FIFA 20

There's a question mark stalking EA's football series with the unshakeable tenacity of Fabio Cannavaro in his prime. While Fifa 20 is mostly very good, the issue of card-purchased loot boxes in its most popular mode, Ultimate Team, has led to calls for...

FIFA 20 is all these things but it's also better than FIFA 19. I've already played loads of games against Eurogamer's second-best FIFA player, Chris Tapsell, and I've had a great laugh. I've scored some screamers. I've lost to added time goals. We've leapt off the sofa at shocking refereeing decisions, missed open goals by Marcus Rashford and magic from Mason Mount.

Without much cosmetic polish to fall back on, FIFA 20 needed to bring something new to the table. Although the core gameplay isn’t mind-blowingly different, it’s still the best football game, and the addition of VOLTA is a whole new way to play.

FIFA 20 is a solid new addition to the long-running franchise. Some may miss novelties such as The Journey, but with a strong replacement in Volta mode and some somewhat significant updates to traditional gameplay it's hard not to see the overall scope of FIFA 20 as an improvement. Overall, there's enough changes for fans to feel that FIFA 20 worth it, even if it's not revolutionary.

The company has, perhaps justifiably, been accused of prioritising profits over gameplay but the emphasis has evidently now shifted to attention time. FIFA’s main competitor is now no longer football games, it’s free-to-play shooters. And that might prove to be the series’ toughest match up yet.

Curiously, that’s when this year’s FIFA is at its best – when it’s making you laugh with the absurdity of Volta goals or overpowered Mitre Deltas. Which is a curious thing to say about an otherwise-serious football sim, and precisely the reason it merits four stars as opposed to five. For the most part, FIFA 20’s staples are a case of ‘as you were’.

Still the king, mostly the update you'd expect but with a welcome surprise in the superb VOLTA mode.

The fresh lick of paint to Career Mode and Ultimate Team have made already excellent modes even better and the sheer volume of licensed teams, stadiums, and more makes for an impressively authentic experience, too. Volta is also a fantastic addition and the jewel in FIFA 20’s crown because of its an exciting, bold approach that elevates the experience wonderfully. It’s a big soccer game that excels in many different areas, making it easy to lose many hours in its gluttony of modes. Given its quantity and quality, FIFA 20 is the ultimate soccer game and represents the best of what EA’s sports games have to offer.