Topic: Fifa 21 - Next Gen

[Jake]

Yeah mate don't waste your time with 21 I wish I didn't upgrade but I'm fucking hooked again.

[Drinks Sangria]

Agreed that it's not worth paying full whack for. It's also the only Fifa I've ever known to be heavily discounted so soon after launch.

I had supermarket vouchers so it cost me very little, at the £50 RRP this does not represent good value. Often the way with the last iteration before a new console generation.

[Kuytinho]

I've actually put more hours into this version than I have in years. It's unfortunate that the year I have so much time on my hands, the game is this bad.

I'm terrible at it, too. My strengths on previous games were always in pressing and defending, but defending is now impossible and pressing is only possible with custom tactics or toggling it in the menu. I'm fed up of games ending 9-6 and shit. I'd rather a midfield battle leading to a tactical 1-0 any day. Now that the game is all about who can dribble best around the box, I just can't compete with kids who have played hours every day for years, even if they clearly haven't got a clue tactically. I don't think it's ever been further from a football simulator at this point.

It's still very addictive despite all of its flaws. I've played in every weekend league so far (although usually stopping at 14 wins) and have the best team I've ever had.

[gerrardisgod]

Defending, well tackling mainly, has become less and less important with every game.

Had a game earlier where I tackled Rashford four times and every time he just bundled his way through and ended up scoring. Basically if a player has pace, they’re virtually impossible to stop, even when you read and anticipate where they’re going.

Don’t even start me on skill moves.

[Jake]

Agree with both the above. I love playing a game where you can pass it round a bit, crunching tackles, interceptions, you know... football.

Instead its just five fake shots in a row to two elasticos then a fucking flippety flappety floo to Mbappe who scorpion passed to credit card and boom you can't keep up with these kids.

There should be a cooldown on skill moved. Three/five successful skill moves in a 30 second period.

[Drinks Sangria]

They should make clear Ultimate Team etc is an exaggerated arcade mode and do a sim mode also, for people like myself and it sounds like, most in here that would rather a tight, cagey but realistic experience (with the odd open high-scoring game like in reality) where a tactical tweak, clever sub or single moment of brilliance can make the difference. It needs to feel weightier and slowed right down. It's still too quick on the slowest settings available.

Right now it's a compute game where football is the core mechanic, as opposed to a football game. It wouldn't sell probably, but I'd much prefer something heavily realistic. Right now, games are open the moment you choose for them to be, and 7-3s and 8-2s and other ridiculous scorelines you see maybe once every few seasons in the top leagues are every match. I did a season as Crewe Alex where I was on to win League One with a projection of over 140 goals scored and only the bottom team in the division having conceded more. Binned it off as it wasn't fun.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

There should be a cooldown on skill moved. Three/five successful skill moves in a 30 second period.

Or just have skill moves limited to players who actually do them in real life i.e. a very select few. Then make them very dependent on the user timing the use of the buttons/analogue stick perfectly. And even then, make it so that they can still be tackled if the defender has done the right thing. Scoring a goal from completing a few skill moves should be a once in a blue moon achievement, not just standard practice.

[lionel_messias]

Have started a career mode, I don't play people online.

I think this Fifa plays very well myself, looks very sharp indeed. Our 3rd kit looks brilliant and the way players like Mané and Salah move is spot on. And of course it is only an enhancement on the PS4 version, not a new game.

The only real place for footie games to go now is better AI teams, and more individual animations and traits for players. With the level of detail in 4K, I don't see Konami will have anywhere to hide or any real way to beat Fifa, with PES 2022, unless their game somehow looks even better and players better - which I very much doubt.

[aggerdid]

Ps5 feels a lot faster than ps4. Was reading its about reaction times. Something more satisfying about the ball hitting the net on this one or maybe i’m losing the plot

[mc_red22]

Just seen that the Champions Edition is on sale for £31.19 on the Playstation store. I know the reviews have been absolute stinkers but is it worth it even for that much? I wasn't going to get it but I need something to get me using my PS4 again for something other than Netflix. Not played on GTA in about 6 months either.

