Forget Fifa 23, Fifa Street Is What We Need
FIFA 23 is due to release in the tail end of 2022, with rumors of a free-to-play model fluttering in the background. After decades of annual releases, the future of the franchise remains uncertain in the wake of troubling licensing agreements. Each installment promises reinvention and innovation, but like any tried and tested franchise, there comes a point when diminishing returns begin to appear. Yet, there is something that EA Sports could do to inject vibrant life back into the franchise.
Bring back the
FIFA Street franchise.
The fun of street football was confined into the Futsal-inspired Volta mode back in FIFA 20 and has remained within the game-mode since. Forgoing any of the stylish tricking and pulsating minute-to-minute energy seen in the original 2005 FIFA Street, Volta hardly scratches that itch for fast-paced bouts of adrenaline. Volta feels far more lethargic and drained of life. It is devoid of any tangible competitive stakes, regardless of whether you’re playing against A.I or real players.
Volta may have its defenders, but street football deserves a free-flowing experience to accompany it. The direction of FIFA has largely revolved around simulation-based gameplay, pleasing both casual and hardcore football fanatics with grinding progression in career mode. Now, here’s the thing. I don’t follow football outside of the “major” events like the World Cup or the Euros. I’m willing to get roasted for that.
That’s not to say I don’t recognize the sheer amount of skill, strategy, and business acumen that goes into players forging careers. However, for me, arcade-style blasts of energy like FIFA Street are the perfect middle-ground for gamers and football fans. FIFA Street is like comfort food. It’s easy to digest and satisfying every time.
FIFA Street was a breath of fresh air
It’s highly unlikely that FIFA 23 will pull a glorious twist out of the bag, with a revamped Volta akin to the 2005 gem.
We can wish though. Nonetheless, FIFA Street tapped into a unique sense of comradery that hasn’t been replicated as faithfully in the sports game genre as of late. Collaborative modes like Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs may offer cooperative experiences, but FIFA Street was a glorious stream of plug-and-play fun.
The latest iterations of FIFA can be daunting for new players kicking the ball around for the first time, with in-depth ball control systems and rudimentary knowledge of formations/tactics required to succeed. It is a far more involved experience, that doesn’t lend itself to just jumping in for a quick game. At least not for less experienced players. FIFA Street found this euphoric sweet spot within the genre, allowing for easy-to-learn mechanics to lead the way. Yet, when you’ve mastered every variation of twirling the analog stick to pull off amazing tricks, FIFA Street still did what any great FIFA title should do: showcase the skill of the player.
I can recall countless times where my brother has absolutely thrashed me on FIFA Street, but not because the game itself cheated me out of victory. Its brilliant Skate-style mechanics (which would debut two years later) allow for strategy in itself. Will my brother play it safe, opting for the mainline FIFA style of gameplay? Or will he taunt me with some kick-ups, baiting me into sending Rooney crashing into him, as he nutmegs me and dashes for the goal?
FIFA Street lets each match go any way you want, without bogging you down in complex button sequences or timing. It’s enhanced by the game’s simplistic progression too. Rule The Street mode is where the meat and potatoes are found within FIFA Street’s game modes, sending your custom-made player on a journey of stardom. You’ll earn Skill Bills along the way to level up your attributes, which will make you desperate to acquire them as you begin to whack the ball in the goal hole.
There are no referees, no stoppage time. You can chug on Lucozade Sport in the brief seconds between each goal.
The game’s A.I might be lacking, even by the standards of the time, but it doesn’t bring the down experience of aggressively tackling everyone. Where will you be tackling them? Just about every dingy, graffiti-laden backyard-style area across the world. This ain’t your dad’s football pitch.
Chaining combos, or Beats, together makes the experience wild and borders a fine line between entertaining and downright stupid. That’s the good stuff right there though, as each ridiculous addition to your already overlong combo will devastate rival players. FIFA Street’s penchant for genuinely satisfying goals is delightful too, as you feel that final hit breaking down the sturdiness of the goal itself.
No doubt the highlight of many people looking back on FIFA Street is the addition of the Gamebreaker.
Fill up your combo chain enough, and you’ll be able to unleash the bombastic might of the Gamebreaker. Slowing everything down for a spotlight on your potentially otherworldly goal, this astoundingly ego-led feature was all the rage of competitive players. Just when you thought losing was bad enough, your mate pulls your pants down with a humiliating replay of his goal.
