EA SPORTS FC 24 is released worldwide on 29 September and SPORTbible were lucky to be afforded some hands-on time with the first version of the game since its breakaway from FIFA.
'Welcome to the club' is the tagline of EA's new rebrand as they venture into new territory. Well the club is just like the one in your hometown. It's very much the same people going in just wearing different clothes, you're probably going to need to spend a bit of money to have a good time and if possible you'd rather go somewhere else but there are no better options.
In all seriousness, the game is actually really enjoyable on first impression. While the franchise has changed from FIFA to EA Sports FC, everything that we know and loved from the old game is still very much present.
General points:
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The overall game definitely runs smoother this year, especially in menus. The most played modes appear at the top of the main menu in a move to make life more convenient for players. Skipping cut scenes and moving between features also seems to be quicker, as well as the ability to 'claim all' in objectives on Ultimate team. When it comes to the gameplay, apart from the odd bug, it definitely runs smoothly.
The new Hypermotion V engine is a gamechanger, feeling as realistic as ever before, the graphics are sharp and finely tuned and individual players such as Haaland and Sterling have their own unique style to really personalise the experience. The line between realism and entertainment is a fine one and EA do well to get a mix between the two. At the end of the day, it is a video game and if it was too life-like it would become slow and boring.
There are a few bugs which we alluded to before, one bizarre one being female 89-rated Ada Hegerberg having to be removed temporarily from the game due to a bizarre glitch that would make her unable to keep control of the ball. While it is poor from the developers, it's worth noting the game isn't actually fully released yet and small bugs are common in most games upon release so as long as are quickly fixed shouldn't be focused on too much.
Attack is the best form of defence:
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While a lot of the gameplay relies very much on the individual, in general it seems like EA have focused heavily on attacking movements rather than defending. I'm under no illusions that part of this may be that I myself am better at attacking than defending but skill moves seem harder than ever to defend against, slow dribbling is difficult to cut out and goalkeepers are about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Tackling almost feels a bit laggy and while EA have worked hard to improve it with the introduction of the 'stop ball tackle', it still needs some work. On the flip side, it does make going forward incredibly exciting. Just search 'skill moves EA FC 24' on YouTube or TikTok and you'll already see a plethora of tutorials for new moves to bamboozle your opponent. Gone are the days of figuring things out for yourself, now with streamers and professional gamers releasing videos on the latest 'cheat codes' and 'meta' tips you can quickly discover what the best formations, custom tactics and OP players are best to use (spoken like a grumpy old man).
Crossing the ball on the other hand, seems a lot more difficult than FIFA 23 and often you'll find it won't actually lock on your target man in the middle or will be under/over hit. On the previous game it did feel very OP especially on Pro Clubs so perhaps a move to make it more of a challenge.
Women in Ultimate Team:
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One of the biggest additions to the new game is the inclusion of women players in Ultimate Team for the very first time. It's a huge development and one that will cause division amongst fans. In a chat with Didier Drogba, he told us that kids still come up to him now having discovered him through the game and you can't help but feel the same will apply for the women's players too. While the inclusion emphasises the growth in the female game, it also works as a catalyst in growing it even further. The division comes from players who call the move 'unrealistic' having men and women on the same pitch (but are happy to play with footballers who are no longer with us in real life). There is an argument that gamers won't enjoy the aspect of opening packs where the best player they receive is somebody they don't know which is understandable. Opening packs and being disappointed with what's inside isn't a new thing however.
Evolutions:
Arguably the most exciting addition to FC 24 is the evolutions feature in Ultimate Team. The new addition offers you the ability to put favourite players through an upgrade process to improve their skills and stats and add new playstyles to their catalogue. We decided to put Darwin Nunez through the new feature which took his rating from 82 from 84 and certainly took his attributes to another level. You also have other available evolutions such as 'pacy protector' to boost a central defender's pace, 'relentless winger' to upgrade your player's offensive attributes and 'golden glow' which could take your favourite 64-rated player to someone you can actually use for your team at 80+ rated.
Career Mode:
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Many have argued that Career Mode has taken a back seat since the breakthrough of Ultimate Team as it isn't a profitable mode for EA. Connected careers, the ability to edit kits and also improve the club with stadium upgrades have all been ignored. While some features fans have been crying out for haven't been added, there is some noticeable improvement. Fans can now select their own coaches to add to their staff in a bid to deliver their way of playing with the squad of players. Coaches are graded differently based on expertise and all come at various costs, meaning managers need to squeeze as much as they can out of their wage budget. The more money you spend on coaches, the less you will have to spend on transfers. Players can now select a a tactical vision, such as gegenpressing or park the bus, which is a nice idea in principle, but early on doesn't seem to have much effect on the actual pitch. Generally speaking, it's very much the same, you have the same press conference questions, the same layout and the same messages from players. This isn't to say it is bad, it just seems like minor tweaks such as a Ballon d'Or cut scene, a bus parade at the end of the season and seeing dressing-room footage are all clips that, for regular players, will get old fast. It's still a fun mode but one that again will have fans questioning why more exciting features haven't been added.
Skill moves are OP:
It didn't take long after launch for people to discover which skill moves were ridiculously overpowered, with one skill move by Neymar already branded 'illegal'. With defending being difficult, it's no surprise that content creators have already recommended changing the settings from 'advanced defending' to 'tactical defending' and clearance assistance to 'classic'. Regardless, if you manage to pull off a skill move it's very difficult to defend it, especially with the goalkeeper who, as I said before, couldn't save a word document for the most part. The drag-back skill is likely to receive a patch as well as the ball-roll drag, with both being particularly strong moves to beat your opponent.
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Summary:
The bottom line is, if you were a long-term fan of the FIFA franchise, you're probably going to buy and enjoy the new game. People will complain all year long about different things but still buy the latest game and that's because it is the best product out there and is the most realistic football video game in the world. That's not to say you couldn't reply with a video of things showing 'unrealistic' moments from game footage but generally its brilliance and likeness to the real thing is what keeps millions coming back for more. Time will tell how highly rated this game should be but on first impression, it's as good as it's ever been.
Rating: 4.5/5
EA Sports FC 24 is available to purchase now and will be released on September 29 or play now by purchasing the Ultimate Edition.
Featured Image Credit: EA Sports