FIFA 21

FIFA 21 is another yearly installment of the most widespread football series, which on PS4 brings a revised player movement system, more agile dribbling, and reworked AI for teammates and opponents that respond to game situations somewhat more convincingly than in previous installments. The game offers a wide range of modes, from single-player or manager career through online matches and seasonal leagues to the immensely popular collector mode Ultimate Team, in which players build dream teams from cards of real footballers and compete against other players worldwide. The career mode also offers a more elaborate transfer system and the ability to simulate the gradual development of young players over multiple seasons.

On PS4 the title benefits from an extensive license base of leagues, clubs, and players worldwide, giving it a high degree of authenticity compared to competing sports series. Match presentation includes commentary, stadium atmosphere, and finely detailed animations that try to approximate a real television broadcast, complete with rituals and details such as fan reactions or player gestures after scoring a goal. Ultimate Team remains a key element of long-term playability thanks to regularly updated content, seasonal challenges, and competitions in which players improve their lineup according to the current form of real footballers.

Upon release, FIFA 21 was received as a solid, if rather evolutionary, yearly entry, with the most attention drawn by adjustments to on-pitch gameplay and further expansions of Ultimate Team with new game modes. In this installment, EA Vancouver continued its long-term refinement of both the football simulation and the social and competitive elements surrounding it. Today the game stands as evidence of the enormous popularity of football simulations and their central role in online sports gaming on PS4, as well as one of the last installments in the series still carrying the FIFA name.

Why play it: For fans of football simulations and Ultimate Team looking for a solid, if rather evolutionary, yearly entry - proof of football's central role in online sports gaming on PS4, and one of the last installments still under the FIFA name.