Dressing the setting too is the masterfully orchestrated soundtrack. Fat Boy Slim, Dizzee Rascal, and Artificial Intelligence all lend some of their most badass cuts to the soundtrack, giving each match a delectable feeling of dexterity. Leading your team to victory with Crooked Stilo’s “Yo La Saben” playing is plain iconic. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention FIFA Street’s own hypeman: MC Harvey.
Commentating over each game with excitable energy and a now nostalgic representation of the mid-2000s musical zeitgeist, I’m indebted to MC Harvey’s words that took my team to the top.
Sorry
FIFA 23, we need FIFA Street more than ever.
The next installment, FIFA 23, will likely drop in October with or without FIFA’s endorsement. EA Sports may be forced to rebrand, leaving the franchise in need of a fresh face. Development on the next title will have been underway for months now, but this doesn’t mean we can be hopeful for the future. Other franchises in the EA alumnus such as Battlefield have taken breaks out of their normal release windows, in a bid to reconfigure the franchise for a new era. Of course, that decision hasn’t spawned the most critically acclaimed of games, but the intent to try and at least deviate from the seemingly churned-out nature of these games was there.
Games like Rocket League, Destruction All-Stars, and Knockout City (while varying in quality) are all fighting to fill in the gap for breezy, accessible arcade sports fun. FIFA Street naturally spawned sequels, but they eventually lost sight of what made the original so entertaining.
FIFA Street 3 opted for cartoonish visuals and an over-the-top approach to gameplay, rather than a mixture of grounded gameplay and tricking. The 2012 franchise reboot, built off the back of the FIFA 12 team, was somewhat of a step in the right direction but ultimately didn’t have the legs to stand tall.
©EA Sports
The proud celebration of street football culture was perfected in the 2005 installment. FIFA Street brought a new level of status to sports clothing too. You felt like a master of the sport, while you humiliated iconic players in a full Nike getup. Now, in an era where influencer culture and connectivity through social media is pertinent, FIFA Street could tap into this to an extent without becoming cringey. There’s an excellent opportunity for a refined Rule The Street mode, taking a few tips from NBA 2K22’s City mode (minus the egregious product placement). Roaming around the streets with your buddies, setting up on-the-fly matches or tournaments, negotiating player trades all at that moment could be possible.
From a business perspective for EA, they’ve got the potential to still make a fortune as they’d probably introduce forms of microtransactions through cosmetics. Their clear moneymaker in the Ultimate Team packs could still remain, and be retrofitted to fit into the street football infrastructure. With once-mighty competitor Pro Evolution Soccer rebranding to free-to-play E-Football, the opportunity to claim their portion of the market could easily be attained with a brand new face for the franchise.
Regardless of wherever the franchise goes next, FIFA is more than overdue for a serious overhaul. Not just annual improvements.
FIFA Needs To Bring Back FIFA Street To Compete Against VOLTA
By
Arjun Darshan Sheth
FIFA Street is one of the most popular titles released under the FIFA name and should be brought back to compete against EA Sports FC and VOLTA.
Following the dissolution of the legendary EA Sports-FIFA partnership, both companies have revealed that future games will be released, with EA Sports adopting the title EA Sports FC and FIFA promising to continue to release games under its name. This ultimately means that the two companies will start competing in the soccer video game market, and while EA Sports revealed that many fan-favorite game modes will feature in EA Sports FC games, such as VOLTA and FUT, FIFA has remained silent about what its future games have in store for fans. For future FIFA titles to compete against EA Sports FC, and other upcoming games such as UFL, the series will need to go back to its roots and include game modes such as the popular FIFA Street.
FIFA Street was the first iteration of street soccer in a video game format that would ultimately turn into VOLTA. Unlike VOLTA, FIFA Street focused more on arcade elements, a step away from the simulation-minded FIFA titles at the time.
This gave fans a chance to play as some of their favorite players in a 5-a-side format where fouls no longer existed, and the tricks were flashy. Bringing back FIFA Street would be the best way for future FIFA titles to compete with VOLTA and EA Sports FC, and it is something that many fans have been asking for.
