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A brand new installment of a popular soccer franchise with updated rosters and improved gameplay

A brand new installment of a popular soccer franchise with updated rosters and improved gameplay

Vote: (434 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: ELECTRONIC ARTS

Version: 20.9.07

Works under: Android

Also available for Windows Mac

Vote:

Program license

(434 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

ELECTRONIC ARTS

20.9.07

Works under:

Also available for

Android

Windows Mac

Pros

  • Thorough licensing for most major leagues
  • New systems that support greater strategic play
  • Tons of different modes to pick from

Cons

  • Gameplay is less enthralling than PES
  • Pay to win mechanics in Ultimate Team Mode

FIFA 19 is the latest in the venerable football franchise, and developer Electronic Arts' stranglehold on the big licenses ensures that it's still one of the most authentic simulations of the game. And while FIFA still can't manage the moment-to-moment authenticity of the Pro Evolution Sports series, it's packed to the gills with content that can keep you engaged long after the game's roster has been deemed irrelevant.

For the most part, FIFA 19 feels like the games that came before. And while EA may get criticism for only making minor tweaks to design with each passing year, the fundamentals here are good. And there is a sense of progression in the game's growth. Ball control is more delicate than ever before - but EA does a good job of keeping the barrier to entry low while offering a high skill ceiling for returning players. This Action Touch System adds a whole new element of bluffing in live play too, by providing you with the opportunity to fake out opponents and falsely telegraph moves.

That push towards manual play is a major component of FIFA's latest outing, and it's been given further tweaks in the systems for shooting. A goal is easily the most dramatic moment in a game of football, but traditional systems typically boil it down to the simple press of a button. Timed Finishing makes use of a double-tap system similar to that used in golf games. For players with good timing, you can be more accurate than ever before with your shot. But you can opt-out if you're still cutting your teeth on the fundamentals.

One of FIFA's strongest selling points is its licensing, and they've brought a few notable changes to their roster in 2019. They've brought back licensing for the UEFA, and it's an addition EA has decided to put front and center. They're the showcase for an entire standalone tournament mode. EA has also brought in Lee Dixon and Derek Rae to add a whole new sense of personality to the color commentary.

There's not much in the way of new modes, but subtle tweaks have helped sharpen up already existing systems. The Journey: Champions puts a cap on the story mode trilogy that started in FIFA 17. The setting this year is Europe, putting the player in command of an aspiring Englishman and shifting the focus to the UEFA. Also returning is the relatively new Ultimate Team mode. This always online mode lets you draw blind card packs for new characters and build out the team you've always dreamed of using a roster of all the major players. The inclusion of a new Division Rivals mode ranks you according to your talents and matches you to one of ten appropriate divisions. It's a smart move that reduces the frustration of uneven matchups.

For better or worse, FIFA 19 is the same FIFA as always. You won't find a game that more authentically looks like the real thing, but attempts to lend more tactics and realism to life in the field are a little more uneven. That moment-to-moment authenticity still can't match competitor PES, but they do manage to present a game that's a love letter to the state of soccer in 2019.

Pros

  • Thorough licensing for most major leagues
  • New systems that support greater strategic play
  • Tons of different modes to pick from

Cons

  • Gameplay is less enthralling than PES
  • Pay to win mechanics in Ultimate Team Mode