EA Vancouver·Released Oct 1, 2021·Single player
Powered by Football, FIFA 22 brings the game even closer to the real thing with fundamental gameplay advances and a new season of innovation across every mode. Play with 17,000+ players, over 700 teams in 90+ stadiums and more than 30 leagues from all over the globe.
FIFA's Jogo Bonito hasn't changed much, but it's enough.
FIFA 22 marks the third time EA has given us FIFA 19 with a different shirt on. It may clearly state Legacy Edition on the title, but being kicked in the groin isn't any less painful if your assailant tells you they're going to do it in advance. Once again, EA has insulted Switch owners by giving them the version it usually releases on dead systems. Do not accept it.
We're pleasantly surprised by FIFA 22 on Xbox Series X. The franchise had a good first outing on next-gen consoles last year, but the gameplay has really been taken up a notch this time around, seemingly proving that "Hypermotion Technology" isn't just another throwaway buzzword. It's not perfect, and there are certain areas off the pitch that we wish could have received even more attention, but this is the best FIFA has been in quite a few years, and we just hope it isn't ruined by unnecessary gameplay patches down the line.
FIFA 22 excels on the pitch with a patient and more methodical style, but additions elsewhere are only incremental and microtransactions still leave a bad taste.
Microtransactions still loom large, but small iterative changes and the horsepower of new-gen consoles combine to make FIFA 22 feel like a worthwhile upgrade without needing anything revolutionary or terribly exciting from EA's side.
FIFA 22 offers a superb second next-gen season on the digital turf – but subtle Ultimate Team tweaks amplify the ‘pay to win’ criticisms that stalk this series annually.
FIFA 22 feels like real football, and it's all the better for it. Impressive improvements to player positioning, ball physics, and animations make for a supremely satisfying simulation that underpins each of the franchise's flagship modes. Career Mode doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the ability to create a club is entertaining, and the changes to Player Careers are overdue. Microtransactions still rule supreme in Ultimate Team, and you'll already have your own personal opinions on that, but there's so much to do in this year's release that you could easily invest hundreds of hours into it without seeing a single loot box.
FIFA 22 might tout next-gen visuals and solid gameplay, but there aren't enough exciting changes to differentiate it from last year's experience.
I'd say I sound like a broken record but at this point I may as well chuck out the record player. FIFA 22 is a game wit…
