The year 1994 heralded several pivotal moments in global entertainment. In February, British pop singer Harry Styles was born in Redditch, England. A month later, Justin Bieber came to be in London, Ontario. A few months later, in the same country, EA Canada released a sequel to a game that became very popular in 1993. They called it ‘FIFA 95’. And for no apparent reason (to me, at least), every year since, a ‘FIFA’ game has been released.
Why do they release a game every year? I wondered. Perhaps the rules of football change every year. Maybe gaming graphics for eSports are revolutionised within the short span of one year, and a simple software update would not suffice. I don’t know why! This annual event is baffling, and I am waiting for the perfect explanation.
Anyway, I played ‘FIFA 23’ last week. While I have not played the previous editions to any extent, I can compare it to other sports simulators. ‘FIFA’ is probably the best within that very specific category. The tutorials are excellent for an absolute beginner. For some context, all my knowledge of football comes from a TV show called Ted Lasso. Given this, ‘FIFA 23’ did an excellent job of educating me about the rules. I learnt to pass and lob a ball, run around, and goal-keep with ease. 20 minutes into the tutorials, and I also know exactly what offside is.
Aside from the network features and the actual matches, there were a couple of add-ons that I was pleasantly surprised by in the game. It was illuminating to understand the bigness of football because this game allows me to play as specific real-life players and as actual managers. It provided scenarios to make decisions.
I would be given a budget and the opportunity to make investments or reckless expenses. It would then convert into personality points, adjusting certain aspects of my player’s skills like reflexes, running speed, etc. Eventually, this would convert into the main currency of the single-player campaign: match results. I could also play dress-up and decide the manager’s outfit.
In my heart of hearts, I believe that this is more than just a cosmetic change, and that it impacts the team in some unknowable way. If nothing else, this game certainly helped me develop a little interest in the franchise. If you don’t understand football and desperately want to, this game might be a good start.