[Review]Fifa 20.

[YaKoMoS]

Now Gamescom is over and new floods of FIFA 20 gameplay has come out, here is absolutely everything we know so far about the upcoming EA title FIFA 20:

FIFA 20 is edging closer to release, and it’s about this time we can expect EA Sports to push out as many announcements to keep the momentum and the hype going.

Over the past couple of weeks, news has finally dropped regarding the biggest changes we have seen in FIFA Career Mode in over a decade, the Cover Stars have been revealed, Volta News and fresh updates to Ultimate Team. In addition to all of this, the FIFA 20 Beta has dropped.

The beta has been made available to selected FIFA players in the UK and the US. For those who opted in to receive emails from EA, they will get a code sent to the email address linked to their EA account and will jump in and play until August 21st, 2019 (not long left to go!) once the code is redeemed. 

Redeem your PlayStation 4 code.

Redeem your Xbox One code.

EA has also announced the release of the FUT Web App on September 18th, 2019. The web app is used to buy and sell players on the transfer market, open FUT packs and build your squads.

With Gamescom, Europe’s largest gaming festival, on the horizon, we’re excited to hear what else is in store for us.

Release Date:
EA Sports are very consistent with their release dates, and once again the final Friday in September will mark the full release of FIFA 20. This year, that will be Friday, 27 September 2019, but we can expect types of early access too.

The Standard Edition – fronted by Eden Hazard – costs £54.99 on PC and £59.99 on PS4 and Xbox One.

By pre-ordering you will receive up to three FIFA 20 Ultimate Team rare gold packs (one per week for three weeks), choose one of five mid-version ICON items for five FUT matches and special Edition FUT Kits.

Early Access:
That release date only applies to the Standard Edition, however. Both the Champions & Ultimate Editions of the game are available three days earlier on September 24.

The Champions Edition, with Champions League winner Virgil van Dijk on the cover, is priced at £69.99 on PC and £79.99 on PS4 and Xbox One, and it will get you up to 12 FIFA 20 Ultimate Team rare gold packs (one per week for 12 weeks) as well as the three days early access.

Lastly, the Ultimate Edition, complete with cover star Zinedine Zidane, will set you back £79.99 on PC and £89.99 on PS4 and Xbox One. It comes with an untradeable FUT 20 Ones To Watch player item and up to 24 FIFA 20 Ultimate Team rare gold packs (two per week for 12 weeks).

 

Those who sign up to EA Access get eight hours of gameplay around one week before the game comes out, and this year that will be eight days early from September 19. 

The demo for the game only tends to come out two weeks before the game’s full release, so this should be on September 12, 2019. Expect similar teams to last year where we had Manchester City, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Borussia Dortmund and PSG to choose from.

Bayern Munich, Juventus and Manchester United have all signed deals with rivals PES 2020 so they will not return on the demo, but Liverpool have done the opposite, so expect the Reds to be on there.

 

First FIFA 20 Trailer:

 

The first trailer for FIFA 20 dropped during EA Play at E3, and it revealed the huge new feature Volta Football. 

A few other aspects that were announced during the EA Play Stream included enhanced dribbling, improved 1v1s and overhauled free kicks and penalties.

Volta Football:
EA Sports recently released a trailer showcasing over 17 locations around the world including Tokyo, Amsterdam, Barcelona and London. 

The Tokyo Rooftop, though, is our pick of the bunch – with floodlights beaming through the neon-filled skyline. It’ll be the arena we will use most for sure.

The community have been calling for a street mode on FIFA or a return to FIFA Street for some time, with the Journey teasing street-esque football in recent years. Well, the prayers have been answered with Volta Football arriving for FIFA 20.

Volta, meaning 'tempo' in Italian, takes FIFA back to the streets, with the mode enabling games to play 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5 matches, with or without goalkeepers. Expect all the skill, close control and use of the walls of the cage, with even a futsal arena a venue option. The new strafe dribbling mechanic is a key feature for both Volta and out on the grass pitch, so you will have plenty of fun skinning defenders. 

 

 

You can create your own male or female character, play online and there is a new Volta Story which replaces The Journey. 

New controls, cameras and outfits are just the tip if the iceberg, and it is the one huge spelling point FIFA has above rival PES 2020 this year. 

Volta Football is a great addition, although it will not feature on Nintendo Switch. After FUT Division Rivals didn't feature on Switch last year, EA need be careful not to upset a passionate community. Let's hope that changes for FIFA 21. 

 

Simplified Rules
In Volta Football there are no substitutions, offsides, injuries, yellow or red cards, or even fatigue/stamina.

