FIFA 21 Discussion (Console Versions)

[Chris Davies]

Anyway, As per the discussion about the ball deformation a few days ago, Looks like it wasn't just exaggerated for the trailer... That it is actually an in-game graphical gimmick after all.

Who'd have guessed it eh? Oh yeah, all of us. Absolutely ludicrous deformation. Says it all.

I had a weak moment earlier when I realised I could get the game for ~£25 from CDkeys and that I'm not using the Xbox Series X as much as I should be considering the cost of it.

The hair's great, but fans still stare dead ahead and strikers can still swivel and use their standing leg to shoot like they don't suffer the effects of gravity.

It's a better game than last gen, fractionally. I still feel as though, game to game, it can vary wildly. The "demo" game as Liverpool vs PSG felt really grounded, but it was on God knows what difficulty. Then I start a career mode game as Burnley and the skating goes up a notch and all the AI's passes are bullets.

(They also still refuse to cross, which is one of the worst AI failures I can remember in a football game, and they foul you EXCLUSIVELY in the box, nowhere else.)

Both games (FIFA and PES) need a total reboot - but sales levels say otherwise. We all buy regardless of quality. When you're the only shows in town, well, you gotta get your entertainment somewhere.

I'm still hoping that PES 2022 is a scorcher. I think that's my single last hope.

 

[rojofa]

The "next-gen" hardware is really just being used for the most frivolous bullshit to make a gif/screenshot/trailer. I know ray tracing isn't in FIFA 21, but I fully expect it to be one of the main features of FIFA 22. It is pretty much the perfect EA "style over substance" feature - does nothing to change how the game plays or feels, but oooh look how shiny/reflective this thing is (probably a forehead). Halves the FPS and will cause many "next-gen" games to still run 30FPS, but.... shiny... That's what makes something next-gen right? (Maybe stiff triggers, turbo-rumble or some similar shit like that too)

Animation looks a little less jerky in the gameplay videos, but it's still clearly FIFA 21. Not worth making specific observations when it's just such a terrible football game overall.

 

[Redhat]

It's a better game than last gen, fractionally. I still feel as though, game to game, it can vary wildly. The "demo" game as Liverpool vs PSG felt really grounded, but it was on God knows what difficulty. Then I start a career mode game as Burnley and the skating goes up a notch and all the AI's passes are bullets.

(They also still refuse to cross, which is one of the worst AI failures I can remember in a football game, and they foul you EXCLUSIVELY in the box, nowhere else.)



I'm still hoping that PES 2022 is a scorcher. I think that's my single last hope.

I've been scored on via crosses quite a few times, but some matches it seems like they've forgotten all about them.

Danny Ings did me dirty with this one. First time cross was a bit absurd, but hey.

I have CPU passing speed on 45, pass error on 60, and first touch error on 60. They can still get a bit warlordy. I've noticed that a lot of the fouls committed are inside the box as well! I've had a decent amount of penalties, but fouls are difficult to come by for the user. I had a free kick just outside the area and realized that it was one of, if not my first free kicks in such a position over the course of hours of play. That's messed up. Unfortunately, I still feel like this game plays better with the top teams than the mediocre ones.

I'm still hoping that PES 2022 is a scorcher. I think that's my single last hope.

Pretty much. For better or for worse, the hype train will be unreal come next summer. At least there's something to look forward to.

 

[gabe.paul.logan]

So watched a few match clips on YouTube earlier and there are moments when the game looks like fun, random dramatic FIFA but there's also too many moments where the legs just look so laughable when dribbling the players look like spiders scuttling away from danger when they receiving the ball and turning and dribbling.

Now I don't expect Gran Turismo level of physics and simulation in football games these days but there is literally no logical footplanting at all. The devs have obviously highly prioritised unsolicited responsiveness over realistic animation framing that could be perceived as causing input delay or latency that it just looks jarring and unsightly.

It's like the players have to constantly dislocate their pelvises to perform rudimentary dribbles.

Anyway, As per the discussion about the ball deformation a few days ago, Looks like it wasn't just exaggerated for the trailer... That it is actually an in-game graphical gimmick after all.

