It feels like long shots have been given a little tickle, and are now more likely to top bins.ĮA Sports has done well to better balance the attributes of players for FIFA 18. This higher, more looping lofted pass is great for hitting a ball up to a striker, drawing a defender in for an aerial challenge and thus creating space behind for a runner to potentially get into the box. The pinged lob pass (left bumper and lofted pass) is another super effective new pass that helps create goalscoring opportunities. When you blast a driven pass to your teammate who’s only 10 or so yards from you, you expect it to bounce off him (and to get an angry look), but he’ll probably control it. It’s great for getting the ball where you need it to be right now, and it looks great on screen, but it sometimes feels a little silly because players – even mediocre ones – more often than not perfectly control this driven pass. This pass is a kind of Steven Gerrard ping, a fast and low bullet that shoots straight for its target.
It’s a more fluid game bolstered by a raft of new animations.Ī lot of this more fluid feel has to do with the increased effectiveness of one-touch passing and the driven pass (right bumper and the pass button).
But you can certainly zip the ball around the pitch faster, more accurately and with more variety. You still have that sometimes frustrating buffer between when you press a button and when the player on your telly actually does what you want.
Now, I’m not saying FIFA 18 all of a sudden reacts to your inputs with the speed of a fighting game. Perhaps the most noticeable improvement is to responsiveness. For so many – myself included – gameplay is king, and after FIFA 17’s well-documented problems, it’s fantastic to find EA Sports has spent most of its time sorting out the on-pitch action. But it’s an unspectacular upgrade.įor many fans, this will be fine. FIFA 18 is better than FIFA 17, for sure. It’s jam-packed with welcome gameplay improvements and clever new modes, but FIFA 18 is no revolution. Retail release 29th September 2017įIFA 18 is really good, but there’s no headline-grabbing game-changer, no jaw-dropping new way to play, no superstar signing to get the heart racing.