RELATED: EA Sports FC Should Add A New Career Mode Option
FIFA Street
The arcade-style gameplay of FIFA Street was perfect for the street soccer setting, as it gave players more of an opportunity to do things that were simply not possible or extremely difficult in the regular FIFA releases. For one, the tricks were much easier to perform in FIFA Street, and this allowed the games to be much more entertaining and took away the need of memorizing accurate right stick movements to perform the simplest tricks and moves. It allowed players to embrace the street soccer mentality, and the many unique game modes, including the Panna challenges, gave players a lot of ways to enjoy the arcade-style gameplay.
The move back to simulation-style gameplay for FIFA Street titles eventually led to the formation of VOLTA as it is today, but it never had the mass following and success of FIFA Street. While FIFA Street was released as a standalone game, adding it into future FIFA titles, similar to how VOLTA is a game mode on current FIFA titles, would add a lot more content for players and give many older fans a huge sense of nostalgia. The combination of legends, flashy tricks, and seemingly superhuman combinations made FIFA Street one of the best FIFA titles of all time.
VOLTA vs FIFA Street
Adding FIFA Street to future FIFA titles would make it a direct competitor of VOLTA and would make perfect sense for FIFA. With EA Sports holding on to the many game modes it has created and popularized in past FIFA games, the soccer governing body will need to ensure that its fans are treated to some truly great game modes in upcoming titles.
Career Mode and FUT will likely both find their way on either game and will probably not have a lot of differences, but the VOLTA and FIFA Street rivalry could shape the future of the soccer gaming world.
VOLTA is a game mode that focuses on giving players more realistic gameplay of street soccer and includes multiple match types, but many fans will play VOLTA just as they do in the regular game modes of FIFA titles. This is where FIFA Street stood apart, as giving fans a completely different experience and releasing the content as a standalone game paid off. Today, millions of fans are still waiting for a new FIFA Street title that embraces the arcade-style gameplay and gives players a chance to demolish teams with embarrassing tricks and ridiculous goals.
With future FIFA titles set to compete against EA Sports FC and its already established style of gameplay, FIFA Street could be the one game mode that elevates the soccer governing body’s game above that of EA Sports.
A return of FIFA Street will not only mean that many fans finally get what they have been asking for, but would also show that FIFA is more concerned about bringing enjoyable content to its titles and not just flooding players with ultra-realism. The future of the soccer gaming world is unclear, but as both EA Sports and FIFA prepare to step into a new era, bringing back an old game like FIFA Street could convince many fans that FIFA is the right option — allowing it to outscore its old partner.
FIFA 23 is scheduled to release on September 30, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
MORE: What EA Sports Needs To Do To Compete Against FIFA
Portuguese League, Spanish Primera, Bundesliga
August 31, 2021
Four meticulously recreated football arenas have been added to FIFA 22, and when the season starts on October 1, you will be able to play in 100 realistic licensed stadiums.
FIFA 22 introduces two new famous European arenas: Estádio da Luz and Estádio do Dragão, where you can fully experience the energy and excitement of Portuguese football.
And also go to the SchücoArena — the stadium of the German club Arminia or Ramon de Carranza (Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla) — the home arena of the Spanish Cadiz.
The Anoeta Stadium (Reale Arena) has also been redesigned, and in FIFA 22 you will be able to play in the renovated arena of the Real Sociedad club.
In addition, Brentford Community Stadium** will be available as a free update to FIFA 22 in early 2022. We are committed to giving fans the opportunity to play in all 20 Premier League stadiums, and while not all of them will be available at launch, they will be available in the game at a later date, as we will announce in updates. Follow EA SPORTS FIFA for post-launch updates on Twitter and Instagram.
From Anfield to Santiago Bernabéu, from Parc des Princes to San Siro, experience live football in FIFA 22 on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and Stadia with new pre-match scenes, improved lighting and dynamic behavior of the audience, bringing each match as close as possible to life.
Play in your team’s stadium in Kick-Off or Career, or power up your favorite stadium in FIFA 22 Ultimate Team by purchasing it in FUT Packs or the Transfer Market.
Take a break from the big arena lights and take the ball to the streets — show your skills on 20 football pitches around the world in VOLTA FOOTBALL.
