FIFA 19

[The Boston Crab]

This comes out tomorrow on all formats. I had it on Switch and Xbox last year and obviously the XB version was streets ahead but I played a lot more on Switch. Probably the best handheld football game ever, for what that's worth.


Anyone tempted by this? I reckon my experience last year was heightened because I hadn't played it since the all nighters I had with my mates from 2005 to 2009. I wonder whether the tiny iteration will end up being a disappointment. I suspect so. But I'm still tempted enough.


Any FIFA regulars got any predictive insights into the new one?

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

What do you normally play? Off line single player or online seasons/UT? I think offline single player career is much the same, Online/UT probably has more ways to suck money out of you.  THE CHAMPIONNSSSS...DUH DUH DUH DHU HDUDHUHD (champions league licence). 

[bgmnts]

Anyone still buying Fifa needs shooting, including myself.

[Utter Shit]

Mine's waiting at home, can't wait to get stuck in. Not in the least bit bothered by the CL stuff as I only play online, but from my brief fiddle with the demo it has a slightly different feel where individual traits are more recognisable - I had great fun using Dembele's agility and close control to wriggle away from people, where previously you could only really beat a marker through pace or ridiculous, unrealistic skill moves, so hopefully this is FIFA's attempt to finally break away from the age-old problem of reflecting the brilliance of real-life players who are technically brilliant but physically limited, like Silva, Xavi, Alonso etc in the past.

It's bound to be shit for the first couple of weeks as they react to feedback, but I'm sure it will be as good as ever. I'm not really sure what people expect from sim games like this to always seem so disappointed with them - FIFA has been a pretty accurate representation of football for years, and each release is a fine line, trying to add new features to keep it interesting without taking away from the realism. I don't think it's perfect - there are still some minor exploits, though nothing like the old cutback days - but every time I play online I feel like it's a proper football match, with tactical nous just as important as controller dexterity; it never feels like an arcade-y free for all, if you're good you can impose your will on the game. At least until the higher leagues, when every shithouse cunt plays as Madrid and exploits the fact that Bale and Ronaldo are both fast and strong ie. basically unstoppable.

The gimmicks in this year's release seem like decent fun (it's odd that they are confined entirely to local though - you'd at least think you could play friendly games against your mates online), but for me it's always about Clubs and Seasons. Can't wait.

[kngen]

The physics seem to be a bit more realistic. The ball doesn't just stick to higher-rated players regardless of what you throw at them (Mo Salah was ridiculous for that. He's good, but he's not THAT fucking good) - a clogger can rob Neymar etc if he gets a lucky break of the ball. I think this is going to annoy the FUT millionaire wankers, but makes for a more realistic game. FUT is still a load of annoying bollocks, and having Neymar's smug pus all over it is a hardly a draw, but it still consumes my every waking thought. I will have my ultimate Celtic team - with Larsson, Keane and Stoichkov* – even if it destroys my marriage, loses me my job and eventually kills me. 



_{* My rigorous parameters for my dream Celtic team is that, if they've pulled on the hoops at any point in their life, they're worthy of selection. In Wayne Rooney's case, turning up to watch the game wearing a Celtic scarf is enough. I'm currently petitioning EA to include the following in the Icons series: Kenny Dalglish, Snoop Dogg and Tiffany from Eastenders.}

[Timothy]

Plays better then last years game. Enjoying defending in like the first time ever. Great game.

[Ferris]

The thing I don't get with these is that the year in between versions isn't enough to fully create the footballing hegemony I want.

I'm still firing away on FIFA 2015 - Villa are shoo-ins for the league and probably the CL, England have won the last 2 World Cups pretty handily, and Spurs were relegated last season. I quite like Spurs, but that is very funny.

This has taken years to achieve - I don't want to pack it in now and start again.

[kngen]

This has taken years to achieve - I don't want to pack it in now and start again.

FUT is terrible for this. You finally get all the players you want to create your - *sigh* yes - Ultimate Team. Then the new version comes out;  everyone fucks off over to that, but you can't take your players with you. I can see why, as it creates a level(ish) playing field at the start, but it's pretty cunty of EA (perish the thought!) to strip out most of the competitions and challenges in the old version, so it's just you and a few other diehards left.

