FIFA 21 Discussion (Console Versions)

So far I like the rewind feature and the "press right stick after a pass to direct the passers next run" feature. I never used the PES version of manual off-the-ball runs because it was too finnicky but this method is more intuitive.

I don't know why Super Cancel is bound to L1+L2+R1+R2 now. Seriously? That's way too many buttons.

The game fundamentally feels quite similar to FIFA 20. First impression was that it felt smoother. Only played around 10 matches, some online Pro Clubs and some offline Kick-Off. Will need to play a lot more.
 
Mathgamer said:
FIFA 21 (no audio)

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Volta.

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Placebo said:
Volta.
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The second half is gameplay, versus the AI!

...on semi-pro. Which isn't that helpful...

The more I see of it (and how much slower it is), the more hopeful I get that I can do a deal with the devil, and accept that all the stuff that should be improved (the horrible animation system that breaks bones and bends physics to ensure responsiveness) is still awful, if (in return) the game stays so slow and genuinely challenging on the higher difficulties (without resorting to "competitor mode", the most pointless addition I think they've ever made - it's just there so that the kids can feel like they're "training" for life as an eSports pro, isn't it)...

My fear is that the pace won't stay where it is now. There are already complaints on the beta forums that the game is slow and boring, so I'm told - and there are many dissenting voices but what will EA care if the initial complaints are from the 10-year-olds itching to spaff money on a mega-fast mega-lolz FUT, whose money they truly depend on...

The demo will potentially be quite telling. I'm not sure that they'd release a slower-feeling game as a demo (which would upset the kids) unless they were committing to that direction.

The other element in all this is the next-gen release. The fact that we're not hearing much makes me wonder... If it was an identical game, would all the promo material not be using footage of the next-gen versions, to make the game look more tantalising?

Has something gone wrong? Will it release much later? Is the animation system in general going to be tighter (but that would mean different gameplay, surely)? It's a bit mysterious.
 
Hi @Chris Davies

Totally agree with you here, I’m actually a bit more optimistic watching the pace, apart from the outrageously stupid skill moves and other not relevant features, it’s starting to turn my head a bit. However, as you say, it’s got “change” written all over it....those kids moaning about the pace is enough for them to amend the release.......we see it time and again.

As for the next gen stuff You only need look at the overall marketing strategy of the consoles to get a sense of where we are with the new consoles...totally underwhelmin, it’s as though both companies know it’s not a good time to launch, are going ahead anyway, but want to avoid any negativity at all costs. We are 12 weeks away from launch....still no preorders, price or even a picture of the back of Sony’s box!.

Strange indeed, i get a feeling the current differences for next gen on Fifa are not fit for purpose, so no real info.
 
The mechanics of animation are bad. The whole animation approach is bad.
Footwork is atrocious at times, very fast or very slow and sliding, in order to adjust body position to the ball.
Also some silly steps backwards with the player looking forward is hilarious to say the least.
Passing and shooting animation speed is irrelevant with the ball speed and power.
I got very irritated at these.

Other than all these, the game is just fine.


Oh! And graphically FIFA cries for an update. In cut scenes it looks nice, but in gameplay cameras it looks like a 10 years old game (which it is at it's core)
 
Chris Davies said:
The second half is gameplay, versus the AI!

...on semi-pro. Which isn't that helpful...

The more I see of it (and how much slower it is), the more hopeful I get that I can do a deal with the devil, and accept that all the stuff that should be improved (the horrible animation system that breaks bones and bends physics to ensure responsiveness) is still awful, if (in return) the game stays so slow and genuinely challenging on the higher difficulties (without resorting to "competitor mode", the most pointless addition I think they've ever made - it's just there so that the kids can feel like they're "training" for life as an eSports pro, isn't it)...

My fear is that the pace won't stay where it is now. There are already complaints on the beta forums that the game is slow and boring, so I'm told - and there are many dissenting voices but what will EA care if the initial complaints are from the 10-year-olds itching to spaff money on a mega-fast mega-lolz FUT, whose money they truly depend on...

