The Three Titles That Have the Most to Prove in 2019

[Steve_OS]

Sports gaming continues to be at a weird inflection point this year. We're getting deep into...

Written By: Raychel Sanner

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[da_centa_fielda]

I think PES is a better playing game than Fifa. But lack of authenticity hurts the entire experience for me. Can't even download files on Xbox. I'm optimistic about Madden this year. They seem to be putting real effort into the Franchise experience and making elite players stand out.

[illwill10]

I also believe NBA Live is a game with a lot to prove. This year 3 since the cancellation year. Last two years, the game has pretty much been sold at a discount from release. The game sales hasn't been that great. With the licensing deal 2k signed early in year, I don't see Live getting a discount on that deal when it is time for them to renew. EA has money, but to pay top dollar for NFL, NHL, Fifa, and NBA licenses, is a lot. There needs to be a big leap this year. I don't think Live makes the jump to the next gen. Especially if there isn't substantial improvement. Unless I'm wrong, they aren't showing it at EA Play. This really does feel like a make or break year for Live for the future of the series.

[The EVHL]

One of the smallest dev teams EA has to offer is the one with the most to prove? Doesn't make much sense when you look at the* under-performing "flagships" of Madden and FIFA. As a sim-gamer, I can honestly say Madden hasn't even been playable on this generation of consoles (25 being the exception). The sliders seem to be inconsistent, (ie. working for one controller but not the other when playing offline 2-player) the gameplay is clunky at best, and the overall immersion is non-existent. On top of that, the whole 'CFM" mode has made running offline, 32-team leagues more of a chore than ever before.**

When it comes to the FIFA/PES debate, I'm still somewhat in the middle. FIFA is a smoother experience for sure,and when I'm looking to play online with friends, Pro Clubs (despite horrible tuning, OP characters, useless goaltending, and just the obvious lack of care/polish that goes into the mode) is my preferred online experience. Despite that though, I still find myself going to PES when I'm looking for a more tactical, realistic, immersive offline experience. As someone who loves customization and creating fictional eLeagues for my offline experiences, PES is the ONLY choice imo. Kit/emblem importing is the best thing to ever happen in the world of customizing sports games.* The gameplay feels a bit slower, but it also feels infinitely more organic than EA's offerings. The ball physics seem independent when compared to EA's ball which always seems to be tethered in some way to the objects/players on the pitch. I think for any offline gamer who wants an immersive, customization experience, there's absolutely no debating that PES gives you the tools to make that happen and EA doesn't. Gameplay-wise, I find EA soccer to look more like hockey than soccer with the amount of sprinting, and reckless committing from defenders that makes one feel as if a hockey team is applying a forecheck. The build-up game is non-existent and scoring is mostly done through high-speed odd-man rushes rather than beautiful passing plays. TL;DR version, FIFA is not far-ahead gameplay-wise from PES unless you enjoy sprinting around all game making ridiculous* passes and shots on a game-to-game basis.

Lastly, what about NBA Live? I mean, that series can barely get any press because it's actually so far behind it's competition, that nobody even bothers to compare the two. I believe that game has to* prove it's even worth making sometime soon before we can hold NHL (or any other EA sports title for that matter) to the title of "most to prove" don't you think?

[HenryClay1844]

FIFA has been dreadful this consul generation. It has a ton to prove that it is more than a video game casino and card-collecting sim.

[ChangeUp106]

I rarely log-in to comment, but I had to after seeing this. How can you say PES has more to prove than FIFA? FIFA should absolutely be on that list along with Madden and NHL. It has been terrible for years. If not for YouTube-influenced kids buying all the FUT garbage, FIFA would be in real trouble.



This generation of consoles has been a massive disappointment for sports gaming outside of The Show and 2K (not that they're perfect).

[BJSands]

1. Madden
2. Madden
3. Madden