FIFA 18

This is the latest game in the series by EA SPORTS and was released worldwide on 29th September 2017. FIFA is the most popular football game for consoles worldwide, so FIFA 18 was highly anticipated due to a whole host of new features and improvements.

Using the Frostbite game engine and Real Player Motion Technology, FIFA 18 is the most realistic version of the game ever made. All the usual game modes are present in FIFA 18, including the return of The Journey.

FIFA 18 is available to play on Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch as well as legacy consoles PS3 and Xbox 360. Not only that but there are three different versions or ‘editions’ of the game to buy, which is confusing a lot of people. I’ve written a short guide on the differences between them for you.

FIFA 18 Standard Edition

The box or cover artwork for this game should look like the image shown here. It should read ‘FIFA 18’ (Don’t buy FIFA 17 by accident!) and have Cristiano Ronaldo on the front.

Calling it FIFA 18 ‘Standard Edition’ makes it sound boring and like you are missing out on something. Don’t be fooled by the name, ‘Standard Edition’ is the core game with no added extras. This version will still give you access to all of the following game modes:

• Head to Head – against the computer or a friend
• Career Mode – manage a club or be an individual player
• FIFA Ultimate Team – build your ultimate team from the world’s best players and compete online
• The Journey: Hunter Returns – the sequel to the hugely popular story mode from FIFA 17

FIFA 18 Ronaldo Edition

This game looks almost identical to the Standard Edition but has a small banner along the top that says ‘Ronaldo Edition’. The other thing that you’re likely to notice is the difference in price. This version is typically priced between £80-90.

FIFA 18 Ronaldo Edition is mainly a pre-order version of the game so that players could start playing the game three days early. However, FIFA 18 was released on 29th September 2017 so the early access is pointless by now.

It is still the same game as the Standard Edition, with all the same game modes available to play. There are two additional extras with the Ronaldo Edition however. Firstly, it includes a code that can be redeemed for 3000 FIFA points. These are basically an in-game currency that can be spent in the Ultimate Team game mode. The approximate cost of 3000 FIFA points would be around £21 if you were to buy them separately.

The second bonus add on is also for Ultimate Team. You’ll receive an on loan FUT ICON player for 3 matches.

FIFA 18 ICON Edition

The ICON Edition of FIFA 18 looks completely different to the other two. Although it will still have FIFA 18 printed across the front, it will be mostly gold and features ex-Brazil star Ronaldo (not Cristiano Ronaldo).

This version also has a significantly higher price tag (£80-90) compared to the Standard Edition but has the most add ons.

Again, it still contains the core game so all game modes are playable. In addition to this, you’ll receive one FUT ICON player on loan for 3 matches for Ultimate Team. You’ll also receive a redeemable code for 8000 FIFA points (nearly 3x what you get in the Ronaldo Edition). The approximate value of 8000 FIFA points would be around £55 if you were to buy them separately.

FIFA 18 Editions: Which one should you buy?

If you’re unsure over which of the FIFA 18 editions you should buy, hopefully this has given you a bit of clarity. The table below shows the key differences in their simplest form.

[table id=13 /]

The decision should boil down to the following question.

Are you, or the person you’re buying the game for going to spend £40 or more on FIFA Points for Ultimate Team?

YES – you’ll save some money buying the ICON Edition.

NO – stick with the Standard Edition.

If you’re unsure, buy the Standard Edition – FIFA points can always be purchased separately.