EA Sports FC 24 Review
Like new wine in old bottles, but this old wine seems a bit better, because wine tends to get better with age, right? EA Sports FC 24 is exactly that. The sport of football hasn't changed over the years, so what more can a football simulation game do? And it seems that this name change still gives the impression of opening up a new era more from a marketing perspective than what the game actually delivers. But hold on, don't think that what I'm saying is negative because, in reality, FC 24 can't do much more with the resources it has. And this reasonably acceptable glass of wine.
It would be a lie to say that I didn't pay attention to the game's name. I mean, in the context of this review, this part might not seem important, but I believe 2023 is still a significant year for EA because rebranding one of the world's most famous gaming IPs after the dissatisfaction with FIFA shows that EA is not backing down from anyone. And then, it's no longer FIFA 24 as expected; it's officially EA SPORTS FC 24. Honestly, it sounds a bit awkward, but I guess I'll have to get used to this name now.
In reality, I wouldn't be surprised if someone said that this is still FIFA 24 with a name change due to circumstances. And that's true; if there were no disputes with FIFA, this version would still have been a slight upgrade, a facelift for the football world under the old name. So if you're looking for a major breakthrough, this game won't deliver. Unless you're craving updated rosters or want to see Arsenal compete in the Champions League in the truest sense, or even if you support a team like my beloved Newcastle.
One noticeable change in this game is the revamped menu interface. The game's menu interface has been completely redesigned. Wow, the rebranding is quite apparent. Gone are the large square information blocks that used to dominate the screen; now it's a streamlined menu neatly placed on the left side of the screen. It looks good, and honestly, it's less frustrating than before.
Anyone who has been playing FIFA for a long time knows that the old menus were unpleasant. They were slow to load, navigation was clunky and boring. Perhaps this rebranding is the perfect opportunity to change the interface. The menus not only look better now but load faster, are more intuitive, and easier to navigate.
Okay, you know, if I'm excited about FC 24 primarily because of the game's menus, then it's safe to say that the changes in gameplay of this game won't impress as much as the menus. I can be quite sarcastic sometimes.
Of course, football is what it is, and almost everyone reading this review knows what to expect from core gameplay: passing, shooting, running, and defending. So, to spice things up for the rebrand, EA Vancouver has introduced a new feature called PlayStyle and PlayStyle+. While players still have basic attributes, famous players will benefit the most from these PlayStyles. For example, bullet passes will be more accurate, headers and shots will be more dangerous, and even defensively, they'll be more likely to intercept the ball. Players like Neymar, Haaland, Mbappe, Ruben Dias, or Virgil van Dijk, essentially high-rated players, have PlayStyle+ that provides a more premium style of play. PlayStyle and PlayStyle+ are marked with Silver and Gold diamond icons above the player's head.
In reality, adding PlayStyles helps players feel a bit different when controlling superstar players compared to the rest. Does it make famous players too overpowered? I think that's a valid question at this point. Unfortunately, throughout my playtime, I didn't think they made a clear enough difference to feel like night and day. When controlling Mbappe, I could perform classic acceleration bursts with full stamina using Sprint Boost PlayStyle, but scoring afterward was perhaps a different story.
Maybe this will make a more noticeable difference when playing online with high-level opponents and the need for very specific moments to trigger the superstar PlayStyles. It's similar to real life, where a game can be lackluster, but stars still know when to shine. During the review process, I didn't have the opportunity to play online, so clearly, this will need to be verified in the future when players have had enough time to provide feedback to EA.
In addition to that, the Precision Passing mechanic has some changes, introducing three types of passes: Precision Pass, Precision Lob, and Swerved Precision Pass. These types of passes will draw a line on the field to indicate the ball's trajectory. It seems like a risk to try them, but they are worth a shot. This is based on Kevin De Bruyne's style of play. Well, it's not surprising; I now understand why Haaland is here to replace Jesus and Sterling.
The controlled sprint mechanic is also fresh. While usually, you hold the R2 button on PS or RT on Xbox, now there's an additional option to hold the R1 or RB button for a slower, more controlled sprint, avoiding running too far from the ball. EA calls this Controlled Sprint, and it seems to provide a satisfying and improved experience by helping me escape tight situations in the penalty area.
Before moving on to defense, there's another attacking mechanism called AI True Flight. Essentially, it's a new algorithm that calculates ball trajectory. Now, it's based on real-world physics and makes the ball's bounce less predictable. Previously, FIFA recreated this using animations, but now everything is driven by AI and graphics engine. Perhaps because of this, during my review, it was quite challenging to score long-range goals, something I used to find easy since FIFA 14.
What about defense? I noticed that defenders seemed to have a more pronounced impact on the ball. They react quickly before the opponent's forward prepares to shoot. Sometimes, they successfully intercept the ball and maintain possession after a tackle, instead of the ball going elsewhere as seen in previous versions. Goalkeepers also tend to catch the ball from powerful shots instead of punching it away as they did before.
Of course, all these aspects heavily depend on AI. It seems that in this version, AI is more forgiving. If you want a challenge, you might need to raise the difficulty level compared to last year. In FIFA 23, I usually played on Semi-Pro and occasionally Professional difficulty. This year, I had to go up to Professional or even World Class to face a decent challenge from the AI.
Overall, FC 24 delivers a somewhat improved gameplay experience. Hypermotion V is the latest version of Hypermotion, and after 2 years, this technology seems to have matured. The character motion capture has been enhanced, making the players' actions look more authentic. However, if you compare FC 24 with FIFA 23, you might not notice a significant difference, but the gap becomes more apparent when compared to FIFA 22. Nevertheless, I still view this positively as it adds new animations to player movements and makes the game look less uncanny.
The game also includes the usual Kick Off, Volta, and FUT modes. Among these, FUT might be the most controversial mode, as it allows female players to join male teams. I'm not a fan of FUT and haven't experienced this mode, but the inclusion of female players in a mixed-gender setting might generate a lot of discussion and might not be suitable for everyone.
In terms of overall presentation, EA SPORTS FC 24 looks slightly better, although it's not clear how much of an improvement it is. However, one aspect I appreciate is the addition of new camera angles in the form of first-person perspectives from the referee's point of view. This helps recreate a more authentic feel when facing the players and the atmosphere of the stadium. This addition adds to the realism of the matches. There's even a referee's command camera angle for the backline and the player taking a free-kick. Additionally, the game's soundtrack remains enjoyable as usual, with little to complain about in this regard.
VERDICT
In the end, EA SPORTS FC 24 doesn't reinvent the wheel; it's simply a renamed game. However, it cannot be denied that the developers are still addressing the issues present in FIFA 23 and trying to spice up the gameplay with some new additions. Therefore, for those who genuinely need an updated squad, a cleaner interface, and a less frustrating experience, this game will remain a must-have in the world of soccer gaming. It's a new chapter for EA in soccer, but one with more of a marketing flair than purely a gameplay one.