[JasonF]

Just seen that the Champions Edition is on sale for £31.19 on the Playstation store. I know the reviews have been absolute stinkers but is it worth it even for that much? I wasn't going to get it but I need something to get me using my PS4 again for something other than Netflix. Not played on GTA in about 6 months either.

It's fine, there's just not much different over Fifa 20. If you think you'll play enough to get your moneys worth then go for it.

It's worth noting that as it's been out a while, you'll get less packs for Champions or Ultimate Edition than if you'd bought on day one, so it the standard version is cheaper you're as well getting that. Saying that I got a De Bruyne in my first pre-order pack (nothing good since) which helped me get off to a good start.

[mc_red22]

It's fine, there's just not much different over Fifa 20. If you think you'll play enough to get your moneys worth then go for it.

It's worth noting that as it's been out a while, you'll get less packs for Champions or Ultimate Edition than if you'd bought on day one, so it the standard version is cheaper you're as well getting that. Saying that I got a De Bruyne in my first pre-order pack (nothing good since) which helped me get off to a good start.

Champions Edition is £1.80 more than the standard version of the game. Think I might get it.

[BobPaisley3]

As someone well out of the loop on consoles, my son got his first one today, a Nintendo switch with FIFA 21. Now he’s set up a season as Liverpool but there’s no Jota. I remember back in the day, circa FIFA ‘98 you could buy players. Is this still possible? Thanks in advance.

[Drinks Sangria]

As someone well out of the loop on consoles, my son got his first one today, a Nintendo switch with FIFA 21. Now he’s set up a season as Liverpool but there’s no Jota. I remember back in the day, circa FIFA ‘98 you could buy players. Is this still possible? Thanks in advance.

I haven't got the Switch version mate, but I would say if you have the console connected to the internet you'll automatically download an update that will rectify some late window-transfers. Jota has been moved across to Liverpool in the last few updates, Brewster out etc.

Whilst I don't know 100% on the Switch, it's most likely a port of the other versions so will include a transfer section in career mode. You have to search for the players you want through the player search tab on the transfers section, or give scouts some criteria to look at and they will go to countries you choose and populate a list in line with your criteria. Dependent on how young your lad is it might be a touch complicated.

This might help: https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/fifa-21-career-mode-guide/4/

[BobPaisley3]

I haven't got the Switch version mate, but I would say if you have the console connected to the internet you'll automatically download an update that will rectify some late window-transfers. Jota has been moved across to Liverpool in the last few updates, Brewster out etc.

Whilst I don't know 100% on the Switch, it's most likely a port of the other versions so will include a transfer section in career mode. You have to search for the players you want through the player search tab on the transfers section, or give scouts some criteria to look at and they will go to countries you choose and populate a list in line with your criteria. Dependent on how young your lad is it might be a touch complicated.

This might help: https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/fifa-21-career-mode-guide/4/

Really appreciate the response, thanks mate, I’ll have a look in the morning. He’s only seven so he’ll need a hand but got to say, I’m enjoying it nearly as much as him 

I had a quick check on the transfer section and that was easy enough to bring in Jota and Thiago.

My next challenge is to make him understand that the beginner setting is too easy.

[Fabulous_aurelio]

Finally got my hands on the Series X. Well, it's due to arrive tomorrow all being well.

I've been looking at which game to get 1st Valhalla or CP. I've made that decision pretty quickly. Bht back to Fifa Next Gen.

Is it worth a purchase? Are there any other differences other than just visually?

[Jake]

It doesn't look much different to be honest but you just buy the Xbox One version and it upgrades when you install it.

[Lycan]

Is there any way of just watching your games in career mode?

[lionel_messias]

Is there any way of just watching your games in career mode?

