FIFA 19
FIFA vs. PES at E3
Before you get excited, no, EA wasn’t prepared to talk about changes to FUT, aside from reiterating the announcement that FUT would be integrating UEFA’s Champions League into the mode. Any questions pertaining to X were stonewalled, with EA unprepared to talk about the mode until later in the year. What I did discover, however, was more about the actual innovations being brought to its gameplay mechanics and systems.
There are three key changes this year that arguably represent the most notable alterations in years: timed-finishing, advanced tactics, and special touch. EA was keen to tout these as game-changing features that were making substantial changes to the way players engage with the game. The truth of the matter, perhaps unsurprisingly, is that they aren’t quite as definitive as that. That being said, I did appreciate the changes across the board.
By far and away the biggest takeaway for me was the introduction of advanced tactics – the ability customize and shape your tactics and then assign them to the d-pad, replacing the generic options we’ve been accustomed to for years. It’s super intuitive to use, simply ticking a slider up and down in the options menu according to preference. There’s even a representation of your alterations via an animation that shows what happens when you break in attack or run back in defense depending on what position the slider has been set to. Better yet, you don’t have to make wholesale changes to your entire formation; you can simply alter specific aspects if you want to. Loading the box, for example, with players for a late-game corner. Previously, of course, you would have had to switch the entire team to ultra-attacking, and if you forgot to switch it back you’d leave yourself wide open in defense. There are a handful of specific alterations you can make that you can save as special tactics to use in the fly, such as speed, aggression, width, how quickly your team will counter after regaining position, etc.
Elsewhere, there’s the special touch mechanic – something that was actually introduced in-part last year for certain characters but returns to 19’ as a full feature across the entirety of the roster rather than just special characters. It essentially alters the dynamic of how each player receives the ball, opening new options to beat opposing defenders on the turn or slide through-balls to teammates fluidly. There are more realistic and dynamic animations that come with that, as well as a new move called the ‘fake-out’ that is executed by holding the bumper as you trap the ball. The Active Touch System is a neat concept but doesn’t alter the feel of proceedings as much as it sounds as though it would. I’ll say that dribbling and passing does feel very good, though, and in combination with the new jostling system EA has dubbed ‘50-50’ battles, there’s now an element of uncertainty to possession that requires more precision than before but doesn’t ever feel cheap. EA actually commented to me that the jostling system actually felt rather unnatural before, and they’re confident that this year’s iteration improves on it markedly.
If you were wondering: the optional close-control button remains a feature and special touch’s automatic functionality doesn’t replace the extra control you’ll have by holding that down.
As for the new shooting mechanic, it adds a new layer to finishing that’s entertaining to pull off but doesn’t actually replace other shooting options. It’s executed by tapping shoot and then holding it down a second time right before the player strikes the ball. It’s not easy to pull off, and if you miss-time your hit it’ll send the ball rocketing off in the wrong direction (along with a blinking red indicator to confirm the mishit). I’m sure over time I’ll end up experimenting and probably using the new system to my advantage for more technical finishes, but I didn’t ever feel it necessary during my 30 or so minute demo. That’s not a bad thing, of course, but don’t go thinking it’s changing the dynamic of shooting in any particularly substantial way. It’s an entirely optional risk/reward strike that can add power and accuracy to a shot, or go disastrously wrong. What it does markedly improve, however, are headers and volleys, which now feel less like luck and a lot more about precision. Free kicks and penalties, however, remain unchanged from FIFA 18.
Other changes of note for this year is the inclusion of Champions League, which will form the basis for the final chapter in Alex Hunter’s The Journey trilogy. Outside of the story-driven mode, you’ll be able to play European Football as a single tournament, editing whatever teams you like. The Champions League is to debut a new look in 2019, and I was told that FIFA has been updated to include all the latest kit designs and marketing themes to make it as authentic as possible.
