FIFA 21 has been released worldwide and sees a number of key changes from last year.
EA Sports' producers have been hard at work in the middle of a global pandemic to bring the fans another title in the series and there are plenty of additions and improvements that add to the experience.
Here are our five favourite alterations for this year's FIFA:
Career Mode revamp:
#FixCareerMode' trended last year as gamers demanded changes for what has been one of the most enjoyable and popular game modes.
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EA have listened to the feedback and there's early optimism regarding this area of FIFA 21 - thanks particularly to the 'Interactive Match Sim'.
With this, you'll be able manage your team and make tactical changes as you access match data and stats, and then with a click of a button you can dive in.
It can even be just a game-defining moment such as a free-kick or penalty and then you go back to the sim. Gamers will be able to flip-flop and decide how much control they want to take depending on how important they deem the match to be.
The visual sim has been a thing before back in FIFA 07 but it's at a completely different level 14 years on and the fact you can influence games as you see fit by simply pressing 'A or 'X', before then having the option to return, is rather exciting.
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In other tweaks, a revamped growth system means you can turn full-backs into wingers and centre-backs into defensive midfielders if you fancy implementing some positional changes, while new features such as active training system and activity management system allow you to arrange group training sessions to improve match sharpness, as well as control the amount of rest and recovery you have between important fixtures.
Celebrations removed and replays reduced:
EA have decided to completely remove both the 'Shush' and 'A-OK' celebrations are no more as they believe they have been "toxic" for the game.
What's more, the walk-back cinematic after a goal is scored in online games is no more - along with there being reductions to the amount of time allocated for celebrations and waiting for set-pieces.
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As we all know, there's nothing worse than conceding a sweaty goal and then being made to watch all 25 replays, but thankfully EA have amended this in FIFA 21.
The wait for goal-kicks, corners and penalties, has been halved down to 15 seconds - with kick-off now down to 10 seconds, throw-ins cut to 12 and free-kicks reduced to 20 seconds.
"The game flow is so important and we need to keep it as short as possible," EA Sports gameplay producer Sam Rivera told SPORTbible.
"I play a lot of FIFA and for years I've felt we needed to trim this animation down so you don't have 15 seconds of celebration plus ten replays.
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"We're now at a point where you have time to celebrate, which is part of football and that's what we want, and then you watch one replay of the goal and you're back into play.
"It's a change the hardcore community are going to appreciate a lot."
Goal kick rule:
If you love playing out from the back, having the ability to pass to a defender inside the box from a goal-kick really is a changer and thankfully the real life ruling has now made its way to FIFA.
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IFAB confirmed the rule change a while back now and we've seen a lot of possession-based sides use it to their advantage in their build-up.
And should it suit your playing style, there are so many more possibilities from a dead-ball in FIFA 21.
Pass-masters will be spamming this to death with the likes of Leeds United and Manchester City, but we're here for it.
Ultimate Team customisation:
Your Ultimate Team is already completely personal to you but there's a whole new level of customisation in the mode in FIFA 21. Gamers will have "total control" over just about everything - including the ability to customise your stadium and make it as unique as possible.
The modification feature allows you to design the style of your home ground, taking inspiration from iconic stadia. You can choose the colour of the seats as well as being able to edit tifos, banners, crowd chants, goal music, pyrotechnics and much more.
There are 125 licensed stadiums in FIFA 21 but nothing beats playing at an arena that you created yourself.
Featured Image Credit: EA SportsTopics: gaming news, Football News, GAMING, Football, EA Sports, FIFA 21