Yeah, you can Sim your games if that's what you mean. You get a sort of cut-down Footy manager screen that shows you players positions and at any point you "Jump in" and take control. But you can't watch the game in full graphical mode, no.


Probably played 3-4 hours on the PS5 version now. It's good. The graphics are very sharp, as are response times. I think the defending is poor though. My defensive midfielders get bypassed all the time (we're talking Fabinho so..) and when you are trying to block and harry attackers you centre backs are awful at turning and homing in on players--and I'm talking about Virgil here!

It's not as good at Pro Evo on the little scaps in midfield when someone uses their weight and power to win the ball or someone gets a toe in to nick it.

PES has always animated the best players better (if that makes sense) and the control system for Konamis game is that much tighter; every other aspect of the game is pure unadulterated bollocks of course!

[Drinks Sangria]

Probably played 3-4 hours on the PS5 version now. It's good. The graphics are very sharp, as are response times. I think the defending is poor though. My defensive midfielders get bypassed all the time (we're talking Fabinho so..) and when you are trying to block and harry attackers you centre backs are awful at turning and homing in on players--and I'm talking about Virgil here!

It's not as good at Pro Evo on the little scaps in midfield when someone uses their weight and power to win the ball or someone gets a toe in to nick it.

PES has always animated the best players better (if that makes sense) and the control system for Konamis game is that much tighter; every other aspect of the game is pure unadulterated bollocks of course!

I fully agree and don't really know a way around this. On the harder difficulties (World Class and above), CPU players dribble with skills and movement unlike anything anyone in real life outside of the likes of Messi and Neymar can actually pull off in a game. It's ridiculous. I've found the best way to defend is to never actually make a tackle and just try to stand off the player with the ball to be more of a passing lane obstruction. Whilst there's elements of that being effective in real life, you'd get cut to ribbons if you defended like that predominantly.

You have to be patient but it's immersion-killing when someone like 6'6 Wout Weghorst (I predominantly play Bundesliga in career), is doing pirouhettes and rapid drag backs in the corner of the pitch, refusing to cross it to waiting players in the box and spinning and skilling until there's an opportunity for a drag back and tap in.

I don't know the solution to stopping the midfield being bypassed. I've recently done a career mode season as Hertha Berlin, playing as a quick transitioning counter-attack team using the pace of Linton Maina and Dilrosun to open teams on the break (endlessly effective on Fifa). I play on Legendary but the CPU isn't much cop at defending and has the same issue, that you can easily get through their midfield. The point I'm making is that I play with two sitting midfielders, under instruction not to go forward (Guendouzi and Tousart) and somehow, they're always in the wrong position and get completely bypassed by a single pass or ball over the top. It's pretty frustrating and makes the game too arcadey.

If anyone has any slider options to slow the game right down and get the midfield and defence to act more naturally (or the opposition to stop with the ridiculous dribbling) then please share!

[aggerdid]

I’d say 90%+ of the goals i concede are chips over the goalkeeper. Whether its someone in on goal and alisson rushing out or even edge of the box goalie on his line. Very strange considering the rarity of the chip goal in actual football. Obviously the ultimate team lot asked for chipped goals?

[JasonF]

I’d say 90%+ of the goals i concede are chips over the goalkeeper. Whether its someone in on goal and alisson rushing out or even edge of the box goalie on his line. Very strange considering the rarity of the chip goal in actual football. Obviously the ultimate team lot asked for chipped goals?

I know that chips from a ball in the air are ridiculously overpowered. That's partly why you get people doing kick-ups the full length of the pitch, another very unrealistic and hard to defend against game mechanic in Fifa.

[AndyMuller]

Is the PS5 version worth picking up then?

[Darren G]

Have started a career mode, I don't play people online.

I think this Fifa plays very well myself, looks very sharp indeed. Our 3rd kit looks brilliant and the way players like Mané and Salah move is spot on. And of course it is only an enhancement on the PS4 version, not a new game.

