There are people who live for soccer. Or football. Whatever you want to call it. I am not one such person, but that won't stop me from letting you know that FIFA 19, the latest in the long-running series from Electronic Arts, is in stores today.
Developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania, FIFA 19 is available in several flavors that are frankly a bit difficult to keep sorted. Those are FIFA 19 itself, FIFA 19: Champions Edition and FIFA 19: Legacy Edition.
As near as I can tell, FIFA 19 is just the standard version of the game. You go to the store. You buy it. You play it and enjoy it on your PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch or PC. Though I think the last of those versions may only be available online as a digital edition.
Next up is Champions Edition, which you probably would have wanted to already purchase by now because a primary incentive was that it allowed players to start enjoying the game a few days later (at least, it was supposed to work like that; there are Amazon reviews from livid consumers who purchased a game code and said they were refused access to the game until today). The edition also includes premium FUT stuff, like gold packs and player items. It is offered on the same four platforms.
Then there is the Legacy Edition, which seems to be a special label that applies only to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox One versions of the game. These versions don't include some of the spiffy new features that are available in the standard versions on the newer consoles.
And of course, there are also restrictions that apply to the Nintendo Switch version of the game, which does not include the Frostbite Game Engine or the "Journey: Champions." That mode tells the story of some soccer players who are working through the Premier League and encountering adventures and drama along the way.
In case you're having trouble keeping all of the above straight, EA has helpfully made a special page to highlight the various features. That's almost as awesome as if the company had simply avoided making things so complicated in the first place!
"This year the game has been elevated to a new level of authenticity with the deep integration of the UEFA Champions League," said Aaron McHardy, Executive Producer for EA SPORTS FIFA. "We've also received really positive feedback on the new gameplay mechanics and addition of new modes in Kick Off from players who've experienced the game through hands on with the demo, EA Access, and Origin Access. We're very excited for even more players from across the globe to jump into the world's game."
In recent years, the FIFA series seems to have overtaken the Madden franchise as EA's pride and joy. FIFA 19 was released today in all major territories around the world, and will likely be played by millions of players who speak numerous different languages. That's quite the accomplishment, and easy for even someone like me--who doesn't particularly care about the sport--to admire. Are you similarly impressed, and will you be adding one version or another of the game to your collection?
