FIFA 18 will be releasing this Friday and all the fans are going crazy over the game. Lately, EA’s Fifa series had to suffer a decline cause of FIFA 17, every installment since the FIFA 15 feels less responsive and slow than its predecessors. But this time the company has developed a really nice game and has improved their declining stats.
The FIFA 18 is not spectacular and it still feels less responsive but it is a major upgrade which feels much fast and smooth than the last entry. More playing modes and excellent presentations have been added and over all the FIFA 18 has been greatly improved.
Last year with FIFA 17 there was a major problem with players’ turning speed, it means while sprinting the player will take forever to change the direction cause of the input lag. This has been improved in FIFA 18 although you can still feel a slight input lag, but overall the game’s speed feels pretty reliable.
This time the game is more concerned about taking right decisions at right time and being thoughtful rather than tricking the defender using the tactics or speed. The bots now are now much more intelligent and make instant runs providing you with better options on the ball.
A unique crossing system has been introduced which is completely different from the one in FIFA 17. Now the typical cross has a more curve and pace to it and if you go for the cross while your player’s body position is not right than it is more difficult to perform the perfect shot or pass to open goal scoring avenues.
Passing has also been upgraded and this time it is not so easy, you will be needing much more skill, but if done correctly it will create attacking opportunities but if not it can result in the favor of your opponent.
Quick substitution has been added which means that you will be able to make substitutions without pausing the game, you can easily set preset substitution players which can be substituted on the run during the stop plays.
A powered tackle mode has been added into the game which lets you make a more stronger and physical effort to win the ball. This means that you get to decide about the tackle and the timing making passive defending a thing of past.
You can also defend by not pressing any button at all and just placing the player to the right place to impact the opponent and then your player will automatically win the ball.
Penalties have been made less complicated but they are still annoyingly intensive and slow to understand. It requires you to know the direction, height and shot power all at the same time but now you have got the time to think.
The graphics of the FIFA 18 is top notch and the game feels pretty realistic, it almost feels like you are watching football on a sports channel. The presentations and animations have progressed the most. The crowd looks more realistic and alive than ever before. The atmosphere and the type of crowd are different depending on where are you playing. English crowds are more aggressive and taunt the opposing team. Matches in Spain have a constant beat of drums and the crowd is cheering.
Image by Huddersfield Examiner
FIFA 18 uses Frostbite engine this time but this is only for XBOX One, PS4 and PC, the last gen consoles and Nintendo Switch will feature the old Ignite engine which is not even near to Frostbite. The new engine provides great lighting and shadows making the game look even more realistic.
Image by EA Sports
The various modes in the game have been polished and new features have been added. Each mode provides an entirely different way to play. In Career mode, you choose to play with your favorite team and if you wanna play with friends you can select the Pro Club mode. FIFA Ultimate Team is still the best and most addictive mode in the game.
One thing that must be pointed out here is that except for the star players the way of playing of other players is pretty much the same.
Image by EA Sports
The FIFA 18 will come in two editions, a Ronaldo edition which you can buy now for £79.99 for consoles and £69.99 for PC. There is a standard edition which will be available on Friday and will cost about £12.