Match Types
The various match types offers a different element and creates a variety of situations different to the 11-a-side game.

 

The match type breakdowns are:

Rush Keepers: played in 3v3 and 4v4, Rush is the street mode without Goalkeepers and with small goals, where each player is expected to contribute to all aspects of the game, be it scoring or blocking a shot.

Street with Keepers: played in 4v4 and 5v5, is the street mode with Goalkeepers and Futsal-sized goals, which combines the safety of a goalkeeper with the bespoke rules and personality of the street.

Futsal is a 5-a-side experience with more authentic rules, referees, and a more structured type of play. The formations available are the same as 5v5 street with keepers.

 

Environments
Besides match types, each environment can be customised and provides interesting variations to fixtures.

Players can play matches with Walls or No Walls, and pick between various pitch sizes.

Specific Rules
Volta Football gameplay has unique rules depending on the circumstances of the match. You can combine the rules below, creating very interesting match types.

Small-sided matches are quick and fun, with each half being only 3 minutes of real-time playing. The timer only goes down when the ball is in play and each extra-time half is 1 minute of real-time play.

 

Movement and Dynamics
Various formations and mentalities affect how your players move and behave inside the pitch.

Movement is free-flowing, with players being expected to contribute to most areas of play, be it defensive or offensive. This is especially true in Rush matches, where everyone is expected to be able to score as well as block shots on goal.

Custom Ball Physics
A new ball has been created for Volta with a different size and weight than the regular game. This small-sided ball rolls more and bounces much less than a full-sized ball.

Build Your Player
From height and facial features to tattoos and hairstyles create your male or female player with ease and take them across various modes in FIFA 20 using the new Avatar system.

Get the traditional athletic look, deck yourself out with the latest streetwear, or break boundaries as you find yours and your squad’s perfect style. Switch it up with limited-time item drops to create unique outfits using the Volta Shop.

Take your Avatar onto the street and express your style to the world throughout Volta Football's range of modes.

Complete matches to increase your player’s rating and earn skill points. Max out various traits to earn titles that show off your gameplay personality to the world.

Play it Your Way 
Lead you squad in the Volta Tour, guide your avatar through Volta Story Mode, play with your squad in the online VOLTA League, or take your favourite professional teams to the streets in Volta Kick-off.

 

Take your Avatar across the world and face off against various real-world legends of street football. Build your squad and recruit players as you aim to win the ultimate prize: The Volta Football World Championship in Buenos Aires.

Online Volta 

Play your way through promotion and relegation against other players with the online VOLTA League, where wins lead to promotion into a higher division.

Gameplay 

 

The introduction of Volta Football means there will be an emphasis on close control, and this has been added in the form of the strafe dribbling mechanic. This enables the attacker to move with more agility than ever to lure your opponent in before beating them with speed or skill.

Strafe dribbling is just one component of what EA have labelled as Decisive Moments. With these new attacking skills, controlled tackling will bolster the defence, providing more intelligent tackling which increases the chance of winning the ball back. For instance, the defender directing the tackle towards a teammate to ensure they regain the ball.

L1/LB for Strafe Dribble

L1+R1/LB+RB for Strafe Dribble (lock face angle).

 

 

Timed finishing is as brilliant as it is frustrating. We all love to see a ball fly into the top corner from 25 yards, but when it happens again and again, the magic is lost. It has now been adjusted, with Composed finishing ensuring one-on-ones are easier, and volleyed efforts are more difficult.

New shot trajectories will see shots dip, fade and swerve to add even more realism, as part of the new ball physics for FIFA 20. Football Informed Motion introduces more authentic ball spins and bounces, which will also play in a big role in all the different venues available in Volta as well.

 

The Journey

 

 

Following on from The Journey, it's time for your avatar became the protagonist. This time however, it is part of the new mode Volta Story.

The story will take you through the Volta World, playing matches against various opponents from street football legends, to the diverse and unique players based on community generated Avatars and squads, to professional footballers. 

You’ll build your squad in the hopes of being invited to the Volta World Championships in Buenos Aires for a chance to win the ultimate small-sided prize. 

You can create create your avatar, recruit new players, build squads, travel to cool playable environments, face "legends of the street" and compete for special rewards in Volta Skillers - where FIFA's skill games come to Volta.

Anything else?
For FIFA 19, La Liga followed suit of the Premier League by 16 stadiums and over 200 player arriving on the game. 

Licenses for the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 are already obtained, but it’s time to add more depth and realism to the game. Those three leagues combined have just 11 stadiums between them, something that EA should look to improve.