1v1 opportunities are expected to be ‘more consistent’
EA Sports have outlined the tweaks they are working on in regard to the gameplay on the next edition of the hugely popular FIFA video games.
Even the most popular football game in the world is not flawless – go and watch some videos of people playing on YouTube and you’ll see what I mean, people go fucking nuts if a player mis-controls a pass. But it improves every year, and FIFA 20 will address some of the grievances gamers had with FIFA 19. They are as follows.
A.I. Defending
It can be extremely frustrating when a player you’re not in control of is caught out of position or doesn’t pick up a run. EA are working on fixing this.
EA say: “The defending systems are being renewed, with revised positioning and adjustment to the cadence and flow on the pitch. Manual defending will be emphasised and result in more rewarding results for those who do so.”
There is also a new ‘planned tackling’ system, which “favours manual tackling by making sure that the defender that tries the tackle does so in a favourable context to your team (like recovering the ball or kicking the ball to a nearby teammate when tackling, for example).”
The jockeying system is also said to be improved, with “more agility and precision, rewarding players that decide to take control of their defenders.”
1v1 Shooting Consistency
Shooting accuracy when players are 1v1 with the opposition goalkeepers will be more consistent on FIFA 20, while goalkeeper reactions will be ‘humanised’ meaning fewer out of this world, unrealistic saves.
Timed finishing
The feature that fucked with a lot of people’s mojo on FIFA 19 is being revised. It’s now even harder, with the ‘Green Timing Window’ for timed shots will be reduced (from 2-4 frames to 2 frames for all shots), which will make it harder and require more skill to perform.
Difficult 180 degree shots will also be more difficult to pull off and be less powerful.
Volley Crossing and shooting
Shots and crosses from volleys will be more difficult in the new game, so gone are the days of your player being able to send an inch perfect ball into the box after volleying it while sprinting down the wing.
In addition, it will be more difficult to accurate aim a header when two or more players are jumping to head the ball at the same time.
Chained skill moves
Having received complaints that certain chained skill moves can often be nigh on impossible to defend against – leading to your opponent waltzing down the pitch while juggling the ball – EA has introduced error to skill moves, with chains of more than two moves increasingly exponentially in error with each additional skill move.
Additionally, complex skill moves such as El Tornado and general flick-ups will have that level of error built in, making the likelihood of pulling one off lower.
Set Piece positioning
EA has said that its A.I. will seek to ensure that smaller players – where possible – do not end up marking taller opponents at set pieces.
Manual Goalkeeper movement
It has been confirmed that the movement of goalkeepers when being controlled manually will be slowed down significantly, which will be music to the ears of people who have been forced to watch their opponent slalom up the pitch with a goalkeeper that somehow has the elegance of Alessandro Del Piero.
Passing
Addressing feedback from the FIFA community, EA has stated that 180 degrees, first-time, and pressured passes will be weaker and slower in the game, making them easier to intercept and harder to complete, while passes in low pressure situations will increase in accuracy.
User controlled dinked passes will now be a part of the game, with the player able to manually dink the ball to evade a defender’s leg. This had been done automatically in certain situations in FIFA 19.
Driven pass and go is a new feature to be introduced, which – when utilised – will see the passer deliver the ball at pace before sprinting to collect it. It’s a one-two, essentially.
Player Switching
This has always been a bone of contention because barring a new feature that tracks your retinas and figures out which player you want to switch to, the game cannot predict what is in your head. EA has said that they will work to improve the feature however.
