TE
ST
W
IN
N
ERVERSUS GAMESIt’s hard to feel sorry for PSG,
but Neymar and his ultra-rich
mates do find some hilarious
ways of getting dumped out
of the Champions League every
season. There’s a theory that
they’re so used to swatting
aside every other French team
that they’ve forgotten how to
defend against good sides... and
in recent years, FIFA has had a
similar issue.
It’s become so obsessed
with high-tempo, high-scoring
football that it’s neglected the
other side of the game: defence.
And so, particularly in FIFA 19, it’s
lacked nuance and subtlety.
There are some real-life teams
that play kamikaze football – but
it shouldn’t be easy, and there
should be ways to stop them.
Has FIFA 20 managed to strike
a better balance?Pundits’ analysis
First impressions are good. You
do seem to get a bit more time
on the ball now, and possession
feels a touch looser. Long passes
are slightly more effective, andone really nice addition is the
confusingly named ‘lofted ground
pass’, letting you lift the ball
slightly off the turf to get it over
an outstretched leg.
For those who don’t have time
to master skill moves, EA has
added ‘strafe dribbling’, which
makes lateral movements while
in possession easier. It’s best
deployed in short bursts and will
make lumbering centre-halves
look like Bambi on ice... but you
also have a new weapon to
defend against it: an ‘agile jockey’
move that allows defenders to
move more nimbly.
The Journey mode is gone
and in its place is Volta, which
is almost identical to the old FIFA
Street but with added narrative.
These matches are fast-paced
affairs, full of the kind of tricks
that’d land you in A&E if you ever
tried them at five-a-side, and
the skills required to be good at
Volta are almost entirely different
to those in the main game. It’s
not for everyone, but you are
essentially getting two games
for the price of one.Some people say we shouldn’t
compare Messi and Ronaldo.
Rather, we should just sit back
and enjoy a time when two of
football’s GOATiest GOATs can
spur each other on to even
greater heights.
It feels like we’re in a golden
age for football games right
now too. While FIFA’s resources
mean it’ll surely keep winning the
battle off the field, the past few
versions of Konami’s PES series
have represented a genuine
alternative. With less frenetic
gameplay and equal focus on
defence and attack, PES has
built a reputation for being a
more considered game.
But can Konami iron out the
niggles, or is it just too annoying
to play as a team called FV Green
Black in a kit that looks like it was
designed by George at Asda?Pundits’ analysis
Fire up eFootball PES 2020 and
you’ll be greeted by one of four
faces: Lionel Messi, Miralem
Pjanic, Serge Gnabry or, er,
Scott McTominay. Well, thisis a reflection of the ‘we’ll take
what we can get’ approach to
licensing that underdog Konami
is still forced to take.
Still, with Barca and Bayern
already on board, the addition
of Juventus means this game
has three of the biggest clubs
in Europe covered. Their arenas
are meticulously recreated and
the TV-style camera angle is a
triumph of authenticity.
And the football itself? This
is a more patient approach than
you get from FIFA, with defences
tougher to break down. Konami
has added a new finesse
dribbling option and there
are new first-touch techniques,
making for a brilliant range of
ways to move the ball and open
up space. But it’s easy for passes
to go astray, and tackling is still a
bit of a lottery.
PES 2020 remains the gaming
equivalent of Tottenham under
Pochettino: hugely impressive
despite operating on a tighter
budget than its rivals, but just
not quite good enough to take
the next step.STUFF SAYS ++++,
FIFA 20 succeeds in giving you more control,
but it still loves goals more than anything elseSTUFF SAYS ++++,
An engrossing and rewarding football game that
still can’t quite do it at the highest levelThe scoring
twenties
FIFA 20 eFootball PES 2020
Both sides have given it 110 per cent but at the end of the day there can only be one winner and
luckily it’s gone in the back of the net and you have to say it’s no more than they deserve, Gary[^ W
or
ds
To
m
W
ig
gi
ns
]