FIFA 20 news is starting to flood in thick and fast.
Here, you’ll find out everything you need to know about the game – from the best player ratings to all of the trailers, not to mention an in-depth look at all of the new features as well as some rumours.
Anyway, let’s kick off with what we know so far…
New Year, new FIFA.
EA Sports arguably played their strongest hand last year – unveiling the return of the Champions League.
But with The Journey now at an end, calls from fans to improve the much-loved Career Mode and a host of gameplay issues, the Vancouver-based dev team have their work cut out to deliver.
Here we go through four things EA can do to raise the bar in FIFA 20. Let’s kick off.
Dynamic weather
We say this year in, year out – but hopefully FIFA 20 will finally see dynamic weather arrive in the game.
It’s something the Frostbite Engine specialises in – and has been put to good use in other EA titles such as Battlefield V.
Speaking to Metro , EA DICE’s Patrick Bach explained why weather is so much more than just a “pretty effect”.
“We often talk about these different dimensions in Battlefield, where you have the rock, paper, scissors and then you marry that with the destruction and you create unpredictability from different angles. And with the layer of weather we actually change the way you play in a very drastic way,” he said.
“So, if you have the tactics of being a sniper and it starts to rain then you probably have to change tactics. And the same with fighter planes, once the fog rolls in it’s like, ‘Okay, this is not as effective anymore, so I probably need to go back on the ground’.
“It’s not only a pretty effect, it actually changes the way you play the game.”
Dynamic weather has featured in Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer games for the last couple of years and drastically changes the way the game is played.
During matches, rain will sometimes fall – making it easier for players to slip and make mistakes.
If executed like this in FIFA, it would add a whole new layer of tactics to gameplay – especially in Ultimate Team.
Virtual Reality
A few years ago, the suggestion of a ‘virtual reality’ stadium in FIFA would be laughed at.
Now though, it’s a very real possibility.
It’s such a compelling prospect that Oculus Rift co-founder Nate Mitchell described FIFA and VR as the ‘perfect fit’.
He once told Eurogamer: “You can imagine sitting in the stands and confetti is raining down… and the four of us are sitting right next to each other and we’re controlling the players on the field — that would be an awesome VR experience.”
But just how likely is it to happen in FIFA 19?
Well, VR has well and truly taken off – with 21 million dedicated VR headsets expected to be sold by 2020.
Sony’s PlayStation VR headset has proven particularly popular – which is great news for gamers.
While the company already has a host of VR-focused games, they’re arguably still to land that true triple-A title.
FIFA 19 could be the perfect platform to propel the hardware firmly into the mainstream – especially as the company look to further capitalise on the beefed up PS4 Pro.
But for those hoping that VR will replace the controller, that’s still some way off.
EA’s Sebastian Enrique told Trusted Reviews they “haven’t found something that beats the experience when you have a controller in your hands”.
Where VR could be implemented, though, is through a camera angle – perhaps exclusive to PS4 / PC versions.
This could essentially place the player amongst fans in the stands – putting them next to a few well-rendered fans, and giving them the ability to look around their seat.
They would play the game as per usual, only players would be further away – with the entire pitch visible.
Sounds great, right? But there’s a kicker.
FIFA often comes under fire for input lag – which is the time taken for a button press to result in an on-screen action.
By implementing VR, it’ll likely add to this delay – not by much (a few microseconds or so), but it could make all the difference to gameplay.
As Enrique explains: “It’s tricky. The problem is that you still have lag.
“When you play a game like FIFA it really depe
Still, as the technology continues to advance, issues such as lag should, in theory, become a thing of the past.
Whether VR makes an appearance this year is still uncertain but one thing’s for sure… it’s going to happen – sooner, rather than later.
Improvements to Career Mode
FIFA 18 saw a huge overhaul of Career Mode’s presentation, but under the glossy shell very little had been changed.
This year’s game offers the perfect opportunity to focus on this – especially now The Journey has come to an end. Here’s what we would like to see.
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