The demo will potentially be quite telling. I'm not sure that they'd release a slower-feeling game as a demo (which would upset the kids) unless they were committing to that direction.

The other element in all this is the next-gen release. The fact that we're not hearing much makes me wonder... If it was an identical game, would all the promo material not be using footage of the next-gen versions, to make the game look more tantalising?

Has something gone wrong? Will it release much later? Is the animation system in general going to be tighter (but that would mean different gameplay, surely)? It's a bit mysterious.
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Yeah I’m with you - if it’s slower and challenging then I’m happy. There’s so much content in FIFA these days to keep me happy. I only get bored when I’m winning every game in Career Mode.

I don’t like the gameplay videos I’ve seen so far but I never judge a football game until I’ve played it myself.
 
Chris Davies said:
The other element in all this is the next-gen release. The fact that we're not hearing much makes me wonder... If it was an identical game, would all the promo material not be using footage of the next-gen versions, to make the game look more tantalising?
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Well the game is released on current gen consoles at early October.That's nearly two months earlier that the next gen consoles release.
So they wanna make sure that they'll gonna sell as much as possible on the current gen which still gonna be around for 2-3 years.I think that's why they're showing current gen content still.Not everyone gonna buy a next gen console the moment it releases due to high price or whatever.

And the first 2-3 months of a game's life cycle is the part which brings the most sales probably.So they will try to sell the game from October to December as much as possible.And since only current gen is available in that time,that's where their focus will be.It makes sense marketing wise i think.
The sales on next gen consoles will be just a bonus for this year.From the next year though they're gonna put all their focus on next gen first and one more reason for that is to win the hype war which gonna come with next gen Pes being released on Unreal.
 
flokiman said:
The mechanics of animation are bad. The whole animation approach is bad.
Footwork is atrocious at times, very fast or very slow and sliding, in order to adjust body position to the ball.
Also some silly steps backwards with the player looking forward is hilarious to say the least.
Passing and shooting animation speed is irrelevant with the ball speed and power.
I got very irritated at these.

Other than all these, the game is just fine.


Oh! And graphically FIFA cries for an update. In cut scenes it looks nice, but in gameplay cameras it looks like a 10 years old game (which it is at it's core)
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Try to play on Dynamic camera. Especially with next-gen on the corner, you will be amazed how beautiful the graphics are.
 
Too bad most clips are showing the game with competitor mode toggled "on", which is completely different play when it's off.
 
Matt10 said:
Yes, I've been playing. These competitor mode clips don't really show the variety the game has, and what we as CM players have wanted for years - including FIFA 16.
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Is it all about 1vs1 all over again like it looks in the few clips that leaked? And if yes is it better implemented/less damagable when playing against the CPU than in 20?

My most hated thing in 20 is this pure one man marking and the players switching off, when the man they were marking is in the process of being marked by another player. Do you see what I mean?
 
papinho81 said:
Is it all about 1vs1 all over again like it looks in the few clips that leaked? And if yes is it better implemented/less damagable when playing against the CPU than in 20?

My most hated thing in 20 is this pure one man marking and the players switching off, when the man they were marking is in the process of being marked by another player. Do you see what I mean?
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I'd say they aren't as bad as FIFA 20, but it's still there. The defensive line is much more active, which is why I laugh when I see the static defensive line in those other videos/screenshots - it's not there. The CPU will also punish you if you get out of position. Just like last year, I think turning off the pass block assistance helps massively as it's more manual control than having the AI get me out of position.

Anth James said:
Overall thoughts Matt?
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If you liked FIFA 20, you'll like it. If you hated FIFA 20, you may still like 21. The best part is the low percentage passes the CPU chooses over dribble-dribble-pass monotony of the past. That alone I think makes it worth a gamble.
 
