FIFA is a household name. Whether it be in sports enthusiast households, general media consumers, or amongst video gamers; for nearly 30 years, FIFA has graced a myriad of gaming platforms through EA Sports. Ultimately, however, all things must come to an end, for better or worse. Fortunately, the results are far more improved than FIFA’s continuous meddling would ever allow with EA Sports FC 24.

Although the new name may be a mouthful, it rekindles the three-decade-old franchise in ways otherwise unthought of; bringing enhanced levels of authenticity, a plethora of new game modes, and much-needed upgrades to fan-favourite game modes, and more. While the relative flow of the game will feel familiar to any FIFA fan, it is most assuredly a literal game changer. 

Fans on the fence of EA Sports FC 24 will find the same heart-stopping adrenaline and entertainment as always, while those who embrace the change will see immediate upgrades throughout the entire game. This is thanks to a cutting-edge technology called HyperMotionV, which not only captures movements, emotions, and expressions of real players in unprecedented detail, but also aids in smoother animation and overall game physics. EA Sports in Vancouver have captured realistic behaviour for over 19 000 players across more than 700 teams in order to ensure players experience the most realistic simulation to date, making it the easiest way yet to embody Megan Rapinoe, Christiano Ronaldo, or any one of the current stars. 

Passing and shooting the ball has never looked better. Even basic movements, such as running and idling, look and feel unique to every single real player in the game, and all of these minute details can be customised and added to the player’s very own avatar. While the character creator still seems as lacking as ever in terms of facial features, EA Sports FC 24 has doubled down on pretty much everything else. From what seems like a hundred different hair options, through to a decent amount of facial hair, nothing really compares to the plethora of options available to customise the way an avatar walks and runs on the field! This new focus comes as a pleasant surprise. For the longest time, it was challenging to differentiate between players on the field. The advent of HyperMotionV, however, changes all of that and ensures players know exactly who they are controlling at any given time – name pop-ups and quick cinematic close-ups notwithstanding. 

Play Styles have also received a much-anticipated update, enhancing players even further by adding yet another level of authenticity on top of everything else already mentioned. Breakaways have never looked more stunning and certain skill moves now look their part, ensuring players who take the time to study the various characters will find it much easier to do. There are a ton of Play Styles to choose from as well, all of which factor in different types of gameplay with their own pros and cons. Dead Ball, for instance, gives set piece takers more accuracy and speed, while Finesse Shot adds more curve and accuracy to those types of shots. Bruiser, on the other hand, gives defenders with this style more strength to tackle the ball. 

In a similar vein, Team Styles reflect the literal identity and tactics of a club or a national team, playing heavily into which teams would best suit the player’s avatar during the many career modes the game has to offer. Joining Liverpool, for instance, means player avatars need to be comfortable with high stakes plays. Joining Barcelona, on the other hand, will showcase exactly how defensive and possession-based the team is, and similarly will be best suited for player avatars who play that way. Team Styles now truly reflect the uniqueness of each club and team across the many leagues featured in EA Sports FC 24. It must be said how players not used to this will feel discouraged quite early on in the game. While it is possible to choose and play in your favourite team from the very start of any given career mode, the agent will continuously try and punt gamers off to different clubs and teams they feel are more suited to your Play Style. It is a simulation game, after all! 

In terms of game modes, players can expect the usual selection of popular modes returned from FIFA. These include Career Mode, Volta Football, and Ultimate Team. In Career Mode, players can either choose to play certain leagues, or create their own clubs from scratch; choose to play Football Manager, and even go through a bunch of quick matches in a seasonal roster. Volta Football, on the other hand, takes players to the streets and futsal courts of the world. Here, players can take on various celebrities such as Lewis Hamilton, Dua Lipa, or even Patrick Mahomes, in quick friendly matches. This mode has a lot of potential to draw new players to the game as well. Nicki Manaj and Taylor Swift fans will grab at any opportunity to play a friendly game of football against their favourite artist. Ultimate Team, however, is the mode that has received the most radical overhaul thanks to a single and wonderful new addition: female and mixed-gender teams! FUT Heroes also makes a return, so players who want to add iconic heroes and legends from the past into their teams can still do so as well. Naturally, players who used to buy annual releases of FIFA for its multiplayer aspects need not fret either. EA Sports FC 24 is a first-party title through and through, meaning players will have server support for decades to come. 

Simulation not only extends to players, teams, and game modes, but also carries through to the way the balls work in EA Sports FC 24. Balls act differently depending on how they are kicked, held, and thrown. This means no long shot or hop will ever really be the same unless players master the act of kicking the ball at exactly the same spot with exactly the same force every single time. It also means shots can now be placed more accurately and goals are achievement somewhat easier… assuming the Goalkeeper Artificial Intelligence (which received a major update) does not throw a wrench into the works! 

HyperMotionV may be the underlying system on which the game is built, but it is all still being run by Electronic Arts’ in-house game engine, Frostbite. This means everything in the game looks the best the franchise has ever looked. Moreover, finally breaking away from the licensing constraints FIFA enforced, now allows EA to make some much-needed changes to the way the game presents itself. New camera angles for matches have been made available, while an entirely new cinematic feel has been placed on pretty much every animated detail EA Sports FC 24 has to offer. Stadiums look amazing thanks to lighting improvements, while players have unprecedented detail in their kits. It is fair to say that Electronic Arts went all-out to make the long-standing franchise their own. 

EA Sports FC 24 may be a rebranding on the surface, but ultimately brings the iconic soccer/football game franchise into the modern age free from imposed constraints. The game truly goes above and beyond to stand on its own as a simulation video game. While it is nowhere near perfect, the game exceeds in everything the best of its previous iterations could offer, and then further builds onto those aspects to prove its place on the podium as the next great leap for EA Sports and Soccer Sim fans the world over. EA Sports FC 24 s a match winning title, and a veritable goal for the reworked franchise.

Verdict:

EXCEPTIONAL

PROSCONS
The start of a new eraCharacter creation is lacking
HyperMotionV and Frostbite make a great team
Team- and Play Styles brings out the uniqueness of each player and game

Title reviewed on Xbox Series X with code supplied by EA Sports.

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Junior Editor at Vamers. From Superman to Ironman; Bill Rizer to Sam Fisher and everything in-between, Edward loves it all. He is a Bachelor of Arts student and English Major specialising in Language and Literature. He is an avid writer and casual social networker with a flare for all things tech related.