FIFA 18 Preview + MLS Broadcast Package

First, I want to fully disclose, I’m a FIFA fanboy. I’ve played this game off and on since I was a kid and really heavily over the last several years. I have never given KONAMI’s Pro Evolution Soccer series a fair shake and I may never.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk FIFA 18. News came out today that Major League Soccer (MLS) is going to have their own broadcast package included in FIFA 18. Here is a video to show it in action featuring the abysmal LA Galaxy and Toronto FC.

Along with that news came that the Stub Hub Center will be the third MLS venue in the game (along with Century Link Field and BC Place). No word on if Sporting Kansas City will ever get the respect they deserve and get Sporting Park Children’s Mercy Park put into the game.

The Journey Returns

If you played FIFA 17 you no doubt played their new mode, “The Journey.” It featured a fictional footballer, Alex Hunter, going to a last ditch tryout and making it into the bottom of a Premier League team’s roster (the team of your choice). I made it really hard on myself by putting Hunter on Middlesborough (I have no EPL team, but I randomly played some seasons as Borough a few years back in FIFA). Our own Cody Bradley will be pleased to find out The Journey is returning. Here is the teaser trailer.

Here are some of the other features from the Amazon listing around The Journey.

THE JOURNEY: HUNTER RETURNS

The World’s Game takes you on a global journey as Alex Hunter returns along with a star-studded cast of characters and top football talent, like Ronaldo and other European stars. After a breathtaking first season in the Premier League, Hunter is gaining recognition from top clubs the world over and he is willing to explore any options coming his way. He feels ready to take the next step, his future is bright, and the world is talking about Hunter….but life in football isn’t always fair.

Tour the Football World: From a summer break in Brazil, to a pre-season tour in Los Angeles, Alex Hunter experiences diverse football landscapes in a truly global journey.

More to Play For: Chapter-based, short term objectives give Alex Hunter more to play for as he navigates his way through the second season of a prospering career.

A Star-Studded Cast: Cristiano Ronaldo leads a list of footballing greats and new, diverse characters in a star-studded cast well-suited to a blockbuster sequel.

Impactful Decisions: Players will be faced with bigger and more difficult choices that will alter the story with long-term consequences. Shape The Journey narrative in a personal way by making decisions that dictate Alex Hunter's career and effect relationships with characters both on and off the pitch.

Your Alex Hunter: Personalize the look of Alex Hunter by selecting his hair, tattoos, and clothing from a series of options. You can even pick Alex's dominant foot to make sure he suits your playing style.

Local Multiplayer: Play The Journey as a team through local multiplayer, and experience on-pitch action with friends.

New Playable Characters: Now players have the option to experience short, standalone stories with new playable characters that Alex meets throughout The Journey.

Other Changes

• The Sporting News has a good write-up on the new FIFA Ultimate Team Icons mode that will feature legends of the game and it will no longer be exclusive to Xbox One but will also appear in the Playstation 4, PC and Nintendo Switch version.
• Other new FUT modes include: Squad Battles, daily and weekly objectives, Champions Channel, more FUT kits and the ability to play FUT anywhere.
• Real Player Motion Technology (with video)

Finally, here is the trailer for the game.

The only question now is do I get it for the Xbox One (which I’ve been using for years) or the Playstation 4 (which I’ve finally come into owning)?

If you play, let us know in the comments. We should get some sort of TBT league together online and see how bad at this game I really am.