That sounds good but after the last years I'm not sure if I should be looking forward to the game. The beta was always good, the demo was okay and then the full game was really bad after some patches. Of course I know me so I'll buy the game anyway at release day.
 
WEtongelre said:
PS5 version will be exactly the same game with the same features. Otherwise they


Great!!!
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Wished they make the same adjustments for goal nets. Structure/dimension style (Small box nets (like in England), or very deep nets (like in Brazil for example). Also the option to change the color of the nets. Freedom to adjust the tightness/looseness of the goal nets. Not only 3 options like it is now.
 
Jimi_Zuko said:
think we have to accept fellas as chris mentioned both games are targeting 8-12 yr olds sums up both games for me.
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Oh, I fully expect these games trying their hardest to appeal to everyone and even prioritising casual players/spenders. Not surprised in the slightest. What I have a hard time understanding is the lack of options (after decades of development) to offer an alternative experience.

(The actual number of options doesn't count, because you can say that fifa offers plenty. Only their effectiveness. But years and years of prioritising your cash cow can get you on a road of no return I suppose).
 
manmachine said:
Oh, I fully expect these games trying their hardest to appeal to everyone and even prioritising casual players/spenders. Not surprised in the slightest. What I have a hard time understanding is the lack of options (after decades of development) to offer an alternative experience.

(The actual number of options doesn't count, because you can say that fifa offers plenty. Only their effectiveness. But years and years of prioritising your cash cow can get you on a road of no return I suppose).
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Nearly all of the "hardcore" players who want a sim experience end up just buying the game anyway, often both games at release because football game.

Once you've done that, they're given the green light to do absolutely nothing for you. When they know you'll buy the game no matter what, why bother making changes specifically for these players? Most "sim" players don't buy FIFA points either. The only thing they'll get out of you is the purchase of the game and most reward them with that regardless.
 
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rojofa said:
Nearly all of the "hardcore" players who want a sim experience end up just buying the game anyway, often both games at release because football game.they

Once you've done that, they're given the green light to do absolutely nothing for you. When they know you'll buy the game no matter what, why bother making changes specifically for these players? Most "sim" players don't buy FIFA points either. The only thing they'll get out of you is the purchase of the game and most reward them with that regardless.
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You are 100% right. All they listen to is the sound of the money hitting the bank. Not feedback from guys like us.

That being said, given what I'm hearing from beta players with a similar mindset to me (that FIFA 21 is an improvement that makes playing the AI more enjoyable and more varied) - IF the next patch and/or the demo doesn't undo all of that and speed the game up 2x... Then I'm in.

Which makes me a hypocrite, and a clown, all in one - and I know it. But it's that or play the old games forever, and... They just don't bring me prolonged pleasure any more. PES 2014 is the closest thing but the ML is so threadbare that it's just not an option for me, and all I play is football games.

So (as long as the game isn't ruined by a patch before release, which I absolutely think it will be, by the way - it's what happened last year)...

I have to accept that they want to strike a balance that's 90% fun for FUTters and 10% acceptable to us, while only one gameplay model exists - and this year, they have included a ton of switches in the game settings which allow you, amongst other things, to switch between "classic" player attributes (where attributes mean less, but it seems positioning is better and it's generally a bit harder) and the new ones (where more individuality exists, but apparently it's pretty overblown at the moment and results in certain players just destroying defenders at will).

I think that's the best we can hope for - more switches and more sliders (although there aren't any new ones this year as far as I know).
 
rojofa said:
Nearly all of the "hardcore" players who want a sim experience end up just buying the game anyway, often both games at release because football game.

Once you've done that, they're given the green light to do absolutely nothing for you. When they know you'll buy the game no matter what, why bother making changes specifically for these players?
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Perhaps a factor. The counter argument is that they're actively developing new features for CM/ML. So it's not that they do absolutely nothing for the people who will play offline and never buy fifa points. There would be an uproar if CM was not fixed/offered nothing new. So they do want them to at least keep buying the base game. What is strange is how the gameplay is not considered a factor. Both by EA and by a good number of people when assessing the new game.

