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While I understand the player is here to perform as Hunter and not the manager, I still figured that playing as the whole team should offer that control, too. Strategic decisions, such as pressing the attack when behind or parking the bus when well ahead, are not available whether playing as Hunter or the rest of the team. ( FIFA 17, meanwhile, had some AI issues at launch that were eventually patched out.) The result in this year’s version of “The Journey” is that Hunter is more of a well-rounded player, more involved in assists and second-chance goals, and less obligated to do everything himself. Because of the upgrades to teammate AI, I recommend controlling the whole team to take advantage of Hunter’s better anticipation away from the ball, unless you really know what you’re doing at one of the three positions he plays, and where he should be on the pitch at all times to receive passes and finish a scoring opportunity.
EA SPORTS FIFA 18 STATUS HOW TO
I went from ripping the Vancouver Whitecaps, one of MLS’ better sides in its Western conference, to feeling like I’d forgotten how to play soccer against the Chicago Fire, further down in the standings.Īgain, in “The Journey: Hunter Returns,” the user may play as Alex Hunter or as the entire team. That made them difficult to handle in their own right, and it forced me to change up my normal strategy of just overpowering everyone with raw goal-scoring ability.
EA SPORTS FIFA 18 STATUS PROFESSIONAL
I’m no expert on the differences between American professional soccer and European, but I encountered some middle-of-the-pack teams that seemed very good at maintaining possession, but less so at finishing. Teams behave more distinctly, not so much the players - unless they’re big stars FIFA 18 is touting more distinctive player behavior, too, but unless I was going with or against one of the bigger stars (like cover star Cristiano Ronaldo or any of the numerous big name cameos Hunter encounters), this was largely expressed through players’ speed. “The Journey: Hunter Returns” also seems to call out a team’s tendencies or unique playing style, as FIFA 18’s preview material promised. And the extended screen time given to MLS was an earnest reminder that Yanks have a league of their own, and can find intrigue in it as much as they can the European leagues, to which Alex ultimately returns. It also sets up a reconciliation with his father, who was largely ignored in last year’s story. It’s a fast fall for Hunter, but a plausible, if not probable, one. When that chance falls apart, Hunter has no team and must start over - this time in Major League Soccer of the United States. Without spoiling the story too much, Hunter, the overnight sensation of the Premier League from FIFA 17, believes he has a once-in-a-lifetime transfer opportunity to a world-class club. Customization options for Hunter’s look are a nice inclusion, but the main draw is the story and gameplay. This was all borne out over roughly two dozen matches in “The Journey: Hunter Returns.” FIFA’s second stab at a story mode probes familiar sports themes of disappointment and redemption, but it’s still a good-hearted narrative that won me over, particularly with an extended play session as my favorite character, Alex Hunter’s good friend Danny Williams.
EA SPORTS FIFA 18 STATUS PRO
The nimbler players make timing a standing tackle a bit more of a challenge - to the point where I changed my camera view from the bottom-to-top Pro perspective to the traditional side-to-side broadcast setting, as I was often over-shooting the play in the Pro view. Of course, this poses hazards on defense, too.
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And with yet another adjustment to artificial intelligence, teammates are getting into the attack earlier. Volleying the ball off a cross is a lot more viable, too, now that the user can dial up three different types of crosses (lofted, driven on the ground, or a standard crossing pass). The result is that even a basic approach to the game of soccer delivered excitement and goal-scoring opportunities, which still packed plenty of risk but also a ton of reward. Players get into the attack earlier thanks to upgrades in passing and AI
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