I am their perfect idiot customer in that I'll get the new one as soon as it comes out (although I draw the line at buying Fifa coins or whatever shite they call it), and I ALWAYS swear that I'll go back to the old one and finish off what I've started, whether it be Career Mode or FUT. I never have. I'm a total sucker and I might as well give EA my pin number.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Create - Ur - Rapist  is a feature bound to stir controversy

[Ferris]

FUT is terrible for this. You finally get all the players you want to create your - *sigh* yes - Ultimate Team. Then the new version comes out;  everyone fucks off over to that, but you can't take your players with you. I can see why, as it creates a level(ish) playing field at the start, but it's pretty cunty of EA (perish the thought!) to strip out most of the competitions and challenges in the old version, so it's just you and a few other diehards left.

I am their perfect idiot customer in that I'll get the new one as soon as it comes out (although I draw the line at buying Fifa coins or whatever shite they call it), and I ALWAYS swear that I'll go back to the old one and finish off what I've started, whether it be Career Mode or FUT. I never have. I'm a total sucker and I might as well give EA my pin number.

MLB The Show allows you to carry your players and teams across, so I'm up to the 2016 version (I usually stay a few years back to avoid lining the pockets of EA too much).

What is fifa's excuse?!

[bgmnts]

MLB The Show allows you to carry your players and teams across, so I'm up to the 2016 version (I usually stay a few years back to avoid lining the pockets of EA too much).

What is fifa's excuse?!

Uncontrollable greed?

[Utter Shit]

Create - Ur - Rapist  is a feature bound to stir controversy

It does immediately seem weird that the game's two foremost players are possibly the most hated elite player, Neymar, and a guy currently embroiled in a rape scandal. This simply wouldn't be happening if they had some boring cunt like Paul Dummett on the front.

[kngen]

MLB The Show allows you to carry your players and teams across, so I'm up to the 2016 version (I usually stay a few years back to avoid lining the pockets of EA too much).

What is fifa's excuse?!

tbh, I can see the logic. it's nice to start on a fairly level playing field with everyone, rather than enter into a Divisions match (or Rivals, as it's now called) and be confronted with some twat who has spend $100s getting 99-rated Messi, Suarez, Ronaldo, Neymar et al. But those inequities are starting to appear already. (As I mentioned before, the physics are a lot more realistic in this game - it's very enjoyable to send out a team of Championship (or even SPL) level thud-and-blunder merchants to kick anything that moves, and nick a result off some wee spoiled cunt who has the most expensive player in every position. Their frustration at this is palpable, but that's the nature of the game, you fucking dicks!)

If EA had some way of monetising a FUT transfer from edition to edition, I'm sure they'd create it (and I'd probably hand over my money, willingly - I do miss my Larsson 90 Icons card.) so I'm not going to credit them too much. But it's nice to see teams that are vaguely beatable pop up on your screen rather than the endless World XIs you'd face towards the end of the last cycle. (EA gave everybody those players at the end of FUT 18, too - presumably to push the big spenders to move to 19 asap.)

[Utter Shit]

FUT is a joyless pile of shit. Once you get to a certain level, every team is more or less the same because there are objectively 'correct' players to buy who will do well for you, and everyone that plays has been grinding for long enough that they've got the players they want. Partly that's because the engine can still be exploited - anyone who is quick is good regardless of other qualities, and anyone who is quick and strong is obscenely overpowered - and partly it's because of the FUT mechanics, with all the squad harmony bollocks. Ruud Gullit man. Every player has him, because they know he's basically unstoppable.

Seasons has always been the big draw for me, especially now that you can see your world ranking. As of last night there were only 117 players in division 1, which is where I usually end up (though I'm a bit of a Robert Earnshaw, not quite good enough to consistently do well in division 1, but too good for division 2, so I sort of flit between the two depending on my form). I know that's partly because lots of players haven't played enough games to get promoted that far yet, but it's quite exciting seeing the number of players above you in the world gradually whittled away as you win each game. I have a vague aim to hit top 1000 in the world, maybe top 500 with a bit of luck.

Anyone finding their scores weird this year? I only ask because at the moment I'm playing a lot of games with 4-2, 5-2, 5-3 sort of scorelines, whereas a few of my mates have said they're seeing unusually low-scoring games. I wonder if tactics are a bit exaggerated at the moment, with teams either really attacking or overly defensive, leading to this difference in how games pan out.