I've heard a well known fifa CM youtuber talking about the gameplay saying "I don't think it should be realistic, it's just a game". If this is a popular opinion even among CM people, then ok. In that case, I give up, this is the game most people want and actually deserve.
 
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Chris Davies said:
You are 100% right. All they listen to is the sound of the money hitting the bank. Not feedback from guys like us.

That being said, given what I'm hearing from beta players with a similar mindset to me (that FIFA 21 is an improvement that makes playing the AI more enjoyable and more varied) - IF the next patch and/or the demo doesn't undo all of that and speed the game up 2x... Then I'm in.

Which makes me a hypocrite, and a clown, all in one - and I know it. But it's that or play the old games forever, and... They just don't bring me prolonged pleasure any more. PES 2014 is the closest thing but the ML is so threadbare that it's just not an option for me, and all I play is football games.

So (as long as the game isn't ruined by a patch before release, which I absolutely think it will be, by the way - it's what happened last year)...

I have to accept that they want to strike a balance that's 90% fun for FUTters and 10% acceptable to us, while only one gameplay model exists - and this year, they have included a ton of switches in the game settings which allow you, amongst other things, to switch between "classic" player attributes (where attributes mean less, but it seems positioning is better and it's generally a bit harder) and the new ones (where more individuality exists, but apparently it's pretty overblown at the moment and results in certain players just destroying defenders at will).

I think that's the best we can hope for - more switches and more sliders (although there aren't any new ones this year as far as I know).
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I'm not taking those kinds of impressions at face value - people involved in the beta are likely already "in" on FIFA to some extent and would likely buy it anyway, playing/enjoying 20 and following EA enough to know when/how to get involved in the beta. What I may be convinced by would be hearing those kinds of views from people who fucking hated and didn't even buy 18-20.

This whole "1v1" and other elements built into the gameplay are not going away whatever sliders/mods you try to use. I've taken glances at the "gameplay lab" thread here and while I applaud the efforts and enthusiasm, the videos I've seen in there (which get "liked" and praised a lot) still look absolutely awful. Sliders and mods can't redeem it when there's so many design decisions focussed around online "skill-based" PvP ingrained into the gameplay/AI.

manmachine said:
Perhaps a factor. The counter argument is that they're actively developing new features for CM/ML. So it's not that they do absolutely nothing for the people who will play offline and never buy fifa points. There would be an uproar if CM was not fixed/offered nothing new. So they do want them to at least keep buying the base game. What is strange is how the gameplay is not considered a factor. Both by EA and by a good number of people when assessing the new game.

I've heard a well known fifa CM youtuber talking about the gameplay saying "I don't think it should be realistic, it's just a game". If this is a popular opinion then ok. In that case, this is the game most people want and actually deserve.
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At best they may need to offer some nice words and marginal changes to get most skeptical offline players onboard. While they've made some changes to offline modes, they're not exactly huge overhauls which do anything innovative or would eat into their budget very much. Some nice marketing/UI is all they need. PES ML changes (or "remaster" as they called it) last year ended up being little more than a few cutscenes, but it made for a nice trailer...
 
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Chris Davies said:
and this year, they have included a ton of switches in the game settings which allow you, amongst other things, to switch between "classic" player attributes (where attributes mean less, but it seems positioning is better and it's generally a bit harder) and the new ones (where more individuality exists, but apparently it's pretty overblown at the moment and results in certain players just destroying defenders at will).
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Is that one of the differences between competitor mode/no competitor mode or is there a different option for this? Because the game looked atrocious to me on professional difficulty (no competitor option). While on legendary (with competitor option on) it looked like 20 but with 2 skill moves/second and a bit slower.

Edit: Well re-reading that I suppose it's a different option that we haven't seen yet how it plays out? Hm... Could be interesting.
 
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