FIFA is one of gaming's longest running and most consistent series. This year marks the 28th consecutive year that a new FIFA title has been released and the 37th FIFA game in total. The series has come a long way since 1993's FIFA International Soccer both in terms of graphics and gameplay - but it could still be better.
Unfortunately, the series has stagnated somewhat in recent years. What little innovation there is to be found in modern FIFA titles is often tied to game modes that encourage players to purchase and spend virtual currency. This is all well and good for those who enjoy Ultimate Team, but for everybody else it can sometimes feel like new releases offer little besides the obligatory roster update.
Whilst the series has generally improved with each new entry, there are plenty of functions that fans would like to see make a return. If EA really wants to improve the franchise, they'd do well to look back at some of the features that have been cut - as well as what's going on in the sport today.
10 New: VAR
The Video Assistant Referee has provided many controversial moments since its introduction at the 2018 World Cup. Although many fans don't like it, as EA Sports might say, it's in the game. That they're yet to add it to the FIFA titles is therefor a little surprising.
At its heart, FIFA is a sports simulation title and so the aim should be to mimic the sport as best as possible. Love it or loathe it, there's no denying that VAR provides moments of real tension and suspense. The feelings that it evokes are very much in keeping with what we love about the beautiful game and would only improve the series.
9 Return: 45 Minute Halves
Many of the earlier FIFA titles contained the option for 45 minute halves . They required real strategy when it came to making substitutions and provided players with the time needed to recover from earlier mistakes. Some of the score lines may have been a bit ridiculous, but the matches were invariably entertaining for those wanting to just kick back with a friend and enjoy some FIFA.
The ability to play 45 minute halves is certainly something that will only be of interest to a small number of the player base. There's definitely a demand though, as shown by the annual requests for the feature's return. Given the simplicity with which it could be reintroduced to the series, EA's reluctance to do so is therefor a little strange.
8 New: Detailed Stats For Local Co-Op Multiplayer
EA has been pushing online multiplayer pretty hard over the past decade or so - especially through the game's Ultimate Team mode. Whilst this is understandable given the huge revenue that it generates for them, those who still enjoy playing locally with their friends have been massively neglected.
Although it's possible for multiple players to play on the same team, the lack of detailed stats provides little incentive for them to actually co-operate. Providing each player with a score and keeping track of their offensive and defensive contributions would make the experience infinitely more enjoyable and encourage players to play as a team rather than as individuals.
7 Return: Diving
It's not something that anybody likes to see, but unfortunately, diving is a big part of the game. Back in the late 90's and early 00's, it was also a part of FIFA. It wasn't well advertised, but by double tapping one of the shoulder buttons, players could have their player hurl themselves to the ground. It was difficult to pull off, but when it worked out it was a satisfying feeling to say the least.
Reintroducing the feature could add a new level of strategy to FIFA games. The modern rules on diving would also add a nice risk element to the mechanic, with players being encouraged to use it sparingly to avoid their own team being punished by the ref.
6 New: Real Referees
Nothing against Hayden Pennyfeather or Derek Milborrow here, but the use of fictional referees in FIFA titles is holding the series back. It's easy to see why EA continues to use them, but given how far the series has come in its quest to provide an authentic experience, it's about time they added real referees into the game.
They'd have to be careful how they implemented them, but by analyzing the number of cards dished out to determine strictness and then keeping the stats hidden, EA could get around any potential issues. Refs like Michael Oliver and Jonathan Moss are just as much a part of the sport as the players themselves and they deserve to be represented as such.
5 Return: Professional Fouls
Play is deep into stoppage time and the match is balancing on a knife's edge. Suddenly a player breaks away and is through on goal. The defender can't make a tackle and a goal seems all but guaranteed. Then, out of nowhere, the player on the ball is viciously taken out by a crunching foul. The offending player is sent off - but, more importantly, his team are still in it.
This is where the professional foul button was worth its weight in gold. It might be against the spirit of the game, but it's something we see regularly in the real world. Taking one for the team is a part of the sport and as such, it deserves a place in FIFA titles.
4 New: Empty Stadiums
Although many fans are chomping at the bit to get back inside stadiums, it could be some time before they're actually able to do so. Until the world finds a way to effectively tackle COVID-19, empty stadiums seem destined to become a fixture of the sport for the foreseeable future.
Whilst the atmosphere generated by fans adds a lot to the sport, there's something to be said for actually being able to hear the cries of the players and managers down on the pitch. Blue language aside, it's provided viewers with an entirely different perspective of the game and could do the same for players too.
3 Return: Local Multiplayer Be A Pro
The FIFA World Cup games have always been fairly underwhelming and have rarely justified their price-tags. One of their few stand out features though was the Captain Your Country mode. It was similar to Be A Pro mode, but in some iterations allowed for local multiplayer rather than just a single player experience.
Each player was locked to a single member of the team and was given their own match targets and rating based on how well they played their position. Although this can still be done solo or online through Pro Clubs, it just isn’t the same. The return of offline multiplayer pros would be welcomed by many - as would the ability to improve a player’s stats by meeting targets rather than through repetitive minigames.
2 New: Real Switch Ports
Up until 2018, EA had used the 'legacy' title for FIFA releases on older hardware. Given the circumstances, it made sense for them to focus their attention on ports for the current generation of consoles. In many ways it was actually admirable that they even took the time to support older consoles at all. Unfortunately, the legacy title has now become the standard for FIFA releases on Switch as well.
The Nintendo Switch might not be the most powerful system on the block, but it's one of the most popular. The legacy editions offer reduced functionality and are missing many of the newer features found in modern FIFA titles. Although the price arguably reflects these differences, it leaves Switch players with a substandard experience.
1 Return: Pre-match Coin Toss
The removal of the pre-match coin toss was a little bizarre considering that it's something that precedes every real world match. One suspects that the decision was made due to the over-abundance of random cut scenes that EA has slowly been adding to the beginning of matches over the years, but given that the coin toss actually serves an important function, perhaps they shouldn't have been so hasty?
If they really wanted to provide it with some extra purpose, they could add an interactive element to it. By giving players the choice of heads or tails, EA could have players looking forward to the coin toss rather than spamming the skip button in order to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.