FIFA 19 Beta Review: 8 Hands-On Impressions You Need To Know
7. The Addition Of The UEFA License Helps Immersion
EA Sports
Prior to FIFA 19, players busy immersing themselves in Career Mode had to make due with two substitute European tournaments. Instead of the Europa League, managers had the Euro League. The Champions League too was completely absent, with the 'Champions Cup' appearing in its place.
It's understandable, then, as to why EA have made such a big deal of attaining the UEFA license. The Champions League is here, complete with its iconic theme, symbol and ball - and to complete the makeover EA have even introduced a new selection of commentators. Before Martin Tyler and Alan Smith would commentate on every match, but now the likes of Derek Rae and Lee Dixon offer a narration of their own.
This greater focus on the license has already proven to be a hit with players, but smaller additions shouldn't go unnoticed either. The English League Cup now has its full Carabao license - Gerry & The Pacemakers' version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' plays during every Anfield match day - and the acquisitions of the Chinese Super League and Serie A licenses are expected to follow.
Sure, these small aesthetic changes don't change too much, but it'd be disingenuous to say they aren't welcome additions to FIFA.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
