FIFA 21 Stadia Review
The FIFA franchise found the recipe for a solid soccer experience years ago, but continues to deliver tweaks to the formula to keep fans coming back for more. For FIFA 21, EA Sports is moving into relatively uncharted waters by bringing the franchise to Stadia, Google’s game streaming service. The result is pretty much the same experience FIFA fans are used to, but there are still some serious compromises to be made by streaming the game. Like almost every other game on the Stadia roster, FIFA 21 is at the mercy of a stable internet connection. Even with high speeds, however, players can still expect delays at least once a match, if not more. These range in severity from a quick fluky pass to a completely disastrous attempt at a goal caused by freezing and game breaking. Those issues are particularly pronounced in FIFA 21’s VOLTA mode, a faster, smaller match. It’s more in line with street soccer than the massive stadium experience that FIFA games usually offer, but it’s entertaining nonetheless, and even better than the standard modes at times. In fact, VOLTA could be the whole reason for players to jump from versions older than FIFA 20, where it was first added, simply because of how entertaining it is.
However, it requires more timing and precision because of how small the arena is and how fast the game moves. Stadia seems out of sync a lot of the time, with connection issues sometimes resulting in opponents fleeing the game. VOLTA is a refreshing break from the other modes FIFA 21 has to offer, so it’s disappointing to see it marred by connection problems. In FIFA 21’s online multiplayer matches, the problem is even more frustrating. A bad connection can result in a loss that has a noticeable effect on a player’s rating, and that’s unfair. This is a serious problem, especially for those who want to play in some competitive capacity. Luckily, the issues don’t seem to be as frequent as they were in single-player matches, although it’s hard to tell if that’s because Stadia is legitimately prioritizing multiplayer matches or if it’s simply the luck of the draw . All connectivity issues are understandable with a low-speed internet connection, but with 300 MBps downloads and Google’s own Mesh WiFi system powering the network, the problems get worse. With more than a year of experience under the service belt now, the constant connection issues should have improved. This is yet another highlight of one of the problems that Stadia users regularly reveal. Those with slower internet speeds need to be doubly careful, as the problems are undoubtedly more pronounced there.
However, of all the issues, the most troubling is FIFA 21’s low player count on Stadia, despite its near launch. During peak times, finding a match is not that difficult, but finding a match in the middle of the day will be more of a challenge. The highest player count we’ve been able to find so far is around 160 players in Seasons mode, and while that’s enough to find a match for a few minutes, it looks like it’ll cause problems with the core experience in forward. . With the ongoing connection problems, it’s hard to imagine gamers not jumping to the console versions. FIFA 21 essentially lives and dies by its multiplayer scene, so the low player count is a concern. Sure, there will always be offline battles, but AI opponents are only interesting for so long. Those who have friends to hang out with shouldn’t worry too much, but most people who want to jump in for a match or two during the day will be disappointed. RELATED: EA Says Some Staff May Have Illicitly Distributed FIFA FUT Cards The bright side is that when FIFA 21 works well on Stadia it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between it and its console counterparts. Some matches went without any technical hiccups, and that was our highest score almost without failure. Around that time, Stadia’s promise of cloud-driven gaming took off, and it was truly amazing to think of it all running in a web browser. Unfortunately, it can’t hit that high note consistently enough to justify this version as the one to buy.
FIFA 21 itself, however, is a game worth picking up for fans of sports titles, although it certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel. For those who picked up FIFA 20, it might be worth waiting and seeing what happens next year. It’s a common criticism for the franchise, but it feels especially true this year, especially since there’s no real story mode to play. For those without a console, FIFA 21 on Stadia is still a better option than not being able to play anything. But with consoles like the Xbox Series S available without breaking the bank, it doesn’t make sense to opt for the Stadia version once you factor in the cost of a Chromecast Ultra and compatible controller. Those aiming to play from the Chrome browser tab and already own a compatible controller have a better reason to get it through Stadia, but that’s entirely circumstantial. In other words, the convenience of launching FIFA 21 without downloading will not overcome the technical issues presented by Stadia as a platform. It feels bad to say that Stadia is the only thing holding the game back, but there’s no other culprit to be found when the main problem is the persistent network issues. The reality is that Stadia is struggling with something as formulaic as FIFA 21, and that’s legitimately worrying. It’s another story of highs and lows, and it spells further problems for the platform’s future. FIFA 21 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Today Technology was provided with a Stadia code for this review. MORE: FIFA 21 Career Mode: 10 Tips To Turn A Championship Side Into A Premier League Winner In Two Seasons