In FIFA 17, we take a look at how the story mode “The Journey” aims to depict football authentically.
The Journey will be the first narrative mode in the FIFA series, which is why it has generated a lot of buzz among fans. You step into the shoes of football talent Alex Hunter and experience his professional career, where all your decisions and performances on the pitch influence the story’s progression.
The Creative Director Matt Prior discusses the background of the development of The Journey and explains how they crafted this mode to be as realistic and authentic as possible.
The Journey – Frostbite makes it possible
According to Prior, such a mode had been planned for a long time. Players should experience the life of a professional footballer up close, on and off the pitch. For the first time, it will now be possible in FIFA 17 to “look behind the scenes” and discover entirely new football worlds.
In the age of social networks, fans get to see a lot of the lives of real football professionals – they are also interested in the private lives of their heroes. Therefore, FIFA 17 takes this innovative step and allows a glimpse into the life of a professional outside of the pitch through the story mode.
Without the Frostbite engine, The Journey wouldn’t have been possible with such an intense story. Only with it did EA Sports have the chance and tools to create scenes and game environments that are necessary for such a mode. To tell a story in FIFA, Frostbite was “simply perfect”.
Concrete ideas for the story mode have apparently been around for over two years. Overall, The Journey has had a long production time, but EA is confident that it was an extremely rewarding process.
Alex Hunter and the Authenticity of a Football Career
In The Journey, you play as Alex Hunter, a 17-year-old youth player who grew up in humble circumstances in the London suburb of Clapham. He is the grandson of English football legend Jim Hunter. His father also aspired to a football career, which unfortunately ended early due to injury. Football is thus in young Alex’s blood.
The following image shows the actor of Alex Hunter during the recordings:
To make the career of the youth talent appear authentic, EA Sports spared no expense and effort and conducted extensive research. They looked at real player stories and backgrounds of former and active professionals as well as fresh talents to create The Journey.
Reece Oxford and Marcus Rashford were involved, who, according to Prior, stated that the gameplay feels authentic and corresponds to their own experiences in many cases. As an example, he mentions the importance of family support in the ups and downs of professional sports. They are happy to have “created something authentic”.EA Sports expects a lot from The Journey:
- The characters should resonate with the players and provide intensive experiences.
- Fans can discover new football worlds that are rarely seen and learn more about this sport at the professional level.
- They want to excite newcomers and casual fans with the mode, both for the FIFA series and for the sport as a whole.
- The Journey should not only provide an exciting gameplay experience but also improve “playing skills”. Your abilities on the virtual pitch should enhance as a result.
What do you expect from a story mode in FIFA 17?
Apparently, there’s an exclusive deal for FIFA 17 with the Spanish league BBVA.