The missing animation at 1:15.

 

[Chris Davies]

The other thing that frustrates me is - if you want to focus on graphics, fine, the horsepower is there, but... Be A Pro is still capped to 30fps? Seriously? Going from "standard" gameplay to Be A Pro feels like going from butter-smooth to slideshow.

At least give me a "performance mode" option. I'd turn the aggressively floppy hair and water-ball off in a heartbeat if I could get 60fps in Be A Pro.

Speaking of graphics - the times when the game is playing the best, I find myself thinking that the (excellent) new camera angle does a lot of the work in hiding the worst bits. Just like PES 2020's default camera... Weird coincidence (seriously)!

The missing animation at 1:15.

That's what I meant by the standing leg hop stuff. I had a striker do a ballet-style 180-degree spin on his right leg who then struck the ball with his right foot, all the while his left leg was in the air.

 

[Matt10]

And here we go... it’s finally processed!



Edit: I am playing on one step down from world class, opposed to what is advised (by the OS sliders). But this is the only difficulty where I can test everything. Sorry if the opponent AI looks easy... but I need to get the hang of everything.
as soon as I feel comfortable I’ll up the difficulty.

Really enjoyed that. Thanks for trying the sliders. I like how you control Phillips defensively as well.

I don't think the AI looked that easy at all. However, in our testing with these constant/high pressure team tactics, the CPU loves to over-mark - but it's not consistent enough to find a set value in that regard. Personally, I would suggest staying on World Class because on Legendary the CPU tends to over-dribble in threatening positions. I think there is a sprinkle of competitor mode embedded in that difficulty which hasn't been addressed.

I played some matches earlier in testing my PS5 set up and capture card. Feel free to watch the archive here:

 

[Emroth]

The other thing that frustrates me is - if you want to focus on graphics, fine, the horsepower is there[...]

But did they really make something special here, lads?
I mean - wavy hair? Is this really what people praise in these desperate times??

The ball acts like a smaller version of exercise ball when they kick it. Absolutely ridiculous looking.

Even cutscenes look like from GTA San Andreas, where everyone walked and moved like robots after stroke.
Its early 2000's type of animations for christ sakes.. Mafia 1 had better looking cutscenes!

Now I get its just a warm up and they didnt show a third of what next gen can do, but lets be honest here - there is literally nothing exciting here. Nothing.

 

[Efootball Netherlands]

FIFA 21 Next-Gen finals grades:

Graphics 9
Atmosphere 10
Animations 10
Extra Field 10
Game modes 9

Gameplay 5
Body of players 4

 

[flokiman]

FIFA 21 Next-Gen finals grades:

Graphics 9
Atmosphere 10
Animations 10
Extra Field 10
Game modes 9

Gameplay 5
Body of players 4

Really?
Animations 10?
Or you mean the same base since 2010?

 

[Ameobinho]

Fouls = 0

 

[༺Ƥeຮ༻]

Really?
Animations 10?
Or you mean the same base since 2010?

I think the animations and the player's movements are one of the worst that I have ever seen in sports games. I don't mean the individual animations themselves, but how they are linked, how the transitions between animations are. Let's hope that what TTB says in his review is true, like "this is not a true next-Gen game, just update of the current Gen game and engine" if it is not, if that will be really the core and the basics for the next FIFA games, will be disappointing.

 

[PRO_TOO]

Really enjoyed that. Thanks for trying the sliders. I like how you control Phillips defensively as well.

I don't think the AI looked that easy at all. However, in our testing with these constant/high pressure team tactics, the CPU loves to over-mark - but it's not consistent enough to find a set value in that regard. Personally, I would suggest staying on World Class because on Legendary the CPU tends to over-dribble in threatening positions. I think there is a sprinkle of competitor mode embedded in that difficulty which hasn't been addressed.

I played some matches earlier in testing my PS5 set up and capture card. Feel free to watch the archive here:

Thanks Matt.

i do rely on Philips a lot when plying Leeds. He’s one of my main pillar in the team. Need to have a look for a good replacement when he’s tired.

