Imagine playing FIFA 21, having a wide open net, and being denied by an invisible goalie. Such was the fate of reddit user u/ListenLopsided who had the ball go completely across the line only for an invisible force to push it out and back on to the field.
The franchises' latest release, FIFA 21 was released back in October of 2020 and has received generally favorable reviews despite some notable glitches including players jumping in a Mario-like fashion. This title was also accompanied by controversy when EA discovered that at least one employee had been selling FIFA 21 Ultimate Team card packs for incredibly marked up prices ranging from $1,000 to $2,500.
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u/ListenLopsided took to Reddit a few days ago to display the apparent bug in the soccer-simulator. In the clip, the ball bounces and rolls closer and closer to the un-guarded goal and, just as it crosses the goal line, it bounces into an invisible wall. The game doesn't record this as a goal, despite the fact that the ball definitely crosses the line. It's unclear if this is a widespread issue but clips like this certainly don't instill confidence in the game.
This is EA's 28th installment in the FIFA series and these titles, as with other major releases, have had their fair share of bugs. In this specific instance, when the opponent's goalie returns to attempt a save his arm hits the goal post. It may be that the game doesn't account for this post properly and extends the goaltender's arm enough to make the save. It remains unclear if this is a coding issue or if it perhaps has something to do with the goalie scripting.
Either way, one non-goal doesn't make or break a game like FIFA 21. As frustrating as it was for u/ListenLopsided this invisible goalie is most likely just a rare and minor issue in a game that has seen pretty good success. No game is without its bugs and if this is the worst one then FIFA 21 should be just fine. Hopefully it either remains a rare issue or is solved completely with a patch.
It is fair enough to say though that little annoyances such as this one can add up and make a game overall feel less fun. Bugs in general can be irritating and this is especially true for simulation game players who are specifically there for gameplay that replicates reality.
FIFA 21 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.