Fifa 18 is on its way this September, and following some key updates announced by Creative Director Matt Prior, it’s looking to be bigger and better than ever before.

What with the success of last year’s Fifa 17, which sold over one million copies in its first week alone and subsequently made it to the top of the 2016 Best-Selling Retail Games in the UK, the sequel has some fairly big football boots to fill.

This year, the added pressure of the competition from PES 2018 is adding to the pressure on the game designers – the franchise’s biggest rival has never quite competed with the sales figures of Fifa previously, but this year is predicted to be just as, if not more, popular. So, what have the designers done to ensure Fifa 18 lives up to and exceeds the hungry fans’ expectations?

Hunter’s Return

In Fifa 17, we were treated to ‘The Journey’, a career mode during which you play Alex Hunter, a young professional just being introduced into the Premier League. The Mass-Effect style gameplay allowed you to make choices and shape your career mode, and was met with an overall positive reception. Fifa 18 will see the return of Alex Hunter, with added customisation and kit options to tailor your gameplay experience even further.

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AI Upgrades

Fifa have come a long way with their AI options. The earlier games saw robotic, clumsy AI behaviour which was predictable and relatively easy to beat once you’d gotten the hang of the game. This is no longer the case! EA has provided several different attacking and defending styles to keep players on their toes, and more importantly locked their AI into certain decisions, meaning the game will make a decision without hesitation or changing its mind. This is one way in which PES has outperformed Fifa over recent years, so it will be interesting to see the difference this change makes.

Motion Technology

The switch to an alternative gameplay engine means better lighting, visuals and fluidity throughout the game. Now with new frame animations, your reactions to gameplay can be practically instantaneous and improve your overall gameplay!