Ultimate team ruined everything
QFT. This should be thread marked.
As soon as Ultimate Team was introduced, the games were designed around UT. I haven't played Fifa or Madden in a few years (NHL though), and its the
ONLY game mode that gets yearly updates both gameplay + art facelift.
The entire game is built around packs (even the newest NHL online mode is now you can customize your character from opening loot boxes). Imagine create a player, but you need to open loot boxes to customize? Its nuts.
Other modes & gameplay are left in the dust. Heck, NHL has removed modes like Tournaments.
The saddest part to me is you look at something like NHL 2k10 for the 360. 10+ years old on last gen systems and the gameplay/physics is just leaps and bounds better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK1nmP9kL8o
Like it feels so far head of where NHL games it would be like comparing physics systems between GTAIII and GTAV.
Look, I know people will say "lol who cares about sports". But as someone who does love sport video games, the absolute desecration of the genre is somewhere between annoying and upsetting.
NBA2K is no better. These games are built around Ultimate Team modes. If its not Ultimate Team, it gets updates every 2-3 years. Gameplay is just not really looked at anymore. It's all about the loot box experience.