FIFA 22 Launches October 1, 2021 Pre-Order* by October 1st and Get the Player to Watch (N/A), Up to 4 Days Early Start, and More!
Below is a list of all the stadiums featured in FIFA 22 on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Stadia and PC.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Anfield
Brentford Community Stadium** (post-launch update)
Carrow Road
Elland Road
Emirates Stadium
Etihad Stadium
Goodison Park
King Power Stadium
London Stadium
Molineux Stadium
Old Trafford
Selhurst Park
St. James’ Park
St.
Mary’s Stadium
Stamford Bridge
The Amex Stadium
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Turf Moor
Vicarage Road
Villa Park
** This stadium is expected to be available for download early 2022. Dates are subject to change. Internet connection and all game updates required.
ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Bramall Lane
Cardiff City Stadium
Craven Cottage
Fratton Park
The MKM Stadium
Kirklees Stadium
Kiyan Prince Foundation
Swansea.com Stadium
Riverside Stadium
Stadium of Light
Stoke City FC Stadium
The Hawthorns
Vitality Stadium
LEAGUE 1
Groupama Stadium
Orange Velodrome
Parc des Princes
SERIE A TIM
San Siro
PORTUGAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Estádio da Luz
Estádio do Dragão
SÜPER LİG
Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadı
OTHER COUNTRIES
Donbass Arena
Otkritie Arena
NETHERLANDS CHAMPIONSHIP
Johan Cruijff Arena
MLS
BC Place
Dignity Health Sports Park
Lumen Field
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Providence Park
Red Bull Arena (New Jersey)
LEAGUE MH (MEXICO)
Estadio Azteca
SAUDI ARABIA CHAMPIONSHIP
King Abdullah Sports City
King Fahd Stadium
JAPAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Panasonic Stadium Suita
NAT.
ASSEMBLY
Wembley Stadium
BUNDESLEAGUE
Bay Arena
BORUSSIA-PARK
Deutsche Bank Park
Mercedes-Benz Arena
Olympiastadion
MEWA ARENA
PreZero Arena
Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)
RheinEnergieStadion
SchücoArena
Signal Iduna Park
Stadion An der Alten Forsterei
Volkswagen Arena
WWK Arena
BUNDESLEAGUE 2
Benteler Arena
Düsseldorf Arena
HDI Arena
Max-Morlock-Stadion
VELTINS Arena
Volksparkstadion
wohninvest Weserstadion
LALIGA SANTANDER
Coliseum Alfonso Pérez
Estadio ABANCA-Balaídos
Estadio Benito Villamarin
Estadio Ciutat de Valencia
Estadio de la Ceramica
Estadio de Mendizorroza
Estadio de Vallecas
Estadio Mestalla
Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes
Estadio San Mames
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
Nuevo Mirandilla
Ramón Sanchez-Pizjuán
RCDE Stadium
Reale Arena
Visit Mallorca Estadi
Wanda Metropolitano
SPAIN SECOND DIVISION
El Alcoraz
Estadio de Gran Canaria
Estadio de Montilivi
Estadio Jose Zorrilla
Estadio La Rosaleda
Municipal de Butarque
Municipal de Ipurua
SPAIN CHAMPIONSHIP (LA LIGA)
Libertadores de America
Estadio Presidente Perón
TYPICAL STADIUMS
Al Jayeed Stadium
Aloha Park
Arena del Centenario
Arena D’Oro
Court Lane
Crown Lane
Eastpoint Arena
El Grandioso
El Libertador
Estadio de las Artes
Estadio El Medio
Estadio Presidente G.
Lopes
Europark
FIFA Stadium
Forest Park Stadium
FUT Stadium (FUT only)
Ivy Lane
Molton Road
About Dromo
Sanderson Park
Stade Municipal
Stadio Classico
Stadion 23 maja
Stadion Europa
Stadion Hanguk
Stadion Neder
Stadion Olympik
Town Park
Union Park Stadium
Waldstadion
VOLTA FOOTBALL
Tunnel in Amsterdam
Barcelona
Berlin
Buenos Aires
Cape Town
Dubai
Ice Ruins
Lagos
London
Mexico City
Miami
Milan
New York
Paris
Streets of Paris
Parking lot
Rio de Janeiro
Rome
Sao Paulo
Sydney
Tokyo
Venice Beach
VOLTA FOOTBALL City
VOLTA FOOTBALL Stadium
Warehouse
FIFA 21 VOLTA FOOTBALL Getting Started Guide — EA SPORTS Official Site
VOLTA FOOTBALL returns in FIFA 21 with new ways to play and personalization, new venues, and more clothing and gear to express your style.
