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6 ways to get more fun out of FIFA 18
FIFA 19 is almost here, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had with last year’s instalment.
With FIFA 19 set to be released on September 29, it’s almost time to tuck our copies of last year’s instalment away on the shelf. Until then, however, we’ll be looking to make every FIFA session a brand-new experience. Here are six ways to continue squeezing the fun out of FIFA 18.
1. Inject some flair with special cards on FUT
One great benefit of being in the final few months of a FIFA cycle is the sheer amount of special cards available on FIFA Ultimate Team. From In Form to Team of the Season cards, there’s a wide range of players you could buy to spice up your FUT experience and, thanks to their upgraded stats, you’d be able to use them competitively in the Weekend League, or casually in Seasons and Squad Battles.
You could try out five-star skillers like Ricardo Quaresma, Nani, and Marlos to inject some flair into your attacking set-up or opt for quality midfield enforcers such as Anderson Talisca and Ruud Vormer.
Chemistry shouldn’t be much of an issue as you can sub players on at the start of a match without messing up your team’s overall chemistry, keep in mind, though, that the players you bring in off the bench will have five individual chemistry points.
2. Build a hybrid team on FUT
Build an unstoppable hybrid
© Electronic Arts
A hybrid team on FUT is a team that consists of players from multiple leagues and nations thus making it unique in comparison to most teams you’ll face in the game mode.
All the planning involved in building a proper hybrid team is almost as fun as playing with one; you’ll have a lot of thinking to do in terms of the players you’ll select for the team, as well as the formation you’ll utilise to gain 100 squad chemistry points.
You can build hybrids with popular leagues such as the EPL and La Liga, or the relatively smaller divisions such as the Eredivisie, MLS, Liga Nos, Super Lig and many more. Players in the smaller leagues have received boosted cards thanks to their inclusions in team of the week sides as well as EA’s monthly FUT events.
3. Win an international tournament with all 32 nations
A somewhat daunting but interesting challenge, playing the new international tournament add-on with all 32 nations in the game mode, and winning it, would make for a different and refreshing experience in each of your attempts at the online tournament.
The most popular teams in the mode are undoubtedly Brazil, France, Germany and Belgium. Chances are you’ve already won the online tournament with at least one of them, so why not give it a try with some of the harder nations to use, or better yet, all the qualified countries?
It could take a week or way more to pull off depending on your skill level and how much time your FIFA sessions typically last, but it’s well worth it as you celebrate taking home one of the biggest prizes in football with some of FIFA’s perennial underdogs.
4. Tactical upheaval can refresh your game
Tweaking your formation can pay dividends
© EA Sports
It’s fair to say that the most used formations by a mile in FIFA 18 are the 4-1-2-1-2(2) and the 4-2-3-1. While they’re great for racking up wins, the gameplay can get a bit repetitive after using them for so long.
Considering FIFA 19’s just around the corner, this would be a great time to try different formations and introduce some more variety to your style of play.
You can try the less popular three at the back formations, all of which give you greater width and allow for some scintillating link-up plays in attacking scenarios.
There are four formations that make use of three defenders in the game - the 3-4-1-2, 3-4-2-1, 3-5-2 and Antonio Conte’s preferred 3-4-3. Among them, the 3-4-1-2 and 3-5-2 formations are the most balanced but are still very attacking in nature. They draw parallels to the 4-1-2-1-2(2) because of the presence of two strikers and an attacking midfielder, but they offer you greater width than the popular system. They also allow for more defensive cover, with two central defenders sitting in front of the backline and two wingers ready to support your strikers with crosses and cut-backs.
5. Themed career-mode challenges
A spin on career mode
© Electronic Arts
While career mode isn’t as popular as it once was among FIFA players, there’s still a load of fun to be had filling the boots of a manager and leading your virtual team to silverware. It’s easily the most casual mode in the game as you’ll be playing at your own pace against an AI difficulty setting of your choosing. All of which gives you an opportunity to be creative with your play-through, something other FIFA game modes don’t offer in abundance.
You could start a season with the aim of assembling a squad of only five-star skillers, or bring the glory days back to a former footballing giant like AC Milan or Leeds United in an RTG style play-through. You could even attempt to win silverware with only under-21 players. The possibilities are endless.
6. Join an Active Pro Club
Not everybody is able to become a professional footballer, but with FIFA you can always create your own pro player and become a superstar on the virtual pitch alongside your friends.
Like career mode, Pro Clubs’ popularity has waned a fair bit over the years, but nonetheless it remains FIFA’s most relaxing game mode. You’re able to set up a team with your friends, where each of you take up individual roles on the pitch and play against other teams as you try to find your way to division one.
The interaction between yourself and your team-mates is the main draw of the game mode along with the sense of responsibility that comes with playing a role in a football team. You’ll also get a decent audience to cheer you on if you score a worldie.
