The latest installment of EA Sports FC will again place a greater focus on street football. MeinMMO editor Dariusz is pleased about this.
The reveal trailer for EA Sports FC 27 has introduced “The Grounds”. This is a social hub as seen in the competition’s NBA2K series from Take-Two, where it is known as “Neighborhood” and essentially serves as an open-world-like neighborhood where you can hang out, train, complete quests, or play against other players in small courts. Similarities are hinted at in the reveal trailer for The Grounds in FC 27.
For EA, The Grounds opens a new door to monetization, as the heavily in-game funded and cosmetics-focused model of NBA2K demonstrates. MeinMMO editor Karsten will elaborate on why this should be viewed as extremely critical in an article.
The Grounds and Neighborhood, however, share another commonality: street football also plays a crucial role. In the trailer for FC 27, we saw short sequences on small fields with walls or in cages. This reminds me of my favorite time with the FIFA series nearly 15 years ago.
From the Street to the Stadium – A Mode Almost No One Played
In September 2011, I made a decision that almost none of my school friends could understand: I played the then-new FIFA 12 on the Nintendo Wii instead of on a PlayStation or Xbox – but of course not with the old Wii remote, but with a GameCube controller.
But why did I put myself through this?
In the Wii version of the football game, there was a mode that no other platform received: From the Street to the Stadium. This was a special variant of the “Be-a-Pro” mode, where you create your own player and start a career as a footballer. Typically, we only control our own player there, but we can also take control of the entire team.
In “From the Street to the Stadium,” we start as a street football player in a small, unknown team of 5 players and make a name for ourselves with each victory. Tricks, playing off walls, and hard tackling were part of everyday life. The controls for executing tricks were significantly simpler on the Wii than on other platforms, but that didn’t make it any less fun.
Eventually, our street football player evolves into a real professional and signs their first contract. Afterwards, the typical “Be-a-Pro” career begins.
In another mode, we could play street football with famous stars like Ribéry, Iniesta, or Messi. Additionally, in the kickoff mode, there was the option to select special goal variants like mini-goals or elevated nets. Here we draw the connection back to The Grounds, because in the trailer we see an oversized basketball hoop as a goal.
With all the valid concerns for The Grounds, I’m excited to recognize some elements from back then. FIFA 12 was the best time I ever had with the FIFA series. I had a lot of fun with the career mode, played several Be-a-Pro careers, and competed in countless street football matches. I loved being able to experience a touch of FIFA Street in a “normal” FIFA, intertwining instead of being in separate games.
Ultimate Team, which didn’t even exist on the Wii, was something I never missed. The fun I had as a street football player in FIFA 12 could never be matched by Ultimate Team in the following years.
Street Football as an Underrated Art
In the long history of EA’s football games, street football has always played a role, but it has long not received the attention it deserves. Sure, EA FC is a football simulation and thus has more realistic claims than FIFA Street did back then, but let’s be honest: EA FC isn’t incredibly realistic either – especially when a nasty goalkeeper bug breaks not only the immersion but ruins the entire match.
The VOLTA mode a few years ago was a good attempt to revive the art of street football, but for me, the mode lacked the gameplay feel that FIFA Street or the mode in FIFA 12 on the Wii provided. Admittedly, I also don’t need a half-baked story with flat dialogues. In street football modes, gameplay is key.
Maybe The Grounds can convey a proper street football feeling and gameplay. What are your impressions? Do you think there’s potential in the principle, or is it just unwanted bloatware that EA can profit from? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
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