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FIFA 23 is released worldwide on 30 September and SPORTbible were lucky to be afforded some hands-on time with the final EA Sports football game in its current form.
Each year, the developers at EA look to take the game to new heights through a series of changes and adjustments, listening to audience feedback to improve the overall experience.
And so without further ado, here are 10 things we love about FIFA 23.
Addition of women's club sides
For the first time ever, women's club teams are playable in FIFA 23 - following on from Sarina Weigman's England side bringing football home with a stunning Euro 2022 triumph on home soil.
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Women's football is very much on the rise and so EA made the decision to select Sam Kerr as the game's first-ever female cover star alongside Kylian Mbappe.
Gamers can now play with teams from the Women's Super League in England - meaning the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal - as well as France's Division 1 Arkema.
HyperMotion2 technology
Gameplay is even more realistic than ever thanks to HyperMotion 2 technology, which is available on all the next-gen consoles.
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It elevates matches across multiple game modes and feels even more like real-life. Overall, from advanced male and female 11v11 Xsens suit capture sessions, there are more than 6000 HyperMotion-enabled animations that allow players to "move and play more responsively and realistically than ever before".
Post-goal madness
There is a whole new type of matchday experience in FIFA 23, with players able to bring their personality to life and selecting sounds such as klaxons, alarms and even the audio of horse going "neigh" when they score a goal.
In terms of new celebrations, Christian Pulisic's 'Eye of the Tiger,' Diogo Jota's 'Gamer' and the 'Low Five and Flex' have all been added.
Crossplay finally arrives
After never-ending clamour, EA Sports have made FIFA 23 cross-play compatible. If you have a PlayStation 5, you can play against someone with an Xbox Series X or S, PC and Google Stadia, with the same applying for PS4 and Xbox One.
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It's only applicable in 1v1 modes to begin with and so doesn't apply to Pro Clubs, but here's hoping that can change in the future.
Juventus are back
I'm not sure about you, but I absolutely refused to play with Piemonte Calcio on FIFA after EA lost the licences to Konami. It was a boycott of the highest order.
However, after a three-year absence, the Bianconeri are back in their true form and so their black and white stripes and Allianz Stadium has returned after Juve signed a multi-year partnership.
Improved physics
Physics have been enhanced to make FIFA 23 as authentic as possible. We're talking shots being blocked from defenders now resulting in wicked deflections, falls and stumbles more genuine than ever and players will showcasing more intelligence and refraining from running into opponents.
For goalkeepers, their arms, hands and fingers will be pushed by the ball when it comes to scrambling to make a save.
Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond join the party
There's huge excitement after EA announced Ted Lasso and his AFC Richmond side are playable in this year's game.
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In the award-winning Apple TV+ programme, American coach Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, heads to England have a crack at coaching 'soccer' and you can now use him in Career Mode.
What's more, you can also transfer the entire AFC Richmond team to your league of choice, playing with the likes of Jamie Tartt, Dani Rojas, Sam Obisanya, Isaac McAdoo and Roy Kent at Nelson Road.
They will also be playable in modes such as Kick-Off, Online Friendlies, and Online Seasons, with some content for Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs able to be unlocked.
Real managers in Career Mode
While you can also attempt to create history with Lasso, there is also the option to play with real-life managers in Career Mode and customise their attire.
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There are more than 350 to choose from, with 30 having star heads. See if Pep Guardiola could do it with Crawley Town or even set up your own team.
Ultimate Team alternative positions
One of the best alterations to Ultimate Team is having the ability to change a player's position - with players having up to three alternatives as well as their primary role.
With the new Position Modifier, which will be consumables but not limited to one set position, there's a new type of freedom when it comes to moving your players.
For instance, Joao Cancelo can play left-back or right-back, or Kylian Mbappe can play striker, centre-forward or left winger without chemistry being affected.
However, it does now mean you can't come up with some mad tactical innovation where Zlatan Ibrahimovic is playing as a central midfielder.
Two World Cups, one game
For the first time ever, in FIFA 23 gamers will be able to play both the men's and women's World Cups - Qatar this year and Australia and New Zealand in 2023 - in the same game.
More details are set to follow in due course but it's an incredibly exciting prospect to try and guide both England teams to glory in the virtual world.
Featured Image Credit: Image: EA Sports
