FIFA 18 unsurprisingly has continued the hugely successful Journey mode, following Alex Hunter's story one season at a time is a really good way to approach it and I hope it continues. Spoilers ahead.
The story continues where you left off in the first season. At a very young age Hunter is considered a future star and rumours of Real Madrid making a move to sign him. The rumours get to his head, and even though the club you originally chose to sign for, Hunter suddenly no longer cares and just wants to move to Madrid.
Ultimately the move fails. Hunter has gone down the pecking order after seeking a move to way. He is told he'll be playing in the reserve team to earn his place back. I was happy because I got to stay at the club I chose and thought they were setting up a story of redemption. Sigh. If only that were the case. Hunter gets wind that LA Galaxy are in for a loan deal for him. The next big thing in football goes to America at the age of 18? What were they thinking? Players go to America at the end of their careers.
You spend the first half of the Journey in America trying to win the cup competition, not even the league. I really struggled to stay invested. Leaving the Premier League, the most exciting league for me, to go to the American league which is poor in comparison. While in America, Hunter's father who helped seal the move to Galaxy is now back in his life. Things drastically change as Hunter finds out he has a younger half sister. Like Hunter, she herself is an up and coming young American soccer player making her debut for the national team. I thought this was great, I thought it was even better when we got to play as her for the game.
I didn't enjoy my time in America at all, the highlight was certainly playing as Hunter's half sister and she begins to make a name for herself, and seeing the two start to form a relationship with each other. The cheesy relationship between Hunter and Thierry Henry went on too long, the needless cameo from an NBA star, just to link EA's games together. I play FIFA because I like football, I don't like Basketball, yet they're throwing it in your face during a football game. We should have been given a choice of America or playing in the reserves.
After our time in America, forget about going back to your old club. You do get the choice between three top clubs this time at least. Athletico Madrid, (Spain) Bayern Munich, (Germany) and PSG (France). I chose PSG as they had some huge stars like Neymar and Mbappé (even though he was still at Monaco because of the slow update). A great feature was we were told we needed a strike partner and given a choice of three brilliant players to sign, Dele Alli, Antoine Griezmann and Thomas Muller. I chose Alli, so him and Hunter had the English pairing and both future stars.
It started to pick up when we moved to a big club, the partnership idea was a welcome addition too. I enjoyed making sure to link up with my new partner as much as possible. Once again you're knocked out of the Champions League, I assume they are saving that and the World for the next game.
After a very short time at your big club, Hunter is hit with a two month injury, his first major injury. It was a good idea, and a good way to keep you playing football even when Hunter couldn't, was to go and play as your best friend, Danny Williams, who now plays for your original club as he was signed as your replacement. He's struggling and you're given a choice to play as him and save his career. I honestly don't know why it's even a choice, why wouldn't you? See? They're capable of giving you a choice, just not when they force you to America. What happened to Harry Kane though? He was the big signing in the first year and he's no longer at your club. There wasn't even any mention of that, just like they pretended it never happened. It shouldn't have ever happened for the record.
My biggest issue with the Journey now, thanks to this year, is that we have played for four different teams in two years. At the age of 18, he's moved about too much. The next couple of FIFA's they need to have you stay for the big club you've just signed for, but will they commit to that? I'll be surprised, you should've stayed at your original club much longer.
If I stay at PSG the whole season and we get a crack at the Champions League, I'll be happy, maybe even an attempt at the World Cup seeing as it'll fall into that year. Keep up the amazing off the pitch story, the relationships between the characters and the performances really are fantastic. Just stop making me change teams constantly. Also, thanks for actually making the good players start this time, I was sick of playing every game with the reserves in the starting eleven. If you could update the squads quicker for the Journey too, so I don't have to play a season with someone who's already left the club, that's be nice.
7.1/10
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