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Play OverviewPlay Overview

FIFA (1993), now superseded by EA Sports FC 24, was one of the two main football video games (the other being Pro Evolution). Each year its released with improved visuals, more realistic physics and enhanced competitive play. For those who follow the game closely and play it a lot, it offers a window into the world of professional football and has become a sport in its own right.

The level of simulation and modelling of the game of football here is impressive. Large teams of passionate developers push the bar each year to deliver an experience that is one of the best-selling in the world of video games.

A large part of recent FIFA games has been the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode where you earn players and build your ultimate team to compete online. As well as winning currency by playing matches you can also buy packs of player cards in a similar way to collecting Panini Football Stickers. Parents need to understand that this purchase offers a game of chance where you may get a valuable player or yet another Peter Beardsley, to continue my Panini analogy.

One downside of a statistics-driven football experience is that if you score the perfect goal, some of this was down to the shooting skill of the player you were controlling at the time. More pure physics-based games like Rocket League and Fortnite escape this issue and focus solely on player skill.

It's worth noting that if you are willing to play with out-of-date players, you can opt for older versions of FIFA for a fraction of the price. These older versions may no longer support online play.

Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked FIFA 4 years ago. It was re-examined by Andy Robertson and updated 2 weeks ago.
There are lots of games similar to FIFA (Series). Here are some we picked for you:

Play StylePlay Style

This is an Action and Sports game with Simulation elements. You can play with 1 to 4 players in the same room or as a 4-player online game. Most console versions support 4 player local play. FIFA 13 on Wii U offers 5 players with one person using the Gamepad. You can also use the Gamepad in novel interactions like changing tactics, targeted shooting and look-up mode to see other players.

 
You can play this game in the following styles:

 
This has been enjoyed by families in the following styles:

DurationDuration

Play Time: It takes between 15 minutes and half an hour to play a round of this game. Recent versions of the game include a story mode that takes around 5 hours to complete. Games of FIFA can be adjusted to different lengths. Games take about 15 minutes, but if you’re online rather than offline add another 5 for the experts who make formation changes and use the full 40-second pause option.

Age RatingsAge Ratings

Content Rating

FIFA 2021 was rated PEGI 3+ Suitable for all ages. Volta Football is a new mode in FIFA 20. It is street football and comes with a story. Some cutscenes depict a heated debate with angry people yelling at each other (without swearing). As is typical in football, it is possible to tackle players. Some of these tackles may leave a player injured. Injury detail is never visibly depicted.

The VSC also highlight that this game offers players the opportunity to purchase in-game items in the form of player packs and in-game currency which some parents or carers may want to be aware of. Parents, carers or other responsible adults should check to see what is being offered before making any purchase on behalf of a child. It should be noted that the game can still be played without the need to purchase such items.
 
Users Interact: The game enables players to interact and communicate with each other, so may expose players to language usually associated with older rated games.

Skill Level

7+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it’s important for parents and guardians to ensure they understand in-game purchases and have spending limits set-up. Younger players can use the simpler control options, and pick better forming teams to balance competiton with older skilled opponents.

Our Game Pathways reveal how 11 - 18 year-olds play this game:

Account Rating

Account required for online play that has 13 years old as minimum age. You need to be 13 to have an EA account and play the game online. This is enforced based on the age of your user on the console you are playing on.
 
  • You need PlayStation Plus to play online with PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita.
  • You need be 18-years-old to to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold for online play, but can then configure family accounts for younger players to play online with Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
  • You need be 18-years-old to subscribe to Nintendo Online, but can then create accounts for children of any age to play online with Nintendo Switch.
  • You need be 18-years-old to subscribe to PlayStation Plus for online play, but can create sub-accounts for younger players of 7-years or older to play online with PlayStation 4.

CostsCosts

FIFA usually costs £34.99 to £89.99. 

FIFA 20

Amazon StoreSALE Xbox One £59.99 £18.99 at the moment
Amazon StoreSALE PS4 £59.99 £18.99 at the moment

FIFA 22

XBox Store Xbox One £59.99
XBox Store Xbox One £69.99
PlayStation Store PS5 £69.99
PlayStation Store PS4 £59.99
Steam Store PC £49.99

FIFA 22 Nintendo Switch Legacy Edition

Switch Store Switch £34.99

FIFA 22 Ultimate Edition

PlayStation Store PS5 £89.99

FIFA 23

Steam Store PC £59.99

FIFA 23 - Ultimate Edition Key

Steam Store PC £59.99

FIFA

App Store Mac -
XBox Store Xbox X|S -
There are the following additional costs associated with this game:
  • In-Game Loot Boxes: Additional in-game purchases are offered for items that enhance the experience. These include in-game purchases of random items (known as 'loot boxes') that offer a chance of getting rare/higher-value items although common/lower-value items are more frequent.
  • You need a subscription to play online:
    • You need Xbox Live Gold to play online with Xbox 360.
    • You need to purchase a Nintendo Online subscription to play online with Nintendo Switch.
    • You need to purchase a PlayStation Plus subscription to play online with PlayStation 4.
    • You need to purchase a Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online with Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
 
You can purchase packs of players for us in the FIFA Ultimate Team that have a chance of being either rare or common players. This is achieved via FIFA Points (bundles up to £79.99) brought with real money.

To ensure players can make an informed choice about the value of their FUT Pack purchases, the game displays the likelihood of what you will get in every pack at the point of sale. Selecting Show Pack Probabilities displays the minimum probability of getting one or more players of the stated rating. Some player ratings have 100% probability meaning you will always get a least one player of this ability. Equally, players with Ones to Watch rating will be much rarer and only be found in, for example, 1% of packs.

Of course, these probabilities are for an individual pack. Opening multiple packs does not change the likelihood of being awarded an item from a specific category. Each time you open a pack with a 50% chance of a particular rating is still only a 50% chance even if you have opened multiple packs before it.

In addition to the tools provided on consoles and smartphones, the FIFA Playtime feature is an additional set of tools provided by FIFA 21 to ensure you understand how the game is being played in your family. It provides not only an overview of the amount of time spent on the game but the number of matches, the FIFA Points purchases, and the number of FUT Packs you open. It also enables you to set limits on these things for your family. 
 
It's important to set up your accounts and devices appropriately. More information is on our Financial Resources page.
 

DetailsGame Details

Release Date: 15/12/1993, updated in 2021

Price: 68% off

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Android, DS, Mac, Megadrive, PC, PS Vita, PS2, PS3, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Wii, Wii U, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox X|S and iOS

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Players: 1-4 (4 online)

Genres: Action, Sports and Simulation

Accessibility: 30 features

Components: 2D Overhead, 3D Third-Person and Cards

Developer: EA (@EA)


Taming Gaming Book Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.

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