A divided community (offline vs. FUT) and those competing priorities leave the future of FIFA in doubt. Will FIFA make strides in the future towards being a simulation or will it be a flashy card game? We might never know, but the FIFA 21 I'm playing today is simply not good enough.
Unfortunately, all of the positives that stem from better gameplay are diminished a little by stale modes and lackluster online play. If you enjoyed eFootball PES 2020 last year, you'll have some fun with this update as it improves on gameplay. However, if you skipped last year's game and have to pay full price, I'd probably pass. There's just not enough improvements off-the-pitch to warrant $60.
With its quality visuals, easy-to-learn controls and captivating story mode, Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is a throwback to what video games should be about: fun.
Full disclosure: Maximum Games provided us with a review code for this game
The developers over at Unfinished Pixel did a tremendous job bringing us a fast and fun footy game for just $7.99. While we often get caught up in the intricacies within FIFA and PES, it's good every now and then to just have some fun. I had a smile on my face the entire time I played this game. That alone is worth eight bucks.
Gameplay is simple enough to grasp yet deep enough to challenge you as you progress.
Out of the box, FIFA 20 is the one of the poorest releases for the series in some time. The gameplay can't get out of its own way at times due to poor defensive fundamentals, while the career mode is littered with bugs that were fixed in past iterations. Volta appears to be the only mode without major issues because the gameplay there is expected to be different. FIFA is always prone to patches (for better or worse), so if you're on the fence be sure to keep your eyes open as this game will definitely change during the course of the season.
With the help of option files, PC and PS4 users get to experience nearly all of the bells and whistles of FIFA — sorry Xbox One users, you still can't — but with the magic that only PES can provide. If you're a gameplay purist, then eFootball PES 2020 is definitely worthy of a purchase.
After finally coming to grips with the Fox Engine, Konami has produced the finest PES in nearly 10 years
As sports games become increasingly complex, Active Soccer 2 DX attempts to bring back the simplicity of yesteryear with mixed results.