What’s in a name? When EA announced it would change the title of its premiere soccer series from FIFA to EA Sports FC24, we all wondered: is this also the year it finally takes a real step forward, out of the microtransaction-focused darkness and into the light of its full potential? Well, the answer is a resounding… kind of. There are breadcrumbs of greatness in EA Sports FC 24, with many new mechanics like Evolutions and Tactical Visions showing the series can evolve into something better. Yet, for every exciting improvement added in, there’s still far too many of the same things, like poor AI, that have frustrated me for years.
For the first few hours of EA Sports FC 24, everything feels familiar gameplay-wise, for better and for worse. HyperMotion V and the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller feedback return make matches realistic, with precise ball and player physics, noticeable field wear and tear, and goal post-shaking haptics. It’s hard to deny that there’s a lot of attention to detail going into recreating a realistic soccer atmosphere.
New overlays showcase useful statistics like shot volume and player fatigue mid-game, with numerous background interview segments laced throughout matchday’s pre, mid, and post-game segments as well. While they don’t feature any actual interactions with players and interviewers, it’s one of the many noticeable bits of detail that add to the atmosphere. If you foul someone to set up a free kick, you’ll even get a neat little first-person setup from the ref’s perspective, just like you’d see during a live broadcast. At the same time, team walkouts and ceremonial songs have sadly been cut, replaced by a few different shots of either fans or players getting ready for game day. It’s a shame that I can take a League Two side like Wrexham all the way to the Premier League and still not get to hear their glorious anthem or see them walk out during their debut on the grandest stage of them all.
Unfortunately, the artificial intelligence part of the Hypermotion V technology that has been so heavily advertised doesn’t live up to the hype. While Kinetic Shielding makes for some exciting battles, players still fall all over each other in unnatural ways. Advanced machine learning, which is pretty much a fancy way of saying constantly improving AI, is also hit-or-miss. Your goalkeepers will sometimes stand sideways and let an easy shot in or punch a ball that could have been caught, AI teammates make terrible attacking or defensive decisions that would have Harry Maguire blushing, and you’ll likely find yourself yelling about an incorrect passing input more than once a match despite knowing you angled a perfect through ball with your sticks.
It’s frustrating that these issues are still a part of the series, but there are changes that help ease the pain of dealing with them, most notably Playstyles. As the name suggests, Playstyles customize every player’s method of play to fit their specific strengths and weaknesses. As a result, no two players control the same way, adding a fresh layer to gameplay and how you approach team management. It’s genuinely impressive how EA has managed to capture each player’s likeness, as you can bully opponents off the ball and rip through nets with Erling Haaland’s Power Shot or finesse passes and set pieces with James Ward-Prowse’s Dead Ball approach.
When creating your own customized player’s Playstyle, you’ll sift through 32 abilities spread across six categories: Shooting, Passing, Defending, Ball Control, Physical, and Goalkeeping. While it might seem simple at first, each one has a lot of unique sub-abilities to sort through that determine your character’s build, making a world of difference when it comes to tailoring your preset skills to work alongside your specific manner of play.
Since I always create a Forward player that dominates the middle of the pitch, getting the Tiki Taka attribute makes controlling the middle of the pitch with quick passes to teammates a breeze, especially when coupled with First Touch, which makes getting and controlling the ball for the first time while under pressure more possible. With the ability to control the ball perfectly, my character can open up the field with wide through balls that get played right back into him or teammates to create a lot of chances on goal.
Alongside Playstyles, 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. Shots are more on target while using the left stick to aim and general passes and lobs can be directed to exact locations. Mastering these techniques won’t come without a bit of practice, but they open up the possibility of making creative runs, especially when working with other players.
Thankfully, the updated practice arena has more depth in EA Sports FC24 than it ever did in FIFA, adding in Scenarios that new players and veterans alike would be wise to check out. You can try out specific set pieces here, or nail down what Playstyle works best for you in drills or even full-on matches. Putting your pride aside and playing here to get the hang of the controlled shots and passes is worth it in the long run, as you can run experiments in a much quicker and more efficient manner than you’d be able to by playing full games thanks to the sheer amount of control you’re given.
