The official reveal trailer for FIFA 18 was released on 5th June amidst great anticipation and fanfare. The trailer featured Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, fresh from winning the La Liga and playing a match-winning role in the UEFA Champions League final, strut his stuff against Premier League champions Chelsea.
Along with the trailer, EA Sports officially confirmed Ronaldo as the cover star of FIFA 18. The prices of different editions have also been released along with the release date. There will be three editions: Standard Edition, Ronaldo Edition and Icon Edition.
As usual, FIFA 18 is expected to see quite a lot of changes from FIFA 17, particularly in graphics, gameplay and game modes. While people expect FIFA 18 to have superior graphics to FIFA 17, it is yet unknown whether there will be new and improved game modes in FIFA 18. Let’s have a look at some changes that fans will get to see when FIFA 18 is rolled out in late September.
#1 FIFA icons
The biggest change on FIFA 18 from previous versions is the replacement of ‘legends’ by ‘icons’. The first FUT icon to be revealed is legendary Brazilian striker and two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo, who will grace the cover of the unique “Icon Edition’ of FIFA 18, with more expected to be revealed soon.
With the earlier 'legends' now being rechristened as 'icons', expect some new additions in the Icon Edition of FIFA 18, not least famous legends like "O Fenomeno" and a few more classic players.
#2 The Journey
FIFA 18 will see the continuation of The Journey mode which was well received by fans and critics last season. New characters and story lines are set to feature in The Journey on FIFA 18, as confirmed previously by Andrew Wilson, the CEO of EA.
Alex Hunter will once again be the main protagonist on FIFA 18 which will see improved dialogue wheels with actions that genuinely affect Hunter’s fate.
According to reports, The Journey will be more dynamic in its narrative, with newer characters and story lines to grace FIFA 18. One such narrative could be the protagonist going off the rails because of early stardom before making a stunning comeback to resurrect his career and reach the heights of the game.
#3 Dynamic weather
FIFA 18 is almost certain to introduce dynamic weather for the very first time. EA Games have already incorporated it in a few other games and it would certainly be a massive change for gamers.
A change in the weather conditions in between a match could affect a player’s performance in terms of tackling, dribbling speed and passing accuracy. Players could be left frustrated by poor touches in the rain, leading to a drop in performance levels. This feature will inch FIFA a step closer to reality as mid-game weather changes are part of the game in real.
#4 Cover star
While the cover star of FIFA 17 was chosen on the basis of votes cast by fans, this time EA has gone ahead and chosen one on their own. Bundesliga star Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund will be replaced by Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
While this would mark the first time that Ronaldo has been chosen as the cover star of FIFA, his nemesis Lionel Messi had been featuring as the cover star since FIFA 2012 until last year.
With Ronaldo emerging as the new face of FIFA, it is another gain for the Portuguese over his rival from Barcelona, Messi. This marks another feather in the Portugal captain’s cap, who has had a phenomenal last 12 months.
#5 Price
The standard version of FIFA 18 will cost £10 more than FIFA 17, which is equivalent to roughly Rs. 832 going by the value of the Pound. The PC version for India is priced at INR 3499. The Ronaldo edition will be available for INR 4799 while the Icon edition will cost INR 5499.
On PS4, gamers can buy FIFA 18 for a price of INR 3375. The Ronaldo edition for PS4 is priced at INR 4499 while the Icon edition will come for INR 5499.
On Xbox One, FIFA 18 Ronaldo edition is going to cost INR 4800. The other editions are yet to be listed. It seems buying FIFA 18 will burn Indian FIFA fans' pockets considerably, but given the new features in the latest iteration of the popular console gaming franchise, it is a financial investment worth making.
