FIFA 20 review round-up
Update: See what critics think of this year’s FIFA game, which is in stores now
A number of FIFA 20 reviews have been published ahead of the game’s arrival for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
A FIFA 20 demo recently went live, allowing players to sample the action before the FIFA 20 release date of September 27, 2019.
Those who pre-order (Amazon/Best Buy/Game) pricier editions of the game will get early access three days before launch, while EA Access and Origin Access members will be able to play an exclusive FIFA 20 trial kicking off on the morning of Thursday, September 19 in the Pacific time zone.
Headline additions to this year’s series entry include a new Volta street football mode. Read on to see what critics think of the game.
Update September 27: A number of FIFA 20 reviews have been published since this article was originally written so we’ve added them to the round-up below to coincide with the game’s release today.
- VGC (4/5) – “EA has delivered another worthwhile FIFA package, but while Street Football and FUT seasons breathe new life into some areas, others remain stagnant and barely improved.”
- Push Square (6/10) – “It’s a good job FIFA still plays well, because as a package, it’s robust but frustratingly shoddy. Our advice? Wait for FIFA 20 to be patched before tying your laces.”
- GameSpot (8/10) – “Flawed and iterative, but comforting, complete, and compelling, FIFA 20 is as frustrating and as essential as ever.”
- Metro (8/10) – “It isn’t a masterpiece but it’s a massive improvement on FIFA 19, with a sprinkling of new features – Volta in particular – that should lay the foundations for the series’ future.”
- Game Informer (7.5/10) – “The gameplay comes up just short of carrying the title, and while Ultimate Team is engaging in its own way, it’s the same grind it’s always been. The next-generation of home consoles is approaching, and I can’t tell if EA has run out of ideas or is running out the clock.”
- Guardian (4/5) – “The new additions to Fifa 20 elevate it above ‘standard annual update’ fare.”
- TheSixthAxis (8/10) – “The big new feature is Volta Football, and while it’s a fun distraction, it’s not quite as engaging as its FIFA Street predecessors.”
- PlayStation Lifestyle (8/10) – “It may not be a tremendous shift in the landscape of soccer titles, but FIFA 20 has certainly proved to be a fertile ground for experimentation within EA Sports. However, as is the case with most first-time features and modes, the game is a bit of a mixed bag.”
- PC Gamer (72/100) – “However invested you become, however much enjoyment you take from competency and victory, however many times you watch that replay back of the Volta goal you scored by flicking it backwards over a defender, losing another with an elastico and backheeling it into the net (at least double figures now), FIFA 20’s biggest failing is in producing an enjoyable football match.”
- USgamer (4/5) – “FIFA 20 revives the old Street series with a new mode featuring futsal and outdoor soccer, but it’s the core gameplay that shines brightest this year, bringing down the pace in a way that feels nuanced and enjoyable.”
- Forbes (8.25/10) – “The developers in charge of gameplay have done just about all they can do to make this title a joy on the virtual pitch. It’s shortcomings are because of a lack of innovative improvements to core modes. That keeps it as a really good game, but a notch below great.”
- Telegraph (4/5) – “The company has, perhaps justifiably, been accused of prioritising profits over gameplay but the emphasis has evidently now shifted to attention time. FIFA’s main competitor is now no longer football games, it’s free-to-play shooters. And that might prove to be the series’ toughest match up yet.”
- Eurogamer (No score) – “We’ve picked apart the game, worked out what’s changed, what’s better and what’s worse. We’ve had bloody good fun. And it’s all undermined by corporate greed and a stubborn refusal to do what’s right. A bit like real football, then.”
- VG247 (4/5) – “Without much cosmetic polish to fall back on, FIFA 20 needed to bring something new to the table. Although the core gameplay isn’t mind-blowingly different, it’s still the best football game, and the addition of VOLTA is a whole new way to play.”
- IGN (7.8/10) – “Volta brings new life into the series, but on the whole FIFA 20 is an adequate but underwhelming entry into the series.”
- Trusted Reviews (No score) – “The addition of Volta adds some much-needed variety and the quick matches filled with skills and elaborate game celebrations are fun. I’m not sold on all the gameplay tweaks, however, and the additions to Career mode feel slightly dull. Still, if you’ve picked up FIFA every year then you’re most likely going to like what’s on offer here, even if the package feels very familiar.”
FIFA 20 Legacy Edition will also be released on Nintendo Switch on September 27, although it won’t include any of the “big new features” included in other editions of the game like Volta.
In August, VGC revealed that David Rutter, who led the FIFA franchise for over a decade, has relocated to Sweden to oversee DICE, Criterion and Ghost Games as group general manager of EA Studios Europe.