[bgmnts]

FUT is a joyless pile of shit. Once you get to a certain level, every team is more or less the same because there are objectively 'correct' players to buy who will do well for you, and everyone that plays has been grinding for long enough that they've got the players they want. Partly that's because the engine can still be exploited - anyone who is quick is good regardless of other qualities, and anyone who is quick and strong is obscenely overpowered - and partly it's because of the FUT mechanics, with all the squad harmony bollocks. Ruud Gullit man. Every player has him, because they know he's basically unstoppable.

I used to just buy ex Liverpool players but most of them retired or play in non-licensed leagues.

People who play seriously miss the entire point for me.

[The Boston Crab]

FUT is a joyless pile of shit. Once you get to a certain level, every team is more or less the same because there are objectively 'correct' players to buy who will do well for you, and everyone that plays has been grinding for long enough that they've got the players they want. Partly that's because the engine can still be exploited - anyone who is quick is good regardless of other qualities, and anyone who is quick and strong is obscenely overpowered - and partly it's because of the FUT mechanics, with all the squad harmony bollocks. Ruud Gullit man. Every player has him, because they know he's basically unstoppable.

Seasons has always been the big draw for me, especially now that you can see your world ranking. As of last night there were only 117 players in division 1, which is where I usually end up (though I'm a bit of a Robert Earnshaw, not quite good enough to consistently do well in division 1, but too good for division 2, so I sort of flit between the two depending on my form). I know that's partly because lots of players haven't played enough games to get promoted that far yet, but it's quite exciting seeing the number of players above you in the world gradually whittled away as you win each game. I have a vague aim to hit top 1000 in the world, maybe top 500 with a bit of luck.

Anyone finding their scores weird this year? I only ask because at the moment I'm playing a lot of games with 4-2, 5-2, 5-3 sort of scorelines, whereas a few of my mates have said they're seeing unusually low-scoring games. I wonder if tactics are a bit exaggerated at the moment, with teams either really attacking or overly defensive, leading to this difference in how games pan out.

This all seems very impressive but I'm 14th in the world on the Revision stages of Psyvariar Delta using the Axiom-R on Score Attack+.

BEAT THAT


Edit: absolutely AIDS'd my quote tags 😘😅😅😅

[kngen]

I used to just buy ex Liverpool players but most of them retired or play in non-licensed leagues.

People who play seriously miss the entire point for me.

I once made up a starting XI entirely of players whose surname was Dembele. A wide spectrum of talents in that one. And no GK called Dembele, thus rendering the late night drunken exercise somewhat pointless.

It's the EPL worshippers that get me (prob more of a phenomenon here in the new world than in Europe). They'll have a Man U crest, Man City strips, play at the Emirates with a team full of Chelsea players – and be called Spurzz R00l or something daft.

'Stop getting football wrong,' I like to tell them, while they crush Dembele Select 5-0.

[Utter Shit]

This all seems very impressive but I'm 14th in the world on the Revision stages of Psyvariar Delta using the Axiom-R on Score Attack+.

BEAT THAT


Edit: absolutely AIDS'd my quote tags 😘😅😅😅

Genuinely just spent two minutes looking up those terms as I couldn't work out if you were taking the piss out of me or not haha

[The Boston Crab]

Haha, far from it! Top thousand is pretty impressive on FIFA. Psyvariar player base probably comes in at, ooh, two figures.

[neardark]

PES gameplay is and always has been far superior.

[Thursday]

And it get's all the best songs!

[kngen]

PES gameplay is and always has been far superior.

I'll be delving back in this season after a few years away.

[Timothy]

PES gameplay is and always has been far superior.

Nah. Only until 2015 or so.

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

Okay so I said to myself that I would resist this bollocks this year, but a couple of beers later, I'm hitting up my grey market key seller of choice like the pathetic addict that I am.

You know what? Its actually pretty fun. The games I've played in Seasons so far feel balanced and competitive. Defending is actually a possibility due to the increased physicality and inversely you can really muscle around in the opposition's area. Overall, I hate my life and also it appears more enjoyable so far.

[The Boston Crab]

FIFA 19 on Switch is not worth buying if you got FIFA 18 on Switch. Seems pretty much identical. I should have got it on PS4 or actually not at all because I won't even bother playing. Back to Dragonball FighterZ, AC Odyssey and Psyvariar Delta. The only decent games going now.

[wooders1978]

And it get's all the best songs!

Was just popping in to ask if the tunes are any cop this year - '18 got me quite into Afro French pop