FIFA 18

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What is FIFA 18

Every time you passed the ball in FIFA 17, you made a bold statement, and the action and gameplay stayed filled with fun throughout. FIFA 18 sets itself upon the foundations of its predecessor. The game refines many concepts set forth in the last year, but it takes them even further than ever before.

Continuing a Popular Series

The continuity of the ever-popular story mode, "The Journey: Hunter Returns," picks us right up where the last story ended. In 2017, Hunter aimed to break into the professional sports world, but he has set ambitious goals for 2018 to play on the field with football's most talented champions and face off against them in the ultimate battle. It's here that dreams are made or broken.

Since the last year, Hunter enters the field with more confidence and a likeable personality than ever before. You feel invested in the character and hope he succeeds because of the awesome character development in the story line. After the first hours of gameplay, Hunter trades playful banter with Cristiano Ronaldo, and he agrees to an interview with Rio Ferdinand. The gossip transfers among some of the world's biggest clubs.

The Downside

We do see plenty of life-giving improvements made to FIFA 18, but the game never gives you real control over the story. EA did manage to balance the story and control Hunter's pitch, but the experience never rises above and beyond the awkward first season. Part of this has to do with how the game set up the dialogue, which almost feels meaningless. For example, during the interview with Rio Ferdinand, one response in the dialogue will determine the questions to follow, but following up to the questions will be pre-defined. Because of the set up, you never feel like you're in control, and instead, you feel more like an audience member.

Heartfelt Dedication to Realism

On the other end of FIFA 18, we see a continued passion for bringing realism to video games. FIFA 18 carries the torch from the last game. It perfectly captures the painstaking level of detail of the big game leagues, but it also looks deeply at the smaller details like celebrations or how star players play with the ball. In addition, the crowd animations, stadiums and player likenesses all are worthy of noting. You also have dramatic lighting, a pitch for realistic matches and smart commentary. This football game rates as one of the best looking. You can spot the slick-looking production with the finer details, and the quick substitutions are a welcome bonus.

Overall, FIFA 18 is one of the best football games, and it shows in almost every aspect of the game. This is one of the newer games worth checking out.

Pros

• Over 650 teams to choose from.
• The gameplay feels familiar since FIFA 17.
• Storyline is better than ever before.

Cons

• You don't feel in control over the story line.