FIFA 19 Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs
Play 'No Rules' mode NOW.
So, EA's latest license-heavy beast is here, and the question on everyone's lips is this: is FIFA 19 vastly different from FIFA 18?
In a word, no, it's not. The same interface is there, and running the games side-by-side makes it look like the newer version is a mere reskin of the other. That's graphically though, not gameplay wise. Actually play 19 and you'll find a much more refined experience altogether, one that's become even harder to put down thanks to some new modes and on-the-pitch improvements.
Looking the same isn't a problem. Konami barely upped the visual quality of PES 2019 this year, but they did enough with the game's mechanics to make it a pure joy to play, and a real treat for football's hardcore tacticians. FIFA 19 had a lot to live up to then, and it's a surprise that EA veered towards arcade-y action rather than a true simulation of the sport.
Don't be worried about that last statement; FIFA still plays a stunning game of footy, and it's become better for ditching its over-reliance on guiding gamers through an on-rails, vapid, Hollywood-style production. This year, it feels more real.
Let's get stuck in and separate the good from the bad...