New name, same game?
EA Sports FC 24 is the latest game in the long-running football franchise, and it’s notable for being the first game in the series to be released without the FIFA license. With that note of excitement hanging in the air, allow me a moment of clarity. EA Sports FC 24 is an iterative experience that takes time to properly evaluate.
It’s an aggregation of several years’ worth of features and modes, all of which are changed and updated to varying degrees with each iteration. Anyone who has played FIFA, or PES, or any sports game will know, it is impossible to really know how you feel about that game until you have played it for months; Loved it, hated it, loved it again, and then decided it’s, you know, alright for a game you’ve played for 400 hours.
With that disclaimer in mind, in this review we will focus specifically on gameplay and career mode only.
LET’S KICK THINGS OFF WITH THE GOOD!
Playstyles Ensure That The Best Players Stand Out
Well, the PlayStyles feature designed to make each player feel more unique and realistic is easily noticeable in the game. Essentially, PlayStyles are a set of abilities and attributes that are unique to each player, based on real-world data from stats providers like Opta.
So, for example, Lionel Messi has Technical+ and Dead Ball Playstyles that emphasizes his dribbling and Free-kick abilities, while someone like Erling Haaland has an Acrobatic+ PlayStyle that focuses on his power and volley abilities. This helps to make each player feel more unique and true to life, rather than just feeling like a generic player with the same stats as everyone else.
It Feels More Responsive Than Ever Before
One of the big improvements in EA Sports FC 24 is the new “HyperMotionV” technology. Essentially, this allows for more realistic and responsive player movement by using machine learning to generate animations based on real-world player movement data. This results in more fluid and lifelike player movement, which in turn means you have more control over how your players move and react on the pitch.
It’s a subtle but important change that makes the game feel more natural and immersive. It also means you can be more creative with your playstyle and player movement, as it’s more responsive to your inputs.
Total Control Over Your Shots And Passes
You can now go into the settings and turn on an option to control the direction of your passes and shots, replacing the previous Precision System. Using these new controls for passes and shots makes the game more challenging and rewarding, as it requires more skill and precision. In previous games, the game would often assist you with your passes and shots, which meant they were easier to execute but also felt a bit robotic and unrealistic.
In EA Sports FC 24, you have full control over the speed and direction of your passes and shots, which makes them feel much more lifelike and also requires more skill and precision. It also means you can make more creative and risky passes and shots, which can lead to more exciting gameplay moments.
New Tactical Vision Feature Is A Great Way To Visualize The Tactical Battle Taking Place On The Pitch
It’s a visual overlay that shows the position of your players and the opposition players, as well as any tactical instructions you’ve given them. This makes it much easier to see how your tactics are working in real time, and it also gives you more information to make decisions and adjustments. It’s a very useful tool for understanding how your team is performing tactically, and it also makes the game more immersive and engaging.
The Return of Coaching System Was Much Needed
The re-imagined coaching system allows you to delegate specific tasks to your coaches, such as training your players in certain skills or managing the morale of the squad. This can be really helpful if you want to focus on other aspects of management, such as scouting or dealing with the board.
It also makes the game more realistic, as it’s similar to how real-life managers have to delegate tasks to their staff. It also means you have more time to focus on the parts of the game you find most enjoyable, which can make it more fun and rewarding.
Finally, A Representative To Help You Get The Best Deals in Player Career
The new agent system in player career mode is a very welcome addition. In previous games, player career mode felt a bit static and limited, as you didn’t have much control over the direction of your career. However, with the new agent system, you can now interact with agents and negotiate contracts, which gives you more control over your career path.
It also feels more realistic, as in real life, players often work with agents to get the best deal for themselves. This new system adds a lot of depth and realism to player career mode, which makes it more enjoyable and immersive.
MOVING OVER TO THE BAD SIDE OF THE GAME!
The AI Could Still Do With Some Work
While the AI in EA Sports FC 24 is generally very good, there are some areas where it can be frustrating and negatively impact gameplay. For example, the AI can sometimes make unrealistic or illogical decisions, such as making overly risky passes or refusing to cross the ball in simple situations.
This can be frustrating and can lead to some unrealistic or unfair outcomes. In addition, the AI can sometimes be slow to react to players in clear cut open spaces or changes in the game, such as injuries or substitutions, which can make the game feel less dynamic and less responsive. These issues can take away from the overall gameplay experience and make the game less enjoyable.
The Pace Of The Game Is Just Too Fast Even On Slow-Paced Gameplay Settings
EA Sports FC 24 is generally praised for its fast and fluid gameplay, but it can sometimes be too fast, which negatively impacts the experience. For example, the game can feel like a constant blur of action, with little time to think or make decisions. This can be frustrating and can make the game feel less strategic and more like a reaction-based game.
Additionally, the fast gameplay makes the game feel less realistic, since slow players like Harry Maguire are easily catching up to fast players like Kylian Mbappe. In summary, real-life football is not played at such a fast pace.
The Lack of Pre-match Lineups Hurts The Immersion And Realism of the Game
It takes away from the sense of anticipation and excitement that comes with a real-life match, and it makes the game feel less realistic and more like a video game. It also makes it more difficult to make strategic decisions about your lineup, as you don’t know what your opponent is planning. Overall, this is a disappointing change that affects the gameplay experience.
Most Areas of Career Mode Are Still Untouched
The lack of features in most areas of both player and manager mode negatively impacts the overall experience. For example, there are still very few interactive cutscenes and interactions between players and staff, which makes the mode feel empty and impersonal. There’s also still a lack of features related to youth academy and job center, such as a youth league and manager contracts.
These features can add a lot of depth and immersion to the game, and their absence can make career mode feel shallow and lacking in content. Overall, the lack of features in career mode makes the mode feel repetitive and unengaging, which easily reduce players’ enjoyment.
New Game, Same Bugs And Some More
Bugs are still definitely one of the biggest issues with career mode. Not only do they disrupt the gameplay, but they also corrupt save files or prevent you from progressing. This can be extremely frustrating and can lead to players abandoning their save file and starting over. Some of the most common game-breaking bugs are related to player contracts, player growth, and transfer negotiations and now in the new coaching system.
These bugs can completely derail your career mode, and they can make the game very frustrating and unenjoyable. Many players have expressed their frustration with these bugs, and have called for the developers to fix them. However, it’s been years of no change.
Verdict
EA Sports FC 24 is a solid entry in the long-running franchise, but it doesn’t offer a huge amount of new features or improvements over previous games. It’s still a fun and addictive soccer game, but some aspects of the gameplay and career mode feel a bit stale. The biggest change is the lack of the FIFA license, which has resulted in some changes to the teams and leagues available in the game.
However, overall it’s still very much the same game that FIFA fans know and love, for better or worse. There are some subtle gameplay and career mode tweaks and improvements, but nothing revolutionary.
Score:
- Gameplay – 8/10
- Career Mode – 7/10
- Overall: 7.5/10
EA Sports FC 24 is available now on, Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
(N. B: Reviewed on Playstation 5)
