The big headline new feature in this year’s FIFA is Volta football, an updated take on FIFA Street – a fantastic game in its own right – and
our immediate impressions are positive. Some of the voice acting leaves
a bit to be desired (has anyone ever used the word ‘panna’ in a
sentence?) and there are some cringe moments (Pete, Peter…) but overall
the story is engaging enough and gives you a quick intro into the life
of a street footballer. The customisation on offer is also a triumph
and something akin to what many hoped EA would bring to Pro Clubs one
day. It’s landed in the world of Volta though, and that actually makes
much more sense given there really are no rules on what you wear.
Naturally, microtransactions come into the Volta store but there are
also tons of items you can unlock as you progress through your career,
and they’re neatly linked to on-pitch accomplishments. On top of that
Volta is just a great way to learn the intricacies of FIFA.
Some love skill moves, some barely go near them, but in a 3 vs, 3 the prospect of a rainbow flick feels attractive. We found ourselves
trying skills we’ve barely gone near in five years, flicking the ball up
on a whim and using the new strafe dribble liberally. It’s fun and
that’s a theme that runs through FIFA 20. And that’s not something we’ve
said about the series in a long time. Moving back to the grass, there
have been a number of gameplay tweaks that stopped us in our tracks.
Firstly, and most importantly, are the changes to defending. Drum roll
time… it’s actually hard to defend now. If you’re used to just
pressuring the ball carrier with the AI you’re going to need to relearn
the game, it’s that much of a change. The ‘skill gap’ which we spoke
about so much last year has returned again. How long it stays for we
don’t know, and we definitely can’t speculate, but as it stands you have
to be patient, clever, and concentrated if you want to get the ball
back. Some of the standing block tackles we’ve performed, where you
actually emerge with the ball, have left us in shock. It’s totally
different to FIFA 19’s collision engine disaster.
Though the speed of the overall game has been reduced, making each contest a more measured encounter, the difference in pace between the
quickest forwards and slowest defenders is more discernible than ever.
If you overcommit you better hope you’re not up against someone who
knows what they’re doing. All the best to you if your opponent has a
Kylian Mbappe lurking on the shoulder of the last man. Despite the
above, there are still elements to the gameplay that will require you to
learn on the fly. Shooting is tricky. If you’re using a player with a
poor weak foot ability, shooting on that foot is as foolish as it sounds
and that’s great. It’s also harder to get your shots off even when you
feel like you’re in space, giving defenders more of a chance to get a
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