FIFA and PES may need to rethink their strategy.
While the EA and Konami games are focused on realistic portrayals of soccer both in terms of graphics and gameplay, these games take the joy of soccer to new arenas.
Here is The18’s list of soccer video games you need to play.
Editor's Note: This article originally ran in 2017 but has been updated to include a few more soccer video games you gotta try. Find the new ones at the bottom below Rocket League.
In terms of gameplay, FIFA 20 might just be the best edition of the game in years. In addition to some long-awaited updates to Career Mode, EA Sports is adding VOLTA Football, a FIFA Street-esque portion of the game.
FIFA is finally bringing back its street mode, now named Volta, amid many changes and enhancements to modes across the platform. Now, a big name, at least amongst Arsenal fans, is being added to help voice the new street mode. It's none other than Troopz from ArsenalFanTV. “Oh my days, fam!” as he would say.
FIFA Career Mode has been a fun time in recent years when you're looking to do something other than Ultimate Team or The Journey, and although Career Mode has seemed to be fading a bit, this year’s edition looks to have brought in some cool new features that make the mode worth your time.
With Konami’s PES gaining an increasingly large bite of the apple in soccer licensing, EA Sports was always going to have to up its game with FIFA 20, which has already announced some cool new additions like a FIFA Street mode called VOLTA. But, to the delight and surprise of many, EA Sports is finally listening to its fans and making updates to the FIFA 20 Career Mode.
Hallelujah!
Full disclosure, I’m a FIFA person. My first taste of the game was World Cup 98, and I’ve been steadily wasting my own money since World Cup 2002. That’s not to say I wholeheartedly believe FIFA to be a superior product to Pro Evolution Soccer. In fact, when some gamers tell me that PES is superior to FIFA, I genuinely believe them. Why shouldn’t I? FIFA can be really annoying.
Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) has been making headlines over the past few months by waging a steady assault on FIFA’s rights to everything in club soccer; most notable was an exclusive deal with Juventus, meaning that the club’s name, badge, kits and Allianz Stadium will only be available in PES 2020 — FIFA 20 players will have to make do with ‘Piemonte Calcio.’
You may be able to play as an old lady in Ubisoft's upcoming Watch Dogs game, but you certainly won't be able to play as The Old Lady in FIFA 20.
FIFA fans were disappointed to hear Tuesday that Juventus would not be a playable team in FIFA 20. The Turin club has signed an exclusive rights deal with Konami, meaning that the team's name, crest, stadium and jerseys will only be used in the Pro Evolution Soccer games for the foreseeable future.
After claiming a FIFA Women’s World Cup winner’s medal, as well as the tournament’s Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards, there’s only one thing left for Megan Rapinoe to achieve this year: grace the cover of EA Sports’ upcoming FIFA 20.
It’s an idea that’s gaining steam, starting with a simple Twitter post from video game and entertainment media website IGN.
The new football season is just over a month away (except for the U.S., among other countries) and that means that FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) will be releasing their 2020 editions of their popular soccer simulation games.