FIFA 19 review: Subtle gameplay changes make a big difference 🎮 | OneFootball

When you first fire up FIFA 19, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s not an awful lot different to the last instalment of the world’s most popular football gaming franchise.

Sure, the menus have been given a new lick of paint, there are some cool new game modes and there is, of course, the shiny new Champions League licensing and all that entails.

But has anything actually been done to improve the core gameplay and fix some of the issues which plagued FIFA 18?

The first time you pick up your controller you might think not, but the more you play, the more you start to notice the subtle tweaks which all contribute to FIFA 19 being a more rounded football simulation than it’s ever been before – albeit only slightly.

Electronic Arts have not reinvented the wheel by any stretch but passing feels slicker. Through balls are more intuitive and effective than they’ve ever been in a FIFA game.

The touch system has also been massively revamped in that players are now not only liable to control the ball with every part of their body, but they also often make realistically bad first touches – especially when they’re tired or playing in bad weather conditions – and mis-timing your touch can have potentially grave consequences.

Players also use their upper-body strength to jostle and challenge for the ball in a more realistic manner, while the goalkeepers also seem to make better and more lifelike saves than they’ve ever done before.

There’s also a load of new tactical options available for deployment in the new game which you can find out more about here …

But some of the most interesting changes relate to the game’s AI.

Particularly when playing against the computer on the higher difficulty levels, you’ll find that your opponents press your defenders higher up the pitch in a bid to force errors and win back possession, just like in real life.

This means that you’re no longer able to casually pass the ball around your back four as easily as you were before, but it also means that if you’re playing as a team like Manchester City who are good at passing out from the back, you can play through the press and launch quick and effective counter-attacks down field.

In the real world, it’s becoming more and more necessary for goalkeepers to be good with their feet nowadays (Alisson and Ederson being just two examples) and FIFA 19 has tapped into this phenomenon too.

Not only will certain goalkeepers now automatically come rushing out of their box to clear danger a la Manuel Neuer at his pomp, but the AI will often actually pass the ball back to their ‘keeper to relieve pressure from time to time.

It’s only a little thing that really should have been a feature in the game before now, but it wasn’t and it’s a very welcome addition.

But that’s enough positivity, what about the bad stuff? What is going to have us smashing up our controllers in frustration this year?

In gameplay terms, the most noticeable problem is that the shooting seems way over-powered.

This year, players now automatically manoeuvre their bodies to allow themselves to strike the ball in a more effective way and there’s even a new “Timed Finishing” game mechanic which, as the name suggests, means you now have to think about timing your shot to perfection in order to get the most accurate shot on target.

But it’s still too easy to pop one into the top corner from 25-yards and the AI are too good at beating your goalkeeper from distance too.

We knew something wasn’t quite right when Huddersfield’s Rajiv van La Parra scored an unstoppable Puskás Award-worthy worldie against us from miles out and hopefully, it’s something EA will tweak with a patch a little further down the line.

All in all, goals still seem to be a bit under-valued in FIFA 19 and too often, games finish 4-3 or 5-4. If you’re a casual gamer who just likes playing against your friends, that probably sounds pretty fun, but it detracts from the realism and the novelty of an eight-goal thriller wears off pretty quickly when it’s happening every game.

EA have already come in for criticism due to the fact they’ve done barely any improvement work on Career Mode this year and it is quite shocking how much they’ve neglected what should really be the game’s centrepiece.

But they have at least addressed the fact that FIFA 18 was a little too easy by adding a new difficulty level – ‘Ultimate’ which is one above ‘Legendary’ – which seems to be exclusive to Career Mode.

In terms of other new features, FIFA 19 has really gone to town with the authentic Champions League and Europa League broadcast experience and it’s a great addition. LaLiga is also now fully licensed, meaning every team in Spain’s top flight now have their official stadium.

And if you’re looking for some good, clean offline fun, the all new Kick-Off mode should really tickle your fancy.

This year, in addition to Classic Kick-Off, there will be five new match types to choose from in the full game.

They are …

UEFA Champions League is basically Classic Kick-Off but with all the fancy graphics, overlays and atmosphere from FIFA’s new tie-in with Europe’s elite club competition.

Best of Series is a mode which lets players play a series of three or five matches to determine the overall winner, while Home & Away is a two-legged tie decided by the aggregate score from the two games.

Cup Finals allows you to choose from a number of real life cup finals – such as the Champions League Final, Europa League Final, FA Cup Final, and others – with the official kits, badges, match balls, and authentic broadcast overlays.

But where things really get interesting is House Rules. If you’ve ever found the rules of football too boring or constrictive, FIFA 19 allows you to throw the rule book out of the window and play matches with no offsides, fouls or bookings, or where only goals scored with a header or a volley count.

There’s also Survival Mode in which your team loses a player every time you score a goal, and First to … where the winner is the first team to score three goals, for example.

They’re all as fun as they sound and should make playing FIFA while drunk more of a laugh than ever before (but please drink responsibly, kids).

Oh, and Alex Hunter is back for the third and final instalment of The Journey. Expect plenty more of the unrealistic storylines, clunky dialogue and cameos from some of the world’s top footballers (cover co-star Neymar features pretty heavily this year) we got in parts one and two.

In conclusion

FIFA 19 is definitely a better game than FIFA 18 (which, when you boil it all down, wasn’t a bad football game at all) but if you’re looking for drastic changes, you’re probably going to be annoyed.

The lack of development made to Career Mode is a massive disappointment, but some of the other new game modes along with the gameplay improvements almost make up for it.

This game won’t change your life but it’s the best and most realistic football sim on the market. Well worth your pocket money.

Rating: 8/10