Released last October, FIFA 21 disappointed. Both technically and in terms of gameplay and sensations: Electronic Arts’ football license is no more than a shadow of itself. Some will say that this is a period of transition, with the arrival of new generation consoles, others will speak of a return of the baton. Isn’t the EA series resting too much on its laurels? Exactly; this is the opportunity to see what the PS5 and Xbox Series versions have in the belly. Are we entitled to the future this season or a taste of it?
Health context requires, we will have to wait a little longer before having new presentations of the game in physics and therefore, as a bonus, a few minutes (hours) of complicity with said product in the wake. FIFA 21 next-gen is no exception to the rule and this version is all the more expected than the current one, if it does the job thanks to the content and a lifespan that is still exceptional for a sports game, hardly to convince durably due to a lack of balance in its gameplay, a balance that continues to be patched almost every week at the moment moreover. Suddenly, the question when launching headlong on the virtual grass of the next-gen version was the following: would we change course and return to balance on PS5 and Xbox Series? As to the first part of the question, definitely yes. FIFA 21 next-gen presents a shiny aesthetic, without forcing and it is logical, the most beautiful ever proposed by the saga. The graphic slap is there and we must admit that we spend the first minutes on this new version to observe the smallest detail. The opportunity to see a more human audience – very successful from afar, less up close – an incredible modeling of realism and details for the stars of the round ball. We are entitled to hair finally alive (a partnership with L’Oréal?) And physical details (sweat, facial folds) even more pronounced. The Frostbite engine, which is still in the game, finds here a second wind and seems to still have some under the hood.
There is more inertia in their movements, which is not a bad thing, considering the overall speed of the game, revised downwards compared to the current-gen versions.
The new plastic of the players does not stop there since their gestures, too, have benefited from a very particular work. The latter is even more realistic, with the mark of the effort on their face or on their body (bandaged muscle, in particular) and a more realistic and longer touch on the ball with the ball. In short, there is more inertia in their movements, which is not a bad thing, given the overall speed of the game, revised downwards compared to the current-gen versions. However, it does not really help the defenders, already penalized in the past. Of course, the shoulder duels for the conquest of the ball have also been reworked, with body movements and protection even closer to what we see on TV. Granted, players break down their gestures more when they’re in motion. But their longer and more precise touch of the ball reinforces the problem of balance of the current-gen version: the attack is still as privileged compared to the defense and it will take some time before you find a simile on your own. answers to the many problems raised here and there by this data. Especially since the favorable cons and the weakness of the goalkeepers on their line are still present, which is seriously messy for a next-gen version and for a game promised as different.
Between the new scenes and contextual celebrations, it’s a truly living stage that awaits us in this next-gen version, with a camera that no longer hesitates to shake in all directions.
The difference is ultimately in the atmosphere and in the user experience. For the first case, we had seen in recent days an introductory video showing a young field accompanist alongside Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, both entering the lawn during a gala shock face at PSG. We could feel the weight of the atmosphere of Anfield and it is overall a different atmosphere that offers FIFA 21 in terms of immersion. Between the new stages (view of the public outside the stadium, entrance through the security gates) and contextual celebrations, either according to the progress of the match, it is a truly living stadium that is offered to us on this next-gen version, with a camera that no longer hesitates to shake in all directions. This is where the PS5’s DualSense comes into its own. If it shares a continuous vibration with the Xbox controller, continuous vibration and localized especially according to your gestures (left foot shot, vibration to the left of your controller), it offers additional sensations with its adaptive triggers, which harden according to your player’s fatigue. In short, we find the same striking process that we can see on NBA 2K21.
In addition to not having any new mode or functionality, FIFA 21 does not allow cross-play between current-gen and next-gen players.
This is the only common point between EA Sports and the basketball simulation of 2K Sports and it is a shame. If NBA 2K is not perfect, it has the merit of laying an encouraging or even solid foundation for the future, with new content compared to the current-gen. Here, this is not the case. Nothing new under the sun, except a little frustration. Indeed, in addition to the fact of not having any new mode or functionality, FIFA 21 does not allow cross-play between current-gen and next-gen players, the fault of two different games according to their words. In fact, no matchmaking between PS4 and PS5 players for example, or common experience in co-op. And apart from FUT and Volta, whose experience can be experienced alternately on either generation of consoles, there is no shared progression for Seasons and Career modes, which is a shame given the efforts made on the latter in this opus. Finally, we can not appreciate too much the new game camera proposed, the GameCam, which looks exactly like the dynamic camera seen some time ago at the competitor and which, if it comes close to what we can Watching Sunday night on TV isn’t really playable, especially in such competitive modes as Ultimate Team can be today. You will understand, this version is ultimately more essential for those who have never had the current-gen version in their hands. Despite its graphic gap, it still retains the problems, controller in hand, of its little sister … but has the merit of giving us a great overview of what EA Sports can offer on new generation consoles.
