EA Sports FC 24 Review – A Beautiful Rebrand, But Doesn’t Mix Up The Formula

For thirty years, FIFA has been synonymous with EA’s licensed football game series; and while now the game goes by EA Sports FC 24, it’s still the same game that football fans all know and love.

EA Sports FC 24 retains all of the previous games’ feature, including Volta, Clubs, Player and Manager Career modes, and other more common ones. However, a handful of technologies such as the PlayStyle+ and HyperMotionV along with other general improvements have been added to make the on-pitch action resemble to its real-life counterpart.

On the Pitch

Going right off the bat, FC24 immediately stands out compared to earlier entries.

The on-pitch action has likely been improved the most in recent years thanks to the HypermotionV system, which analyses data from games across different leagues.

Using volumetric data from over 180 top-tier matches, including those from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Women’s Champions League, Premier League, and La Liga, the HypermotionV technology analyses motion in real-time.

EA Sports FC’s proprietary machine learning algorithms utilises the “Advanced 11v11 Match Capture” data to create over 11,000 in-game animations, compared to over 6,000 in FIFA 23. By looping both individual traits and full-match action, it transitions from the analog field to the digital one very seamlessly.

There are also noticeable differences between out-muscling a smaller defender while dribbling down the field and jockeying for position now that weight seems to matter more realistically in the game than just timing.

With the addition of new acceleration types, players now have more options along with a more accurate representation of how the game progresses club by club. More than twice as many different archetypes are included in the AcceleRATE 2.0 system as there were in FIFA 23.

The three default acceleration types are “Lengthy”, “Explosive”, and “Controlled”. The majority of players fall into the “Controlled” category, who accelerate consistently and under control. Due to their shorter stature and increased agility, “Explosive” players accelerate more quickly at first before slowing down. Taller and more powerful players are categorised as “Lengthy”, with them beginning slowly but thrives in long distances.

To represent a wider range of player movement styles, EA Sports FC 24 adds four new types: “Controlled Explosive”, “Mostly Explosive”, “Controlled Lengthy”, and “Mostly Lengthy”.

The addition of “PlayStyles”, however, is by far the most significant change.

PlayStyles+ are an improved version of standard PlayStyles that allow the game to reflect the skills of elite players. It’s divided into six categories: Goalkeeping (Which is only available in the Be a Goalkeeper modes in Player Career and Clubs), Passing, Controlling the ball, Defending, Physical, and Scoring.

Across all modes, the effect on gameplay is significant. Players will notice the difference when for example, a player with the “First Touch” skill has more ball control after receiving it thanks to exclusive animations. While a player who possesses the “Power Shot” skill gains an advantage from faster shots.

All of which reel in the result of the most fast-paced and engaging game in the series so far.

Kick Off

FC 24 will see both gameplay and visuals work together hand in hand, in part because of the technology powering the experience which keeps developing to improve the details that make up the whole.

Considering there’s more detail in things like fabric swaying and better matchday crowds is one of the best examples. Another improvement that’s worth noting is the lighting, which gets a significant upgrade, especially during highlights or when watching footballers on the field in the spotlights, along with observing how their shadows move.

Individuality also gets a major upgrade. The best football players in the world typically have perfect look alike faces and shows various emotions. They frequently perform unique celebrations or simply dribble differently than most people do.

Pre-match broadcast narratives have improved and now reflect the significance of the upcoming game. Players will inevitably encounter repeats, but the variety is pleasing to say the least.

With new camera cuts, including the ability to actually see the play-by-play announcers performing their casting, this accurate broadcast feel extends to half-time and other breaks. Even as yellow and red cards are shown, there is a referee camera present.

The presence of new overlays, such as stats, shot charts, and win percentages, is arguably the best new feature. During a break in the action, an overlay on the field itself showing the previous five shots attempted with green and red dots is just buttery smooth in the best way.

Game Modes

After giving players more decision-making power in the last game, the series continues to invest in this with Career Experiences.

During Manager Career, players have more in-depth control over training and other areas. The immersion levels for players gets a boost, via a new perspective while spectating a match from the field level.

Furthermore, Player Career has an Agent function who aids the player in choosing a career path which gives players agency through creating concrete objectives. For those who don’t mind not always being able to see the entire pitch, a new player-based camera is a fun addition that can also increase immersion levels.

These subtle improvements to two distinct modes greatly improve the overall experience, especially when combined with the significant gameplay improvements. This makes it one of the best career modes in sports games with the freedom to choose, and even to participate in just the most important parts of a game or season.

In earlier entries, Ultimate Team was referred to as “FUT” (FIFA Ultimate Team), but it is now known as EA Sports FC 24 Ultimate Team, and is abbreviated as “UT”. The mode introduces Evolutions, which let users level up their Player item designs and backgrounds as well as the skills, PlayStyles, and overall ratings of eligible players.

Additionally, it is now possible to select male and female players for the same team. In many ways, it’s a new perspective for the game, with the sudden increase in team variety being the most notable. Even the online meta should feel significantly different than in previous years due to the presence of even more card options and team compositions.

While there’s still a grind and based on RNG, it’s still a nice nod and admission that players ought to have better finesse control over creating the teams they want. This pressure to only find and play the most competitive cards in the meta is lessened.

This is in no way an excuse to the microtransactions of the game, but it does seem to allow for significant player investment in their preferred cards while maintaining competition.

After the crucial introduction of shared progression last year, crossplay also comes to Clubs and Volta Football this year, boosting online search times for the more arcade-styled modes. Users can cross-play between PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S, and Windows, while users on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can cross-play with each other.

Licenses

Following a one-year extension to allow for the release of FIFA 23, EA Sports and FIFA announced on May 2022 that their long-term licensing agreement would end on December 2022. On the same day, Electronic Arts revealed in 2023, the FIFA football video game franchise will be rebranded as EA Sports FC.

Despite the name change, the organisation claimed in its statement that the rebranded franchise would continue to hold the licenses for more than 19,000 players, more than 700 teams, more than 100 stadiums, and more than 30 leagues.

Luckily, The Premier League, EFL Championship, Women’s Super League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and many other leagues are still present and accurate in FC 24, as you might expect, as well as all of the licensed teams, kits, stadiums, and players from almost all of the biggest leagues around the world, including men’s and women’s football.

Verdict

While the features I mentioned have important value to some players, it still doesn’t change up the formula to the overall gameplay. To put it simply, EA Sports FC 24 doesn’t significantly alter the way FIFA has been played for the past few years.

FC 24 is merely a safe advancement for one of the world’s best sports video games. While it might not live up to the hype of a rebrand, but it’s impossible to deny how good the on-pitch action feels, and how it continues to more closely resemble the real thing while providing significant skill gaps and player agency, along with how it can take the hand of a brand-new player and lead them to notable heights.

Despite my gripes, FC 24 is still the strongest title yet in the series, especially on the field where it counts the most.

With a seamless simulation of the beautiful game, EA Sports FC 24 upholds the series’ reputation as a football game that consistently on authenticity. However, if you were hoping for a significant advancement, you might be let down.

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