PC Gamer - UK (2021-12)

Wanttoassembleyourveryown
Galácticos? Then FUT delivers.
Create that team of GOATs by slow
grind, or real-world money, and
challenge the world. This time there
are returning greats
and a new Elite
Division. The
challenges are fun,
until you notice that
advancement is glacial.

FUT IN MOUTH
Furthermore, I think
it’s naive to think that
FUT doesn’t come with a human
cost. It’s a loot box economy and a
growing body of research states that
there’s a verifiable link with problem
gambling. It’s not the only loot box
game in town, but it’s the biggest
and most profitable. FIFA’s reach,
with 31 million players and an age
rating of 3+, makes any deleterious
effect significant.
You may love FUT and spend no
money, but someone is paying your
share of the billion-dollar revenue. If
anyone is paying more than they can
afford, that’s too many for me. Even if
I had the patience for the grind, I
can’t enjoy it while a minority who
may be vulnerable to the mechanics
lack the protections that come with
gambling legislation, like the UK’s age
and marketing limits. So, as it is, I
can’t recommend FUT. Don’t play it.
The score reflects this, but FIFA
22 without FUT is still vast and
scrumptious. More Volta tricksy
street football, with bearable story
mode and hysterical weekend party
games. Co-op Pro Clubs, kick-off
quick games, House Rules, skill
games, tournaments, and
internationals. Something for even

thedourestfan.At 45 hoursinIfeel

like I’ve only scratched the surface.

We aren’t getting the

HyperMotion tech like next-gen

consoles, and I bristle that it’s not

available for top-spec

systems, but I didn’t

notice at first. FIFA

games look and feel

amazing to play – half

TV viewer, half

participant, like you’re

there doing it, but

talented. I was

preoccupied by the

slower, more realistic pace, like

running in treacle, and the better

goalkeepers. Then I realised this was

the same game again, with tweaks.

Atleastthecareermodes are

finallygettinglove.PlayerCareer

Mode,whereyoutakeayouth with

potentialandaimforthetop, now has

skillpoints,perks,askilltree, and

giantfloatingobjectives.The dressing

roomanimationsofyourteen cradling

aman-of-the-matchtrophy in

disbeliefaresweet,andthesense of

accomplishment is real. When

dropped, you can now get subbed on

or leave with the repaired transfer

system. It’s not a story mode, like The

Journey, but it’s better for the

narrative being player-led.

Manager Career gets some cringey

animation, but pressers that play-out

like a Telltale game work well.

However, after your preparations,

you still play the game, with no

option to watch. Your skill, or lack

thereof, is still the main thing. You

can sim, but you’ll invariably lose.

Whether all this demands your

purchase is almost moot. Regulars

will want those incremental

improvements, and new kits and

squads. In thrall to FUT? You’ll desire

the shiniest, newest things. FIFA 22 is

imperfect, we deserve more, and feels

expensive for what sometimes seems

to me like generous DLC, or a

subscription where I start from

scratch each year. But ultimately

those complaints barely matter – I

know I’m already on board.

If you’re new, I wouldn’t hesitate

to recommend it. Gentle on the

easiest difficulty, the challenge rises

in satisfying steps. Ignore the faults

and weave a narrative within it.

That’s what football really is. There’s

nothing like chipping one in and

wheeling away to the fans behind the

goal, like that amazing seven-a-side

game you had once, but over and

over,foranaudienceofmillions.

76

Wonderful and

distasteful all at once, it

entertains and fails in

turns, like Frank

Worthington.

VERDICT

F

ootball stopped during lockdown. So did time, as I count it.
Listless, I bought FIFA 20. When I scored, the camera shook as
it does at Anfield, and I actually cried with joy. Weird time,
obviously, but this is the power FIFA has. If you love football,
in whatever hue or flavour, FIFA 22 should be part of your life.
It recreates everything special about the game – but also its greed and
superficiality, encapsulated by FIFA Ultimate Team.

THE BEAUTIFUL SAME

FIFA 22’s Jogo Bonito hasn’t changed much, but it’s enough

By Matt Killeen

We aren’t

getting the

HyperMotion

tech like next-

gen consoles

NEEDTOKNOW

WHAT IS IT?

An annual football sim

that doesn’t change

much these days

EXPECT TO PAY

£50

DEVELOPER

EA Vancouver, EA

Romania

PUBLISHER

EA Sports

REVIEWED ON

GTX 980 Ti, Intel

i5-4690K, 32GB RAM

MULTIPLAYER

Yes

LINK

ea.com/games/fifa/

fifa-22

PETTY ANNOYANCES

New FIFA, old problems

WINGERS ARE POINTLESS

You can be Vinícius Júnior at the

Bernabéu, but your crosses

probably won’t beat the first man.

LEGENDARY DIFFICULTY

Want to see world-class players

reborn as Sunday Leaguers? Not

the AI’s players that is, just yours.

FOULS

VAR continues to have only a

spectral presence. And there’s

still no dive button.

JUVENTUS

Still not playing well with others

and think they’re too good for us.

Art imitates life.

FIFA 22

REVIEW