It’s that time of year again – FIFA 21 is out and available in a 10-hour early access trial with EA Play. The full release isn’t until October 9th, or October 6th if you pre-order the champion or ultimate edition of the game. There’s always one question when it comes to FIFA – is the game really worth buying? Again?
If you’d asked me that question last year – with the trial for FIFA 20 – I might have said no. This time around, FIFA 21 does feel different. The gameplay is smooth and has a polished feeling that FIFA 20 was missing. Its dark menus, removal of fitness cards, and a HUGE playlist of music all add to the experience.
FIFA is a game that can be played in a lot of different ways. You can grind menus and make coins, play the game for sweat rivals matches and FUT Champs, or play the game with your friends. I’d argue that FIFA 21, so far, is way, way better than FIFA 20 for all three types of players.
First, the gameplay. Sure, this is early access, and EA’s servers might fall apart when the game actually releases, but so far, everything feels very smooth. There’s no more janky defending, players make great runs, and players feel more balanced in power level – even those defenders with 60 pace.
The menus? Pretty slick. You can change between views by clicking buttons on your controller rather than scrolling through multiple windows. They aren’t too laggy, although there is some glitchiness on the objective screen – hopefully fixed in the full release.
In terms of grinding coins, players get a LOT more coins to begin with. Due to the huge coin boosts for returning players and the fat wad of coins you get if you do okay in your Division Rivals placements, getting started in Ultimate Team is easier than ever. Jeez, you might not even need to spend $100 on FIFA packs.
Lastly, playing with your mates. For the first time in FIFA history, Ultimate Team is no longer all about that solo, lonely, miserable grind. You can now partner up with a friend and play Division Rivals together. This change is MASSIVE. I played with an old friend until 3 am yesterday and neither of us realized the time. It’s fun. More fun than I can remember having for a long time in FIFA.
If you’re on the fence about FIFA 21 after last year’s terrible showing from EA Sports, I recommend you try the FIFA 21 Early Access 10-hour trial. You can get one month of EA Play for a fiver and can then play the game for 10 hours. You might be surprised by the game’s quality.