Once you’ve got your style nailed down, it’s time to dive into the real reason EA Sports FC 24 is as popular as it is: its trading-card game mode, aka Sports Yu-Gi-Oh, aka FUT, aka Ultimate Team. As always, you’ll need to go into Ultimate Team knowing full well that it always feels inherently unfair because people who are willing to spend real money on microtransactions to get packs will have a much better squad in a shorter amount of time than someone who doesn’t. The name of the game is still that quantity results in quality, and microtransactions pay for quantity. While it’s aggravating that grinding or paying the big bucks are still your only two options for significant progress, improvements elsewhere help deliver one of the best Ultimate Team experiences to date, even if you don’t pay.
Evolutions in Ultimate Team allow you to take the base stats of cards and improve them by completing challenges, as long as they fit the criteria, which vary from stats like Overall, Pace, and Rarity. Manchester United lovers no longer have to wait to see Alexander Garnacho’s potential fulfilled, taking him from a Left Wing 75 rating to a Relentless Winger 82 rating thanks to the Founders Evolution. To do this, you’ll simply complete objectives that are broken down into levels. Finish a group of requirements in a level, and you’ll get a stat boost reward. What’s nice is that completing these objectives isn’t as brutal as previous games in the series (yes, I’m talking about you, FUT 20), as most just ask you to complete matches with your EVO player. Getting to improve players you draw instead of just praying for a good pull is an enticing incentive to play Ultimate Team for the long term.
Another leap forward for this mode is the addition of over 19,000 fully licensed players, 700 teams, and 30 leagues from the women’s soccer divisions to Ultimate Team; FIFA 23 only had 12 NWSL teams and four stadiums by comparison. EA Sports FC24 not only lets you play as everyone from Sam Keer to Kadidiatou Diani, but it makes men’s and women’s statistics equal. That means Nadine Kessler is able to body players off the ball the exact same way that Adama Traore can, making for some wild mixed-gender matchups and lineups.
The other, often overlooked stepchild multiplayer mode in EA Sports FC 24, Volta, didn’t change up too much, but it’s the one I had the most fun with. Sure, there will be matches where someone is idle or is a complete ball hog, but the ones where you link up with compatible players bring back fond memories of FIFA Street. Few things are more satisfying than wall bouncing to a teammate who dekes around the keeper after a great build-up that leads to scoring multiple points. Since chemistry is so important, it’s recommended that you try and round up a solid squad of four friends if you want to get the most enjoyment and best results out of Volta. Stadium variety also adds quite a bit of variety to matches, with some featuring larger goals and others having higher walls to bounce the ball off. It’s a welcome bit of diversity to help prevent each game from feeling too repetitive.
By comparison, the single-player focused Career Modes are a considerable letdown. Player journeys are once again riddled with a poor excuse for role-playing, with FIFA 23’s Personality Points rearing their ugly head again. Honestly, I can’t imagine anything screaming ‘I love soccer’ more than purchasing a Jetski to earn 50 “Maverick” points that will result in my player being a more aggressive shooter. The addition of Player Agents and Dynamic Moments show some potential to help flesh out the mode and make it a more fun RPG, but even those fail to stick the landing.
While the idea of meeting certain goals via a Player Agent to get a transfer or renewed contract from your dream squad sounds nice in theory, some of the objectives are insane. You can have a Ballon d’Or, 60-plus goal season, and still be released from contract because you didn’t hit five bicycle kicks in any of them. Yeah, sorry, Messi – we know you broke the record for most goals scored in a campaign, but we had to let you go because you didn’t get enough Scorpion Kick goals as you were doing it. What?
The whole thing sours what could have been a really great way to make up for the lack of being able to choose your own path and direction that has weighed down previous Career Modes. Dynamic moments also fail to capture the weight and gravity of situations fully, as you can only watch the same cutscene so many times before wondering where the story-based content of FIFA 17’s Alex Hunter has gone.
Manager Mode is a little more interesting in EA Sports FC 24, mostly due to the seven tactical identities that your coach can apply to their club. Tactical Vision is what Playstyles are for an individual, just applied to a whole team instead. Pick the more defensive-minded Park the Bus option for a great defense, or use Tiki-Taka to control the middle of the field. I always prefer Wing Play, as nothing beats charging down the field and crossing it into an open net. Even then, there isn’t much that has changed in this Career Mode either, as single-player once again feels like an afterthought, cowering in the long shadow cast by Ultimate Teams.
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