I used to play FIFA up until about 20 or 21. But with each iteration around that time, it just became more and more arcadey. I just wanted a relatively true to life type football sim, where I could play through tournaments or leagues, whether online or offline, and not only have the hands on game play but also be able to tactically set up smartly.
But then it just started to become more and more about skill moves, incessant, insane dribbling, defenders became impossible to control, except for people who played constantly. For regular people, who you know….have a job, kids, life, other interests, it became impossible to pick the game up and have a good game online without feeling like some ten year old somewhere is about to dribble through your back line, past four players, as your defenders go careening off in random directions. Goals you just never see in real life.
And then there was the intro of all the UT stuff, and passes and all that bollocks. I never understood it. I just wanted a good football sim, not some arcadey preposterous super goals skill fest. There was one version, can’t remember which, around 20 or 21, when most online games would finish 6-5, or 7-6, 5-5, or some shit like that, and I just thought “What’s the fecking point?, this is nothing like actual football at all.” And I gave up and haven’t played it in 4 years or so.
Still waiting for someone to produce a grown up football sim, but I don’t think it’ll ever happen as everything these days is targeted towards the younger audience. And kids today have their qualities, but they aren’t notable for their attention span or appreciation of nuance. They want instant, brief, and intense reward and stimulation. They don’t want tightly fought tactical battles where strategy and patience are more important than individual skill. I have no interest in posting some outrageous skill move I did, on whatever 15 second social media platform that is prevalent today, I want the reward of manipulating my opponent and controlling play over a 10-15 minute match and having a controlled 2-0 win with some flowing team play, and supreme defensive acumen. You know, grown up, real world representations of football as it really is; not as our kids might wish it to be in fecking Narnia.