I also lowered the injury frequency to 80 (from 90). Still I had 1 or 2 guys send off the pitch with injuries nearly every match. This still seems to be way to high especially for career mode. One game I had 3 guys send off. I’ll try 70 now.
In career I have 3 main player out for weeks. 2 for 3 month each. (Broken toe). Maybe injury severity needs lowering to.

any tips on my settings where I lowered shot and pass error to compensate for fuma controls?

its still not advised to lower the gamespeed? I will give an exhibition match a try later to check on those wing runs. Haven’t done that yet.

Two other questions: on set pieces, can I move my team out of the penalty box when the ball is lying next to the centerline? This really is super stupid, leaving so much space between ball and teams. No team would wait and sit in the penalty box 40 or 50 meters away.
and, any way to prevent the AI from playing those cartoony loopy short high crosses over 5 meter?! Man!!

edit: btw. I’m trying to conquer those stupid speedy headers with just a slight tap. It’s a broken mechanic but it seems like a can tame it.

edit2: those loading times are awesome and allow for quick testing. What a relive. Love it.
i hope this gets more users into testing stuff out when it comes to sports titles in general. So we’d have results much faster in the future.

this a look at the defensive behavior on slow and normal speed:

@Matt10 is there much of a difference?? What should I test exactly? I saw your example video over at the os community slider thread though.

I upped the difficulty to world class now as I’m getting the hang of broadcast angles and fuma controls.

 

[Efootball Netherlands]

Really?
Animations 10?
Or you mean the same base since 2010?

I meant in contrast with Pes....Fifa vs Pes man 👍🤣

 

[JUNELELE]

So watched a few match clips on YouTube earlier and there are moments when the game looks like fun, random dramatic FIFA but there's also too many moments where the legs just look so laughable when dribbling the players look like spiders scuttling away from danger when they receiving the ball and turning and dribbling.

Now I don't expect Gran Turismo level of physics and simulation in football games these days but there is literally no logical footplanting at all. The devs have obviously highly prioritised unsolicited responsiveness over realistic animation framing that could be perceived as causing input delay or latency that it just looks jarring and unsightly.

It's like the players have to constantly dislocate their pelvises to perform rudimentary dribbles.

Anyway, As per the discussion about the ball deformation a few days ago, Looks like it wasn't just exaggerated for the trailer... That it is actually an in-game graphical gimmick after all.

The ball looks like it's had a puncture lol

 

[Tony_yeboah]

The ball looks like it's had a puncture lol

View attachment 71309

and some people are saying this is "next level" realism

 

[manmachine]

I've yet to see Mane blow his nose. Was that false advertising? Hopefully the snot physics are better than the ball physics.

 

[hitmanuk]

I've yet to see Mane blow his nose. Was that false advertising? Hopefully the snot physics are better than the ball physics.

i think he only does that if you play him every game during the winter, must get the flu

 

[Tony_yeboah]

i

I've yet to see Mane blow his nose. Was that false advertising? Hopefully the snot physics are better than the ball physics.

I've yet to see any mascots in the game aswell

 

[Marlon Anthony]

I do understand that it's important to have a balance between fun & realism and that it's also a difficult medium to attain, But I find it funny when people shut down the argument for the need for a pure footballing sim because "realism would be boring" and that wanting detailed simulation is sad that "we take it too seriously or "We need to get a life" when complaining about the unrealistic aspects of gameplay...

We get ridiculed for wanting realistic gameplay because "games don't have to be realistic, It's just a game" yet here we are with the coming generation being marketed as recreating the most realistic visuals and aesthetics in history to the point it's literally trying to replicate reality.

FIFA 21's biggest marketing point is the most realistic graphics and minor details ever, Which is cool and a little frightening at the same time yet, The players are still skating along the turf, Inertia is absent and players look like ninja's in outer space.

Talk about a jarring juxtaposition. Are we trying to make it realistic or not? Somewhere in between? It doesn't need to be brutally unforgiving but all i'd like to see is consequences for not timing passes or shots in relation to the context of you players momentum, positioning or body shape.

In FIFA 16, A five year old FIFA game, It as just as much pin point responsiveness as well as punishes you for trying to perform an action too early and that leads to some invested drama on the pitch.

