FIFA 18 does its best Mass Effect impression in career mode

Serie Andromeda

In an ongoing bid to continue to homogenize the industry even more by pushing story modes into sports games, EA Sports has revealed that FIFA 18 will have not one but two modes that utilize a conversation wheel mechanic. The conversation wheel was seen last year in The Journey mode where you went from a small town footballer all the way up to the Premier League. The impression it made on players last year must have been pretty good because this year it’s going to be in both The Journey mode and in career mode.

For career mode, the conversation wheel will be utilized in contract and transfer negotiations between the player and motion captured head coaches. The scenes will not have any voice acting but it will utilize the frostbite engine to give it that wonderful uncanny valley feeling as you look into Jose Mourinho’s soulless eyes as he signed you a contract with the Red Devils of Manchester United.

Youtube user ChesnoidGaming got an exclusive look at the career mode in action at Gamescom if you want to check it out for yourself — to see the negotiation scenes fast forward to around 3:30 in the video. Just watching it in action, it seems pretty tedious for a straight ahead sports game that doesn’t emphasize spreadsheet gaming.

Personally, I just don’t get it. I play FIFA because I want to just play football. I don’t need a story or contract negotiations to keep me coming back, that’s what I play Football Manager for. I also don’t see many people who are on the fence about buying a sports game being convinced to buy it simply because a contract negotiation mechanic was added in. Still it doesn’t take away from the basic gameplay but it’s just not for me.

Frostbite Powers New Features in FIFA 18 Career Mode [EA Sports]