Entertainment

Games: Despite its lick-of-paint approach Fifa 21 is still a polished product

Fifa 21 – as regular as falling leaves, autumn brings a new entry into EA’s cash cow
Fifa 21 – as regular as falling leaves, autumn brings a new entry into EA’s cash cow Fifa 21 – as regular as falling leaves, autumn brings a new entry into EA’s cash cow

Fifa 21 (Multi)

By: EA

IF ANYTHING, the global pandemic has made this year’s beautiful game simulator even more realistic. With terraces devoid of bums on seats, broadcasters have been piping Fifa’s virtual crowd noises into the real thing for the sporting equivalent of canned laughter.

But if life has been imitating art, Fifa 21 whisks us back to the now-fantasy world of glamour and packed stadia – even if the formula has never been so perfunctory.

As regular as falling leaves, autumn brings a new entry into EA’s cash cow, with all the pageantry and official licenses that its competitors can only dream of. Yet this year’s effort is almost unapologetically lacking in any significant marquee features.

Yes, there’s an improvement in flow and the collision system (players will now actively leap away from sliding tackles) while you can develop your stars to take up new positions.

But with most of Fifa 21’s reasons to upgrade mere tweaks at best, what’s actually different to last year’s game? Aside from new kits, squads and ratings, “agile dribbling” enables the more dextrously thumbed to pull off fancier footwork, and with an emphasis on positioning, decent players will make good use of the pitch, dropping into strategic pockets for a marked increase in goal-fests.

Career Mode allows frustrated managers to grab the reins and jump into the fray themselves while Kaka cameos in the VOLTA street football mode, which now features co-op Squad Battles.

Most of EA’s sweat, however, seems to have been spilled on Ultimate Team and its back-of-the-net profits. Essentially kid-friendly gambling, the government is currently sniffing around Fifa’s loot-box mechanics. Of course, EA say they’re no more dangerous than the surprise of a Kinder Egg, but at least with those you’re guaranteed some ovoid chocolate and a plastic turtle.

Blame the suits a few floors above Fifa’s programmers, who have at least turned out a typically blockbuster product, with stunning visuals and a soundtrack featuring tracks from, among others, The Prodigy, Sia and Dua Lipa.

After 15 years, however, the dulcet tones of Martin Tyler and Alan Smith have been shelved, replaced by grating BT Sport mainstays Derek Rae and Lee Dixon for commentary that’s as repetitive as it is riddled with mispronunciations.

With new skins and meagre tweaks, Fifa 21’s lick-of-paint approach has never been so obvious, but it’s still a polished swansong for videogame football on the current generation.