I had a game earlier where similar to Gazza '96, A cross game low across the box, I thought the keeper was going to get it, He missed and I wasn't anticipating it and so I frantically hammered the shoot button a little too early and my player awkwardly lunged for it right there and then and of course misses the ball completely, punishing me for not taking that extra split second, That slight stride into the patch of the ball on time.

I was devastated but it was thoroughly deserved and I learned something from that going forward. However on both PES AND FIFA 21, It doesn't matter about the context because the game passively accomplishes successful passes and shots for you no matter how early or late you time them - taking away that feeling of accomplishment or reward.

 

[Mathgamer]

I watched a lot of videos of FIFA 21 on PS5 , the hair and overall textures are very nice, the animations and gameplay are terrible, which is quite disappointing, but ... somehow, the players and the pitch-field look like from different scenes, they look desolate together.
From the first second as soon as I saw the gameplay video, I noticed that something was wrong! Today, after watching a few games on TV, and playing a few games at PES 2021, I realized what the problem was.
The players shadows at night on the field are very, very wrong! They lack density or are on wrong positions and in this way the players look as if they are not stepping on the field or are above it! Few examples :

Here if you ignore Di Maira's shorts, look Neymar, no he do not jumping or flying, but he walking on the field :

Here is shadows in PES 2021 with the same or close lighting condition:

Thanks for your Report. I sent your Feedback for FIFA Team.

 

[Chris Davies]

Thanks for your Report. I sent your Feedback for FIFA Team.

Apparently there are also balls that don't have a shadow, which makes it harder to play the game, and FUT cheesers are buying them. (Of course they would.)

 

[Chris Davies]

Well the good news is, I've fiddled with sliders and I'm getting a challenge.

The hilariously bad news is that I've just had two 4-4s in a row, and in both games, there was a hat-trick on either side. Chris Wood turning in some Harry Kane performances against the best defences in Europe in the pre-season friendlies.

As always, there's so much good in the game. But the bad stuff isn't that it's "a bit stiff" or "it could be a bit more varied". They're not small things. They're huge, stupid things that leap through the screen and slap you in the face until you go "I can't ignore that shit any more".

I mean, every game has at least four goals, and yet the full-time scorelines in all the other games are 0-0 and 1-0. GIVE ME THOSE GAMES. Except, they don't exist. They're fake news.

Yet the good stuff is so good that I do keep tinkering. The upgrade in graphics means there are genuine gameplay moments where you do a double-take (@Emroth - it's not a huge leap but the lighting makes so much difference in close-ups and replays, as well as the more natural animation transitions - it's hard to explain but it does really draw you in, in person - even though you still see physically impossible things, just slightly less often).

I hit a shot from range that the keeper flapped straight back out, falling onto the floor - I hit a volley straight back in, and on the floor, he slid his body over to save it with his legs. In-play I didn't have a good view and I thought "that's stupid" - but in the replay, it was so natural, and it raised a smile. He was stuck on the floor, couldn't get up in time, so just stretched his leg out in the direction of the shot.

I also scored a strange header which I'll upload later, the likes of which I've not seen before (or at least, not as natural looking in the slow-mo replay). The variety shocked me a little, even though that's always been modern FIFA's strength - I can't decide if it's unrealistic, though. Probably. I can't just switch off and enjoy the game, because I know a moment of totally silly unrealism is just around the corner.

 

[FShas]

Well the good news is, I've fiddled with sliders and I'm getting a challenge.

The hilariously bad news is that I've just had two 4-4s in a row, and in both games, there was a hat-trick on either side. Chris Wood turning in some Harry Kane performances against the best defences in Europe in the pre-season friendlies.

As always, there's so much good in the game. But the bad stuff isn't that it's "a bit stiff" or "it could be a bit more varied". They're not small things. They're huge, stupid things that leap through the screen and slap you in the face until you go "I can't ignore that shit any more".

I mean, every game has at least four goals, and yet the full-time scorelines in all the other games are 0-0 and 1-0. GIVE ME THOSE GAMES. Except, they don't exist. They're fake news.

