FIFA 19 Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

5. Atmosphere Has Come Alive

Something has happened at EA. They've finally started watching football matches that don't take place in the English Premier League, Real's Santiago Bernabéu or other marquee stadiums. The generic backdrop of before in peripheral divisions, like the Scottish Premiership or Turkish Süper Lig has been replaced by something marvellous.

They now feel like important parts of the game rather than necessary evils.

The addition of new Spanish grounds has helped this, and it turns those away trips to Villarreal, Real Betis and Eibar into a unique obstacle rather than a lifeless churn you'll want to plough through so you can play at a licensed stadium again. Not only that, but those unlicensed arenas that are EA-made finally have the character they've been lacking.

This is all down to the enhancements that've been made to the punters in the crowd. There's greater variety to the character models, and virtually every club of any note has its own songs, presence and traits (good and bad).