EA Sports made waves over the weekend with the announcement of a new game mode in FIFA 17. For the first time in its 23 year history, FIFA will include a single-player story mode that borrows elements from RPG games. In “The Journey,” a player takes control of a young English lad named Alex Hunter and guides him from Manchester United’s youth academy to the Theatre of Dreams itself, Old Trafford.
The first trailer showcasing The Journey debuted on Sunday to mixed reviews. Some fans are thrilled EA took their pleas for a more immersive career mode seriously. Others bemoan the limitations of The Journey – players are restricted to one main character – Alex Turner, a black, British youngster who can only rise through the ranks of Manchester United in England’s Premier League.
Of course, this isn’t the first game that’s built around a predetermined character and story. The Uncharted franchise has followed the adventures of Nathan Drake for four installments now. And an interesting tidbit from The Guardian reveals FIFA's development team consulted Bioware, a long-time developer of narrative choice-based games, as well as real-life soccer stars like Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford.
EA is determined to get the feel and content of The Journey as accurate as possible. Dubbed “the biggest new FIFA mode since Ultimate Team,” The Journey will play out as equal parts movie and video game. Cinematic cutscenes will provide exposition over the course of Hunter’s career. Similar to BioWare games Dragon Age, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect, players will be tasked with making choices for Hunter, which consequently alter the narrative that follows.
This style of gameplay was popularized by BioWare and has been utilized by the NBA 2K series for several years now. While The Journey doesn’t allow for total customization as we’d all like, it’s a major step for the franchise and should open more possibilities for future editions of FIFA. Frostbite-enhanced graphics don’t hurt, either.
EA Sports FIFA 17 arrives in stores Sept. 27.
