In January, students try out their new gifts from over the holidays, especially video games. One game in particular that people are loving is FIFA 19. With new game modes, features, graphics, and play styles, the newest edition of the FIFA series has definitely grasped our attention. While the grass outside is covered in snow and ice, this game enables anyone to play virtual soccer day and night.

FIFA stands for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association and it governs many soccer matches around the world, especially in Europe. FIFA is very popular among soccer fans and is well-known for running the World Cup, which occurs every four years.

The first FIFA video game was released in 1993 and was named FIFA international Soccer. Since then, there have been 26 main installments of FIFA video games. In a 25 year span, FIFA has sold over 260 million copies of their video games and the most recent FIFA game is ranked number three on the top console games chart.

The graphics in FIFA 19 are better than ever with brighter colors, more detailed settings and more defined characters. The game seems to be more alive. With the new game comes new camera angles as well. This gives players a different feeling from traditional FIFA games, which is a nice change.

One of the many new additions to FIFA 19 is a game mode called “House Rules”. In the new game mode, friends can play some unconventional soccer matches that are both competitive and exciting. Within “house rules” there are sub categories of different game styles including “Long range,” “Survival,” and “No rules”. These intense matches involve constant cheering, jumping, and button smashing, which makes it our favorite part of FIFA 19.

FIFA 19 also expands upon features in the previous games such as “The Journey” which is a special single player game mode that was first seen in FIFA 17. In “The Journey” players take the role of a character named Alex Hunter. We are able to choose his path and career, and, on some occasions, decide what he says to the media and to other characters. This gamemode contains a butterfly effect format, meaning each decision that Alex Hunter makes, influences the next task. Before competing in a soccer match players select if they want to play as Alex Hunter or the whole team. Both of us like to play as Alex Hunter because it’s a different gameplay view than conventional FIFA.

In the newest FIFA game, there are three character choices: Alex Hunter, Kim Hunter (Alex’s sister), and Danny Williams (Alex’s childhood friend). In FIFA 19, the story line in The Journey is more complex due to the addition of new players, mentors, partners, and coaches. Despite the complexity of the game mode, it keeps us entertained for hours on end. After playing “The Journey,” we both agree that it was a phenomenal addition to the FIFA games.

One of the best parts about FIFA is the celebrations after a goal is scored. Some popular celebrations are backflips, one arm push-ups, and knee slides. It is very amusing to celebrate while the crowd is screaming after you’ve scored a goal. Players can also select to celebrate with professional soccer players signature celebrations from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, and Mohamed Salah.

The biggest difference from FIFA 18 to FIFA 19 is the abilities and statistics of each player. FIFA 19 is more accurate to real soccer matches. In the past, FIFA games have not been a good representation of actual soccer, but this year, the players in the video game make you feel like you’re actually playing the sport. In this installment of the FIFA game, the speed of play is slowed down and is more possession-based. We like the changes to the player speed and ball movement because it is more realistic.

We both really enjoy playing FIFA 19 together. The co-op features of the game make it so you can have the best possible experience while playing. The game can get really competitive really fast, but that is just another reason why we like FIFA.

With all this being said, we highly recommend playing FIFA 19. It’s a great way to pass time with friends or just have fun by yourself. Be careful though because when you sit down and start playing, you will find yourself addicted to the game. FIFA 19 is currently being sold at a price of $59.99 but it is definitely worth the money.