FIFA 19 review

Other game modes

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the other game modes. Career mode is definitely starting to show some cracks. Even the inclusion of the Champions League does little to cover them.

Pro Clubs is in a similar position. This is largely due to the fact that EA has simply put its assets elsewhere, leaving these game modes stagnant.

Meanwhile, The Journey brings back Alex Hunter and her sister Kim, concluding her story. Despite the impressive acting and cinematic scenes, it all feels very cliché. Unless you feel particularly involved in this story, you can really do without it.

Game

In terms of real football, FIFA 19 feels smoother than its more recent predecessors. The passages are crisp and players can clash with each other in a way not possible before thanks to the new physics. This also helped create more believable animations for players as they travel the pitch. A more extensive tactical system also helps give you greater control of the action and the ebb and flow of games.

Perhaps the biggest change in gameplay is with a new mechanic known as a timed finish. If you can correctly time a second press of the shot button just as your player’s foot connects to the ball, it will be a much more powerful and accurate shot. It messes everything up, though, and you can expect to hit a few poor onlookers in the crowd. This inclusion will likely cause some controversy among fans, but it will add a welcome element of risk and reward to the process.

Final verdict

With games being released every year, it usually comes down to there having been enough changes and improvements to warrant shelling out your money once again. FIFA 19 is easily the best entry in this series for quite some time. Even small details like grass degradation as matches progress or players’ shirts getting dirty show how much effort EA went into to make it look as good as possible.