Things you need to know before playing FIFA 21 Volta

Last year we saw an all new street football mode brought to us by EA Sports. Many of the FIFA community dreamt of the day FIFA Street would make its return and allow us to once again experience the game that brought street football to the console. FIFA Volta 20 was a big let down for me for a number of reasons, I am willing to give it another go. With that being said, I have put some hours into this year’s Volta and thus we will be discussing things you need to know before you try it out for yourselves.

I use term “us” very loosely because I am sure most people got bored with last years Volta very quickly. I am proud to say FIFA have seemingly listened to our feedback regarding the game mode. We all had a number of tips we thought could improve it, the one constant thing I believe we can all agree on is that we wanted more options. The gaming world has shifted to more lighted hearted social game modes that prioritise fun, the direction I personally hoped FIFA would take in this years Volta. Well they listened, and I will go more into depth with this later in the article.

Winning is great. However, this year winning in style has been given a new meaning. There were already a wide selection of skill moves to utilise in last year’s Volta, however this year they have turned it up a notch. Not only are skills more accessible and simpler to perform even as a novice, but intentional nutmegs have also been added to the game mode. No one is safe. As well as this, skillful passing and finishing animations have really given the mode the type of edge you can’t find anywhere else on FIFA. So, if you fancy yourself as a skills master, Volta is waiting for you.

This is a detail I really respect. Normal 11-a-side pundits doing commentary on a street ball match never sounded right. This year EA decided to give it more of an urban feel, by having well known influencer – Troopz, from Arsenal fan tv throwing in a few catch phrases now and again as added a bit of authenticity to the game. I feel this is something EA should utilise more in this game mode and really take it to the streets! If, like me, you grew up playing football on the streets, this is something you might appreciate too.

EA already offer a huge selection of stadiums to play in whilst playing in normal game modes like kick off, FUT or Pro Clubs. However, once you step foot on the grass, it all looks the same. This isn’t the case in Volta, as EA have added many more stadiums/playing arenas too the game, each with their own personalised identity. The feel, environment and atmosphere are fantastic. The attention to detail is next level, playing in Sao Paulo is a completely different experience to playing in Amsterdam. You really feel it!

This one surprised me. EA have taken a few ideas from Ultimate team, adapted them for Volta and then gone one step further. This week Anthony Joshua was available to earn and put in your Volta team. That’s insane to me! This is the type of innovation we have been waiting for and it really feels like EA put a lot more thought into the game mode this year. So… If you are a fan of playing Squad battles for rewards in FUT then this similar adaptation may also be for you.

Adding onto more previous revelation, Legends and current footballing stars are also available to earn for you Volta squad. If you played FIFA Street, I’m sure one of your highlights in the game was finally reaching, facing and beating Ronaldinho’s team in story mode, thus earning his services for your very own team. Whilst it is possible to hand pick high rated players for your team after a victory, the ultimate goal is to fill those spots with players like Mbappe and Kaka. The stuff dreams are made of!

There is a new story made called – The Debut. I won’t say too much about it, as I’m not one to drop spoilers. But I have played a bit of it and the cut scenes and story have kept me engaged thus far. Proper story modes were introduced into FIFA in the form of ‘The journey’, and although the game mode didn’t do too well, the story was the best part of it for me, and always enjoyed the experience. So if you love a good story mode, then give The Debut a go.

If you are someone that takes pride in your look even if you’re only going to play football, then this is something you’ll appreciate too. This year, there is a large selection of clothing items you can use to getting your player/squad dripping from head to toe. This way, even if you lose, at least you looked good. The cool thing about this is that you can unlock items through completing challenges and objectives so if you’re wearing exclusive trainers that are only available through completing a near impossible objective, your opponents will know you’re not the one to mess with.

Last but certainly not least, ONLINE SQUADS IS HERE!! This is what we have been waiting for! Now don’t get more wrong, I still believe EA missed a big opportunity here as I think Pro clubs and Volta should be one interchangeable mode. But it’s okay, beggars can’t be choosers, so I’ll settle with this for now. Nonetheless, finally we can play online with our friends ON THE SAME TEAM! Epic! It’s tons of fun and I highly recommend everyone tries it out for themselves. With that being said, there is plenty of room for improvement so I’m expecting big things from FIFA Volta 22.

To summarise, EA have made great strides with this years version of Volta. Currently though the main issue are the servers. If EA can fix this promptly, I truly believe FIFA Volta 21 can offer competition to some of the other game modes that have dominated the FIFA community for years. Watch this space! And feel free to let us know what you think about the game mode this year.