FIFA 22: Inconsistent Gameplay makes this year's game impossible to master


FIFA 22 is well into its season, with brand new content delighting fans in the run-up to the ever exciting Team of the Season promo.

Whilst the content produced is exciting and fresh, as I play more game modes across the board I've come to realise just how inconsistent FIFA 22's gameplay truly is.

With Pro Clubs feeling totally different to Career Mode, FUT Draft feeling alien to Division Rivals, I want to take a look at the pros and cons of EA's decision to make different modes feel completely unique from one another.

A Fresh Feel

FIFA 22's gameplay is more realistic than ever, on that, I think we can all agree.

With many players unlikely to be skipping around every mode, I concede that having varied gameplay dependent on the game mode you're playing can be positive in respect of adopting a unique and fresh feel.

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With each game mode feeling unique from one another, the gameplay doesn't become turgid and repetitive, a criticism that can be waged at some of EA's previous entries in the series.

Online gameplay should also feel different to offline gameplay, and I believe FIFA 22 balances this dilemma nicely, with the AI, in particular, seeing a significant improvement on previous years.

However, there is a downside to all of this variation.

Constant Adaption

My main criticism of the inconsistent gameplay is that it makes FIFA 22 a game that is impossible to master.

I was struck when recently playing a FUT Draft, live on Twitch, just how different the game mode felt to the rest of Ultimate Team.

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Not only did the player's overall ability feel as if it had been turned down, but things like passing, goalkeeper ability and shooting felt all over the place.

A similar criticism can be waged at Pro Clubs.

Whilst the impact of multiple players occupying different positions will almost certainly affect any game, Pro Clubs gameplay feels like something out of an arcade, a total departure from FIFA 22's overall tone.

Finding a Balance

EA will never find a way to please everyone, that is an impossible task.

However, I think finding a balance between unique gameplay and a consistent tone would seriously help FIFA in the long run.

Anyone that plays games has a desire to master them and develop. Currently, FIFA 22's inconsistent gameplay simply does not permit an elevation in skill.

Constantly adapting to a game mode can be a clever way to challenge the player, but with FIFA 22, the differences feel so vast that it can become a point of frustration.

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