Yet the good stuff is so good that I do keep tinkering. The upgrade in graphics means there are genuine gameplay moments where you do a double-take (@Emroth - it's not a huge leap but the lighting makes so much difference in close-ups and replays, as well as the more natural animation transitions - it's hard to explain but it does really draw you in, in person - even though you still see physically impossible things, just slightly less often).

I hit a shot from range that the keeper flapped straight back out, falling onto the floor - I hit a volley straight back in, and on the floor, he slid his body over to save it with his legs. In-play I didn't have a good view and I thought "that's stupid" - but in the replay, it was so natural, and it raised a smile. He was stuck on the floor, couldn't get up in time, so just stretched his leg out in the direction of the shot.

I also scored a strange header which I'll upload later, the likes of which I've not seen before (or at least, not as natural looking in the slow-mo replay). The variety shocked me a little, even though that's always been modern FIFA's strength - I can't decide if it's unrealistic, though. Probably. I can't just switch off and enjoy the game, because I know a moment of totally silly unrealism is just around the corner.

Chris, this is pretty great coming from you!

I think you have to focus on the positives - if you can look past the usual fifa animations and skating issues this game does look so,so good in videos.

So, are you getting some resistance in midfield then?

(I'm willing to accept the game not being a proper sim through midfield, I'll settle for an exciting, varied and free game for the next 9 months or so. I just cant pull the trigger on a ps5 if the centre of midfield is completely absent...)

 

[Chris Davies]

That's the header I mentioned a few posts up.

One of my favourite things in a new football game is hitting a shot or getting a header in, and thinking instinctively "that's not going in" because you know the FIFA / PES engine inside-out - and then it goes in. This was one of those moments, and I don't think it looks too unrealistic. But, maybe I'm just biased because Chris Wood is on fire for me...

So, are you getting some resistance in midfield then?

(I'm willing to accept the game not being a proper sim through midfield, I'll settle for an exciting, varied and free game for the next 9 months or so. I just cant pull the trigger on a ps5 if the centre of midfield is completely absent...)

Not getting much resistance, no. Lots of backing off. That's why the scorelines are so ridiculous.

 

[FShas]

That's the header I mentioned a few posts up.

One of my favourite things in a new football game is hitting a shot or getting a header in, and thinking instinctively "that's not going in" because you know the FIFA / PES engine inside-out - and then it goes in. This was one of those moments, and I don't think it looks too unrealistic. But, maybe I'm just biased because Chris Wood is on fire for me...


Not getting much resistance, no. Lots of backing off. That's why the scorelines are so ridiculous.

Cool header. It does seem the ball pings off the head properly now, maybe a little too powerfully...


Ah, I see on resistance. I may end up being seduced by that camera anyway.

Do you mind checking how adjustable the new camera is, please? Is it as good as pes stadium cam where you can go from really far out uo quite low and close, a la bernabeu? Or is it quite limited I'm zoom and height? Cheers

 

[Chris Davies]

Do you mind checking how adjustable the new camera is, please? Is it as good as pes stadium cam where you can go from really far out uo quite low and close, a la bernabeu? Or is it quite limited I'm zoom and height? Cheers

As with all the cameras in FIFA as of a few years ago, the custom alterations don't tend to make a huge difference. Maybe a little more so than other cameras, but certainly nowhere near as customisable as the PES stadium camera.

 

[FShas]

As with all the cameras in FIFA as of a few years ago, the custom alterations don't tend to make a huge difference. Maybe a little more so than other cameras, but certainly nowhere near as customisable as the PES stadium camera.

Thanks for checking Chris, much as I expected.

 

[hitmanuk]

Has anyone tried very high line and very low run Freq ..i have 90 /10 and the AI seems to.press much more and the low RF stops the counter ..might be worth ago .

 

[PRO_TOO]

my career with Leeds goes on.
this time we were guests in Sheffield. a win was well anticipated... see for yourself how this went down!

 

[Paynekiller]

The PS5 and SeriesX/S version of FIFA 21 is clearly only a partial Next gen game. I can't believe anyone expected it to be anything other than that. Fifa 22 will be the one where the transition to next gen will be complete. No excuses for them next year, so they're going to have to do something special to silence the doubters.