FIFA 18 – The Concordian

“It was so unhealthy,” says one user about time-consuming video game mode

A few weekends ago, I played 40 games on FIFA 18, and there was a good reason for it.

In the game’s flagship mode, FIFA Ultimate Team, there’s a competition called Weekend League, which allows users to play up to 40 games every weekend, from Friday through Sunday, and earn prizes based on their number of wins. To qualify for this mode, the user must win a mini-tournament during the week, or have earned 11 wins in the previous Weekend League.

After I won the mini-tournament during reading week, I qualified for the Weekend League from Feb. 23 to 25. Although I have qualified for it twice in FIFA 17, it was the first time I qualified in FIFA 18. I played 20 games on Friday, and then 10 on Saturday and the rest on Sunday, winning 14 games over the entire weekend. I qualified for the following Weekend League, but only had time to play three games.

Some of the best FIFA 18 players in the world compete in the Weekend League on a regular basis. For eSports gamers, or at least fans of FIFA 18, it’s a serious competition but also takes serious commitment.

Playing 40 games in 72 hours is not an easy task. Let’s do the math: each game takes about 20 minutes (and up to 30 minutes if the game goes to extra time or penalties), so that’s at least 800 minutes of playing, which is over 13 hours. Imagine spending an entire half-day of your weekend just playing video games—that’s what many players do every weekend.

The Weekend League also takes away from a user’s social life. Personally, I didn’t feel like that, because I made plans throughout the weekend (which were eventually cancelled), and I still played hockey on Saturday night.

However, for others, the Weekend League takes over their weekend. The Concordian took to reddit to see how other users cope with balancing their social life and playing this mode.

“I’m 29, have a family to provide for and work full-time including Saturdays, so I’d have to sacrifice doing anything Saturday night to get my games in,” wrote one user, Stephen B. “It got to the stage where I was snapping at my family and friends all the time, neglecting my social life and thinking of FIFA every minute of the day. It was so unhealthy.”

Another player, Mark P., said he also had to play his games late at night—sometimes until past 3 a.m. “Working all week and then cramming 40 games into a few remaining weekend hours makes it feel like a chore,” he wrote.

Some players wrote they don’t play all 40 games, but rather play until they get 11 wins—the minimum needed to qualify for the next Weekend League. Those who use that strategy said they have more free time during the weekend, and the game is not a burden.

Video games should be fun, and not something that dictates your weekend. Yet, EA Sports has turned this video game into a social life-killer and a chore.

Former Concordia student Mike K. wrote he used to play all 40 games in FIFA 17, but now that he works 18 hours over the weekend, he can’t play as much. He said he used to prioritize the video game over other activities, too.

“I don’t think something can be a hobby when it’s forcing you to spend about eight hours [a day] on it during the weekend,” he wrote. “I’d classify it as an obsession for those who sacrifice other activities to complete it on a weekly basis.”

The reddit users requested only their first name and last-name initial be used.

Main graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

Bad ball control actually makes this year’s soccer video game worse than last year’s edition

FIFA 18 gets a yellow card for bad gameplay this year, and it’s almost a straight red. EA Sports’s newest edition of the soccer video game is, surprisingly, worse than FIFA 17.

The most frustrating part of this year’s gameplay is the player’s ball control. Bad ball control, or as soccer fans like to call it, bad touches, was a problem in FIFA 16. Although EA fixed this in last year’s edition, it’s back. Every player seems to be bad at controlling the ball in the game, including Juventus superstar Paulo Dybala, who is one of the best dribblers in the world.

Ball control is at its worst when a player receives a strong pass in the midfield—the ball bounces off his feet and goes flying in front of him, which leaves the ball open for your opponent to take. Yet even when your opponent takes the ball, they can’t control it and lose it right away. It’s a never-ending cycle that has teams alternating possession in the midfield, making gameplay terrible.

The game’s realism is one of its rare bright spots. Screenshot.

To avoid playing a sloppy game in the midfield, playing out wide with wingers and fullbacks is the best option. Crossing is a lot better this year. EA added three new crossing styles to the game: a driven cross, a high cross and a scoop cross. All three are effective at finding an open man in the box to blast a sweet volley or a powerful header past the keeper.

Tackling and physical play is also different in FIFA 18 compared to FIFA 17. In last year’s game, EA integrated a physical gameplay that benefitted stronger players who were able to easily out-muscle weaker opponents both on and off the ball. In FIFA 18, all players are weak and go down easily. It’s stereotypical for soccer players to go down with the slightest of touches, but this is a video game, and seeing your player drop to the ground when you’re trying to score with him is infuriating.

Presentation is probably the best it has ever been in the FIFA franchise. The FIFA 18 website promotes new, immersive stadium atmospheres, which feature fan-made signs all over the stadium, team-specific chants, pre-game traditions and new player-fan interactions during goal celebrations. It’s probably the best part of the game, but the good-looking presentation only masks the bad gameplay.

Fans of the franchise can only hope EA will update the 2018 edition through downloadable patches to improve the gameplay.