The only real place for footie games to go now is better AI teams, and more individual animations and traits for players. With the level of detail in 4K, I don't see Konami will have anywhere to hide or any real way to beat Fifa, with PES 2022, unless their game somehow looks even better and players better - which I very much doubt.

PES looks better (at least on the PC version) and plays much better than FIFA now, let alone in 2022. With PES also getting UE5 for the 2022 version it'll pull further ahead in the visual department.  On top of that, you can mod the hell out of PES to make it look more real than FIFA with tv logos, adboards more stadiums etc etc.  Fifa has better presentation to 'stock' PES in terms of menus, pre-match line-up and other 'off the pitch' stuff....and that's about it.  Literally everything else PES beats it hands down. PES looks better and most importantly plays a much better game of football.

[Drinks Sangria]

PES looks better (at least on the PC version) and plays much better than FIFA now, let alone in 2022. With PES also getting UE5 for the 2022 version it'll pull further ahead in the visual department.  On top of that, you can mod the hell out of PES to make it look more real than FIFA with tv logos, adboards more stadiums etc etc.  Fifa has better presentation to 'stock' PES in terms of menus, pre-match line-up and other 'off the pitch' stuff....and that's about it.  Literally everything else PES beats it hands down. PES looks better and most importantly plays a much better game of football.

But that stuff, as great as it is, is out of reach for Xbox players. I love PES for what it was and the last one I played (2020) was great. But it is still ramshackle as fuck from a presentation perspective on Xbox.

[Darren G]

Still plays a much better game of football than FIFA though and looks better (on-pitch graphics, not menus and the like) too.  I can see that without the ability to mod the game that the lack of effort in presentation from Konami might be frustrating, but once the match kicks off PES is a far more enjoyable experience in my opinion.

[Drinks Sangria]

Still plays a much better game of football than FIFA though and looks better (on-pitch graphics, not menus and the like) too.  I can see that without the ability to mod the game that the lack of effort in presentation from Konami might be frustrating, but once the match kicks off PES is a far more enjoyable experience in my opinion.

I don't disagree in the slightest. Licences are secondary to me, but I do wish they'd clean up those menus and put some thought into Master League. I wish Xbox just allowed mods/ file updates whatever you want to call them, they let you mod Fallout and Skyrim.

[Drinks Sangria]

This game is so annoying because offline, it’s not that far from being really good.

Anyone come up with any slider sets and settings to make the game any slower, weightier or lower scoring? Probably hard to fix all those issues with tweaks such as that.

Midfields are too easily bypassed by both CPU and the user; you can just literally always find a passing lane or just run through. Sometimes, balls into the flank, full backs bewilderingly retreat super deep, whilst the rest of the line holds, so you have a mass of space to attack in between full-back and centre-half.

And there’s the ridiculous dribbling of the AI - League Two players doing pirouettes, chops and drag backs that are hard to track, or when defended ‘well’ just makes it all look very unlike football. Literally the best way to defend is to be passive and deep so there’s nowhere to run in behind - whilst this might’ve flummoxed the mighty reds in reality ( ), it looks so unlike any proper game of football when played out on Fifa. And that’s my issue, it’s a video game where football is the subject matter as opposed to a football game. It doesn’t quite understand the game as much as it understands what it’s young, money paying UT fan base want.

I still play it, I’m a sucker for a career mode but 6-4s and 8-2s do kill the immersion. I recently had a hard fought 0-0 with Oxford, playing as Crewe, where I was under the cosh for the whole game, my keeper played a blinder and I missed one glaring opportunity to snatch an undeserved win - and I really enjoyed it, it felt like football and the game took on a legitimate shape. All too rare in Fifa I’m afraid.

[naYoRHa2b]

I'm playing a career mode with Doncaster and I've only played 11 games and scored 30 odd and conceded 20. It's those sorts of figures which take the immersion and fun out of it.

