FIFA 21 PS5 Review: Iterative, Not Innovative
As a long-time FIFA player and gaming entrepreneur who has reviewed many entries in the legendary soccer series, I was eager to spend time with the PlayStation 5 version of FIFA 21 to see if its next-gen technical upgrades also brought gameplay innovation.
Visuals That Capture The Essence of Football
Let‘s kick things off with how FIFA 21 looks and feels on a PS5. When it comes to visual presentation, this is by far the biggest leap I‘ve seen in the franchise this console generation. Smooth 60fps visuals combined with more lifelike player models, animations, lighting, and textures make for some truly breathtaking football matches.
Specific visual details like Alisson‘s individual hair strands blowing in the wind or the way the ball changes shape during intensely struck shots add an extra layer of realism. I audibly gasped the first time I saw a slow-motion ball deformation replay.
As seen below, facial models and kits are rendered in sharp detail. On the whole, FIFA‘s graphics now accurately capture the emotion and essence of the beautiful game.
Incredibly detailed player faces showcase improvements to FIFA 21‘s visuals
A few minor frame rate hitches occasionally disrupt the flow, but comparing this to the muddy player models of FIFA 17 that marked PS4/Xbox One‘s launch, the improvement is night and day.
Key Visual Details
- 60fps smoothness enables realistic motion
- Intricate player face/kit models
- Deformed ball shape and strand-by-strand hair physics
- Best lighting/textures in series history
After drinking in the visual splendor FIFA 21 has to offer on PS5, I dove into several matches to get a feel for the gameplay and menu improvements facilitated by the new hardware.
Haptic Feedback Deepens Immersion
Sony‘s DualSense controller and its advanced haptic feedback capabilities take FIFA‘s trademark immersive atmospheres to another level. As someone who loves attending live matches, I‘m continually impressed by how the subtle vibrations make me feel closer to the pitch than ever before.
Crunching slide tackles provide a startling rumble through the triggers. Rapid-fire passing sequences induce a slight shiver of anticipatory excitement. Blocked shots make my palms tremble for a split second.
And best of all, ripping a 30-yard top corner screamer sends the DualSense pulsing wildly,capturing that spine-tingling roar of the crowd. I scored dozens of finesse curlers just to relish in the controller celebration again and again.
As far as I‘m concerned, the exemplary implementation of haptic feedback alone makes this a worthwhile next-gen upgrade for die-hard football fans.
Faster Load Times Keep The Pace Quick
Historically, one of my biggest complaints around the FIFA franchise stemmed from the agonizing wait times when booting up a match. Menu lag has long been an immersion breaking issue.
Fortunately, the PS5‘s ultra high-speed solid state drive vanquishes this problem with gusto. I can now jump from the main menu directly into a full match in around 15-20 seconds.
Gone are the days of sitting in pre-game lobbies or playing through tedious skill games while impatiently awaiting kickoff. The ability to seamlessly set lineups and jump into the action kept me playing late into the night. Even Career Mode menu navigation proved lightning quick to my delight.
Still The Same Fundamentals
As thrilled as I was by the visual and haptic feedback improvements, I couldn‘t help but feel a pang of disappointment once I gained a feel for the actual football on offer.
Dribbling, shooting, passing – at its core, this plays nearly identically to FIFA 21 on PS4. Sure, there are minor tweaks like new animations and enhanced ball physics. But after years of calling for improvements to longstanding gameplay issues, I struggled to pinpoint anything truly new here.
Pacey attackers still blow past slower center backs with ease. Passing lacks the crispness found in other sports titles. Set pieces remain painfully random. It‘s still FIFA 21 through and through.
Don‘t get me wrong – the excellent presentation paired with incredibly deep game modes makes for enjoyable football matches. But as a longtime player, I was hoping for a gameplay shakeup to match the technical strides rather than subtle iterations on an aging formula.
The Verdict
While I had some concerns about certain legacy issues carrying over into the next console generation, there is no denying FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5 is an impressive technical leap forward thanks to visual enhancements and superb haptic feedback implementation.
Revolutionary changes to core gameplay may still be lacking, but more realistic player models, faster load times, and deeper atmospheric immersion demonstrate the power of next-gen consoles. This feels like a title pushing up against the limits of what‘s possible on current hardware.
As the start of a new console generation, I remain hopeful the team at EA Sports will leverage new technology over the coming years to introduce more innovative football gameplay mechanics into the powerhouse FIFA series. But for now, fans of The Beautiful Game should find plenty to love in this subtly upgraded package. Just don‘t expect revolutionary changes overnight.
Overall rating: 8/10