Below are tips and tricks to get you started on your VOLTA FOOTBALL journey.
What is VOLTA FOOTBALL?
The
VOLTA FOOTBALL lets you experience real street football and show off your skills and style on courts and pitches around the world.
Street football is, first of all, self-expression. The first step is to create your VOLTA AVATAR — as unique as you are.
Create a player, choose your gear and show off your style
Bring football and fashion together and start by personalizing and choosing the look of your VOLTA AVATAR — boy or girl. Choose height, facial features, tattoos, hairstyle, playing position, home court, etc., and then choose equipment.
New equipment you will unlock during the season in the rankings in the game — a series of challenges that can be found in the Clothing Selection menu and for completing which you get equipment items for your player. In addition, you can purchase clothes with VOLTA COINS, which you receive for playing matches.
With a huge selection of adidas apparel, professional soccer or street soccer kits, and celebrity-designed clothing collections, you’ll have no shortage of options to showcase your style in VOLTA FOOTBALL mode.
You can even change the look of each of your team members to make every player look cool and fresh on the court.
Here you can see the latest collections.
Strengthening your avatar and creating a squad
By playing matches, you will gain experience and skill points with which you can develop the abilities of your avatar. Improve the quality of your team by winning matches in SPECIAL BATTLES and recruiting high-ranked players from opposing teams to your team, and increase chemistry by placing players in preferred positions using familiar tactical formations and picking players from the same home court.
Use the skill points earned in matches in the skill tree located in the team menu and select the characteristics of the players you want to improve.
Before the start of the match, select the formation and starting lineup in the «My lineup» screen of the team menu. The higher the chemistry of your team, the greater the increase in the characteristics of the players in the starting lineup.
Gameplay
Street football is different from 11 vs 11 games played in large stadiums.
Use the realities of the outdoor court to your advantage — pass opponents or pass passes to teammates over the boards and find new ways to play beautifully with simplified special moves (hold L1 / LB to execute them). And of course, there is no street football without throwing the ball between the legs of the opponent … The new ball throwing mechanic allows you to send the ball in the direction you want (hold L1 + R1 or LB + RB and move the right stick in the direction of the ball throw) to mock the ball through » to the house» to the defender.
Finally, once you’ve hit the net, you’ll just have to put on a little show to celebrate the occasion with new and unique VOLTA FOOTBALL Celebrations.
..
Find the mode that suits you
You will earn experience for your Avatar both in online matches against other players and in matches against AI in each of the VOLTA FOOTBALL modes:
COMPOSITIONS VOLTA
Team up with friends, play solo or take part in public matches by playing 5v5 online matches against squads assembled by other players in the VOLTA FOOTBALL community from around the world. Play and win matches to advance to new ranks and rise to higher divisions, and get unique rewards for each rank you reach within each event.
SPECIAL BATTLES
Compete against teams of other players in SPECIAL BATTLES in an AI match where you have to score five first to win and earn Battle Points to qualify for special matches. For defeating another squad, you can take one of the players from the defeated team to strengthen your squad or improve chemistry.
Level up the difficulty to earn more Battle Points, giving you the right to play a special match against top stars from the worlds of football, music, fashion and more.
By winning a special match against VOLTA BREAKING PLAYERS, you can power up your team with Stars and play with them in all VOLTA FOOTBALL modes.
Debut
DEBUT is an interactive introduction to the world of street football. Choose your path through a story-driven story featuring Brazilian legend Kaka and street soccer icon Lisa Zimusch, learn the basics of street soccer by playing matches and training drills, travel to different countries around the world and play against the best of the best and become a champion in the Streets and idols» at the new stadium in Dubai.
Quick match
In Kick-Off, you can play against your favorite clubs in any of the 23 VOLTA FOOTBALL venues and in different types of matches, both with and without a goalkeeper.
*CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE DETAILS ON https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/eaplay/US/ru/PC/. THERE ARE AGE LIMITS.
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