I'll see what the next PES is like for the PS5 otherwise I think much like the Football Manager series I'll be done with it because things just aren't changing for the better with this type of game.

[UntouchableLuis]

This was the first Fifa I didn't even bother attempting probably going back to around 2007 or so. Fifa from 2008-2012 was exceptional-  really fun game to play online and against mates where you could score plenty of goals and nothing felt a massive effort.

It slowly starter to lose its way when they tinkered with the marking, close defending and set pieces IMO. I didn't play as much over the last few years but whenever I did it was impossible to score from a free kick, even a corner and penalties became absurd. If you have hours to dedicate to those things I'm sure you can start scoring a few but for the casual player it just wasn't worth it any more. Add that to laggy online games where some nerd who goes PSG and scores 6 with Mbappe and celebrates each one, wastes time etc then I gave up. Shame as this game played a massive part of my childhood/teenage years!

[Drinks Sangria]

I'm playing a career mode with Doncaster and I've only played 11 games and scored 30 odd and conceded 20. It's those sorts of figures which take the immersion and fun out of it.

I'll see what the next PES is like for the PS5 otherwise I think much like the Football Manager series I'll be done with it because things just aren't changing for the better with this type of game.

I did a Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin where I scored 108 and conceded 60 in a 34 game season. I purposefully player deeper an attack more conservatively now just to try and keep some semblance of realism. I really do wish there was a ‘simulation’ and ‘arcade’ switch, like some racing games have employed, so if you want mad tricks and ridiculous sprints, screamers from everywhere and 5-4s every game, you can have them.

The flip side of this is the simulation would be slower, heavier, the tricky agile players would be the only ones really doing skill, but only when appropriate and incredible goals would be harder to come by, making them feel special when you do score them. And scorelines much, much lower due to midfields that can’t just be bypassed and defenders who actually track runners.

[Hendollama]

I did a Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin where I scored 108 and conceded 60 in a 34 game season. I purposefully player deeper an attack more conservatively now just to try and keep some semblance of realism. I really do wish there was a ‘simulation’ and ‘arcade’ switch, like some racing games have employed, so if you want mad tricks and ridiculous sprints, screamers from everywhere and 5-4s every game, you can have them.

The flip side of this is the simulation would be slower, heavier, the tricky agile players would be the only ones really doing skill, but only when appropriate and incredible goals would be harder to come by, making them feel special when you do score them. And scorelines much, much lower due to midfields that can’t just be bypassed and defenders who actually track runners.

PES is as bad as FIFA for different reasons. (The repetitive commentary in PES is one reason.) But if it's just about the career mode, then based on everything you have talked about until now, I really think you will enjoy PES.

[AndyMuller]

Anybody got a pro clubs set up and need a player?

[Statto Red]

Just seen the playstation store has the FIFA 21, champions edition currently on offer for £22, the ultimate edition for £31, is it worth buying?

[AndyMuller]

I regret buying this already. . . .

[lionel_messias]

I was playing Fifa 21 on the PS5 and quite liking it. Then I also downloaded PES 21 season upgrade and it just plays that bit sharper. Think the defending, dribbling and ball physics are far better on PES.

PES presentation is so bad though it makes you want to rip out your eye-balls and go back to 1992.

[aggerdid]

So i fancied some games against non-elite teams online. So went with newcastle so far : psg bayern juve juve so i score 3 own penalties
Immediately

[aggerdid]

So i fancied some games against non-elite teams online. So went with newcastle so far : psg bayern juve juve so i score 3 own penalties
Immediately

this is with club type: match mine and restrictive clubs

[AndyMuller]

So i fancied some games against non-elite teams online. So went with newcastle so far : psg bayern juve juve so i score 3 own penalties
Immediately

You score 3 own goal penalties immediately?

[aggerdid]

You score 3 own goal penalties immediately?

that was a typo. I have goals autocorrected as penalties since the brighton away game and football as PenaltyBall seeing as VAR has fundamentally changed the aim of the sport