FIFA 21 is EA Sport's most recent effort in trying to become the ultimate footie game king. As always, you can expect to see physical and visual improvements. But will it be enough to beat the fierce competition from Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer?

Plot

Released on October 9, 2020, FIFA 21 is the 28th installment in the world-famous FIFA football simulation series. EA Sports continues the saga and promises a large number of novelties in its latest release. In addition, the company guarantees improved gameplay that includes more detail and realism while you put yourself in the shoes of the most important players in the world. Now you will be able to play in cooperative mode, and it is the return of street soccer, where you will have to put into practice all your skills while defining your own style.

Gameplay

New attributes: Match fluency indicates how likely players are to perform at their best in the most important moments.
Street football: Experience the street atmosphere with new gameplay, more locations, and new customization options.

Active training: Create group training sessions to improve all players' tactics.
Improved artificial intelligence: Opponents will face matches with improved decision-making in both defense and attack.

Graphics and sound

Although we would have liked to see more significant gameplay improvements, FIFA 21 definitely does deliver when it comes to graphics and presentation. As always, the game is fully licensed, meaning you can expect to play in the official home and away kits of your favorite teams. The player models were carefully designed, with special attention to facial expressions and anatomical realism. The stadiums are rendered in top-notch quality and the crowd feels more lively than ever before. The same goes for the game's sound effects, as both commentary and crowd chants are spot-on.

Duration and game modes

Career Mode: Create the club of your dreams, suit up your squad, and become the manager of your team. Participate in the world's biggest competitions, including the Premier League, LaLiga Santander, Bundesliga, and the UEFA champions league, and show your team the way to the top.
FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT): FUT is undoubtedly the most popular way to enjoy FIFA Football. You will be able to design a team completely from scratch, being able to pick players from the present and the past. You can even build your own football stadium! A brand-new addition that makes its debut in FIFA 21 is the FUT Co-Op mode, through which you can team up online with a friend and create and execute a winning strategy together.
House Rules: This highly appraised mode has been reintroduced with FIFA 21. In House Rules, you get the chance to develop a whole new style of football, as you can set your own set of play rules or simply play the beloved ballgame without any rules at all. House Rules is all about fun, as you will be able to put aside some official aspects that may slow the game down.
VOLTA FOOTBALL: VOLTA Football is all about personality. You will get the chance to create your VOLTA AVATAR and prove your skills in authentic street football matches in courts and cages all over the world.

What do the reviews say?

The PC version of FIFA 22 has been rated 73/100 on Metacritic. However, the game's average user score on the same platform is considerably lower at only 1.7 out of 10. Players specifically criticize the abundance of microtransactions and the low AI to be found in teammates, opponents, and referees.

"The few positives do not outweigh the negatives. EA Sports continues to phone it in with the FIFA series while single-player gamers cry out for better options." (Gaming Nexus)