EA SPORTS™ FIFA 21

★☆☆☆☆

If we are going to be completely honest about FIFA 21, it is the textbook definition of a love-hate relationship. Bringing the franchise back to the Steam platform was a huge deal for PC players, but EA managed to leave a very bitter taste in the community's mouth almost immediately. Let us address the elephant in the room that caused the massive wave of negative reviews: the PC version of FIFA 21 was a direct port of the older generation consoles. PC players were completely denied the next-gen graphics, animations, and engine upgrades that the PS5 and Xbox Series X received. Paying full price for what was essentially an outdated version of the game felt like a massive slap in the face to a community with high-end hardware. On the pitch, the gameplay is incredibly polarizing. If you love high-scoring, fast-paced chaotic games, you might actually enjoy this. The attacking AI is aggressive, and attackers make smart, creative runs. However, the defending is practically non-existent. Defenders often feel like they are ice skating, tackles bounce right back to the attackers, and the midfield frequently just stands around watching the action. The infamous scripting and dynamic difficulty adjustment are as obvious as ever, leading to those controller-breaking moments where you just know the game has decided you are going to concede a goal in the 90th minute no matter what you do. Career Mode actually saw some much-needed improvements in this edition, like the interactive match simulation and detailed player development plans. This was a massive breath of fresh air for offline players who felt ignored for years. But as always, the core focus of the game is Ultimate Team. It remains an incredibly addictive, highly engaging mode that is heavily bogged down by aggressive microtransactions, gambling mechanics, and a frustrating pay-to-win structure. The objective truth? If you only play offline Career Mode and can grab it for a few dollars on a massive sale, the offline improvements make it decent. But as a competitive multiplayer game at full price, it is a frustrating, heavily monetized experience that treated the PC community as second-class citizens.