The very first FIFA game was released for SNES and Genesis (along with a bunch of other platforms) way, way back in 1993. It was simply called FIFA International Soccer and it was, as you might expect, pretty primitive by modern standards. Still, since that time, FIFA arguably hasn’t massively evolved. Sure, it’s hard to pinpoint 
exactly where a game representing a sport could improve; after all, accurate representation is surely the goal. Still, there must be room for improvement.
It’s with great excitement and glee, then, that we look forward to the upcoming FIFA 20. The game is due out on September 27th, which is just a couple of months away at time of writing. EA is promising a couple of intriguing and innovative changes that might well transform FIFA and give it a new lease of life. Don’t get us wrong – we love FIFA, and we’d be happy with more of the same. EA doesn’t seem content with that, though. Here are the reasons we’re excited for FIFA 20.
It’s another FIFA game
We know we just talked about innovation and newness in the FIFA franchise, but let’s start with the most obvious positive point: FIFA 20 is the latest in the world-conquering FIFA franchise. There’s just nowhere else gamers can go for the peerlessly authentic football gaming that FIFA offers, so another installment should always be an exciting proposition. We’re waiting with glee to get our hands on this game, and we’ll be in the line come release day.
…but it’s not just another FIFA game
This time around, it seems that EA wants to shake up the formula for its beloved FIFA franchise. There are plenty of new additions, each of which we’ll go into detail about shortly. FIFA has always been a series fairly content to rest on its laurels; it doesn’t have too much to do in order to win over its target audience, so once a winning formula was established, it was sensible for EA to stick to it. Still, it’s definitely a positive that the studio wants to move things forward.
The new Volta feature
If you don’t know anything about FIFA 20, it’s best to start with Volta Football. This is a new mode named after the Portuguese word for “return”, and it’s essentially an integration of gameplay elements and features from FIFA Street. This could be EA’s bid for esports stardom since Volta emphasises personal skill over teamwork and tactical play. If you’ve always wanted to demonstrate your own ability more than working with a team, Volta looks like the mode for you.
There’s a professional futsal mode
Volta also contains the ability to play futsal. If you’re not familiar with futsal, it’s basically a 5-a-side version of football played on a hard court and using a much smaller ball than conventional football. This is the game you likely played when you were at school (although not entirely authentically, of course). FIFA 20 will bring the glorious sport of futsal to your living room through what the studio has learned from its FIFA Street franchise.
Volta has a storyline
In keeping with FIFA’s The Journey feature, the new Volta Football mode will have a storyline. This story can be played entirely using your own created custom character. You’ll have free reign over the character’s gender, the clothes they wear, and the accessories they use. The story promises to be an engaging and involving ride, but we’re all about the hats, to be perfectly honest. We can’t wait to outfit our player with two top hats and go ham.
The standard mode has changed
Not content with shaking up the single-player structure and trying to implement new stuff, EA has also made some changes to the standard 11v11 mode in FIFA 20. The game will introduce new free-kick and penalty mechanics to give you a greater degree of strategic freedom when making decisions. The new system will also emphasise 1-on-1 confrontations, in keeping with Volta. All in all, FIFA 20 looks to be a more involving game of football that’s easing off the tactical pedal a little.
There are new ball physics
When you’re browsing YouTube, you’ve probably come across a few of those blooper-style “FIFA ball physics” videos. The physics for balls in this franchise haven’t always been superlative, it must be said, so the news that EA is revamping the ball physics for FIFA 20 comes as a very pleasant surprise. It’s true that ball physics aren’t the be-all and end-all, but attention being paid to a minor detail like this shows EA’s commitment to creating the best game of football it can.
There will be no seventh-gen version
This isn’t so much a reason to be excited as it is a milestone in gaming history, but we’re here for it nonetheless. FIFA 20 won’t be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which makes FIFA 19 the final game in the series to be released for those platforms. It’s always sad to see a stalwart franchise like FIFA wave goodbye to a generation, but it means that those two consoles are now pretty much officially dead. Farewell, old friends – we’ll miss you.
