FIFA 19 continues to look better and better
Here it is. The time of year at which all football supporters with even a passing interest in video games become overcome with excitement, frothing at the mouth and shaking with glee at the mere prospect of getting their hands on 'it'.
The 'it' in question is, of course, the newest FIFA game, which this year is FIFA 19.
EA Sports' flagship release will hit the shelves and digital stores on September 28, and gamers can also get early access to the game if they choose to pre-order it.
As always at this stage of the year, there is fevered anticipation about what will be featured in the game.
EA Sports' FIFA series has become the undisputed king of football games in recent years, shouldering off the competition from Konami's once-great Pro Evolution Soccer series.
That success has been down to a number of elements. The game is the only to feature almost every licence going in football, meaning that team names and kits are official and correct, rather than strange versions such as "Man Red" or "West London Whites".
This has been only been aided by the addition of both the Champions League and Europa League licences - which had previously been on Pro Evolution Soccer - but it is a new feature entirely which has proven to be the catalyst for excitement for many gamers this year.
That new feature is one known simply as "House Rules", a mode which was revealed through a screenshot on the title's new "Kick-Off" screen, which can be seen below.
The mode is sat next to the usual features, as well as the new European competitions available, and immediately created a stir when it was revealed.
A preview published by gaming
IGN and a piece published by football website
Balls this week has gone into more detail on exactly what is going to appear in "House Rules", and fans are going to love it.
Here are the new features expected to appear as part of FIFA 19's "House Rules":
No Rules
This will be a free-for-all. No fouls, no offsides, no cards, no nothing, apart from entertainment.
Long Range
Goals from outside of the box count as two, which is frankly ludicrous and brilliant.
Headers And Volleys
Does what it says on the tin, meaning that players can only score legitimate goals using either their heads or with a volley.
Survival
Similar to a past mode from FIFA Street, this mode will see your team lose a player for every goal you score. The game will be abandoned if either team drops below seven players.
First To...
This seems like the jewel in the crown of the new mode, allowing players to set a target of goals to reach. We can see it now, setting a target of five and the score sits at 4-4, meaning that it is essentially next goal wins. It is the game we all played at school and with our mates, and it is now a reality in FIFA.
