EA Sports FC 24 Is FIFA By Another Name, But Is It Enough?
For decades, FIFA has been more than just a video game; it’s been a cultural touchstone, a virtual playground, and a parallel universe to the real world of football. EA Sports, the developer behind the wildly successful franchise, has held a virtual monopoly on the beautiful game for years, a partnership with FIFA, the sport’s governing body, solidifying their dominance. However, 2023 brought a seismic shift. The partnership came to an end, pushing EA Sports to rebrand their game as EA Sports FC 24, effectively severing the franchise’s legacy with the FIFA name, synonymous with football culture for so long. But has this change, forced by circumstance, led EA to take a fresh look at its game, or is EA Sports FC 24 just a rehash of its predecessors?
A New Name But the Same Game?
The rebranding isn’t just about the name; it’s about the potential for change. While the FIFA franchise had faced criticism for iterative releases, many fans hoped this rebranding would herald a new era of innovation, a departure from the status quo. The truth is, EA Sports FC 24 is more of a facelift than a revolution. While there are noticeable changes, they don’t quite amount to a completely new experience.
EA Sports FC 24 starts strong with a new, user-friendly menu that replaces the cumbersome menus of previous FIFA installments. The visual presentation is cleaner and more polished, with new in-game cutscenes trying to emulate the look and feel of real-life broadcasts. These improvements definitely enhance the game’s aesthetics, making the presentation more immersive and modern.
The most significant improvements though are in player animations. EA has meticulously incorporated real-life player motions into the game, making their movements on the pitch feel more authentic and fluid than ever before. From the subtle twists of a player’s body as they pass the ball to the finesse of a curled cross, the attention to detail is undeniable. EA Sports FC 24 feels a tad slower than its predecessor, encouraging strategic gameplay and emphasizing tactical vision.
Defense Struggles and AI Quirks
While the attacking gameplay feels largely familiar from FIFA 23, defensive gameplay appears to have taken a turn for the worse. Tracking back or recovering from defensive errors has become significantly harder, often resulting in frustratingly easy goals for your opponent. AI defenders seemingly lose focus, creating gaping holes in the defensive line and leaving you vulnerable.
This issue with defensive AI has plagued the FIFA series for years, and it’s disappointing to see it persist in EA Sports FC 24. It’s not just about defensive positioning; even when you successfully tackle an opponent, the AI often acts unpredictably, losing control of the ball right back to the opposition. These occurrences, coupled with the difficulty of defending crosses and headers, create a frustrating experience for players seeking a balanced and challenging game.
PlayStyles: A Polished Rehash
EA Sports FC 24 introduces PlayStyles and PlayStyles+ features, which are essentially upgraded versions of player traits. This addition attempts to bring real-life player data into the game, adding signature abilities to their virtual counterparts. While this is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, it ultimately feels like a rehash of existing features.
These PlayStyles can range from a tall center back’s ability to power header a ball to a striker’s prowess as a clinical finisher. PlayStyles+, which are reserved for elite players, bring even more spectacular abilities to the game, like Son Heung-min effortlessly scoring from outside the box or Erling Haaland performing acrobatic aerial feats. While PlayStyles add an extra layer of depth, many players might find them familiar and not entirely revolutionary.
A Familiar Career Mode
For seasoned players who gravitate towards the Career Mode, EA Sports FC 24 offers a few welcome changes, but ultimately falls back on the well-trodden path. Players can now set an overarching philosophy for their team, choosing between tactical approaches like Gegenpressing or a more conservative, counter-attacking style. This new element helps shape your team’s identity both on and off the pitch, influencing scouting and transfer decisions.
However, beyond these new additions, Career Mode feels largely unchanged. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with Career Mode as it stands, its lack of significant innovation has been a point of frustration for many. The transfer market experience feels stagnant, the negotiation cutscenes are still clunky, and the absence of VAR, a pivotal part of the modern game, continues to be a glaring omission. This lack of innovation, coupled with the franchise’s tendency to prioritize Ultimate Team over other game modes, makes Career Mode feel like a missed opportunity.
Ultimate Team: The Money-Maker
Ultimate Team, the microtransaction-heavy mode, returns with the same addictive and potentially expensive gameplay loop. Building up a dream team requires either a significant financial investment or a colossal amount of grinding. While it’s fun to assemble a team of star players and compete online, the lack of meaningful innovation in Ultimate Team feels like a missed opportunity. Despite the potential for a thrilling online experience, EA Sports FC 24 once again prioritizes microtransactions over a truly balanced and engaging experience.
Visuals: A Lackluster Update
Beyond the improvements in player animations, EA Sports FC 24 doesn’t offer significant visual upgrades. The graphics look remarkably similar to FIFA 23, with only incremental improvements in player likenesses. While most major players are faithfully represented, many players, even in prominent leagues and teams, have generic faces. The game also struggles with pitch quality, especially the grass, which often appears oversaturated and lacking in realism.
Despite some improvements in stadium and crowd detail, the game’s visual presentation feels underwhelming, particularly considering the graphics advancements in other modern games.
Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity
EA Sports FC 24 is an enjoyable continuation of EA‘s football franchise, offering smooth and responsive gameplay, improved player animations, and some new features like PlayStyles. However, it fails to break free from the limitations of its predecessors, relying heavily on familiar mechanics and a lack of substantial innovation. The changes to Career Mode, despite being a welcome addition, fail to address the long-standing concerns of players seeking a fresh and modern experience.
EA Sports FC 24 feels more like a rebranding than a revolution, a missed opportunity to fully embrace the potential for change offered by the franchise’s new identity. With the lack of competition in the football video game market, EA can afford to play it safe, but doing so risks alienating players longing for a truly innovative experience.
It remains to be seen whether EA Sports FC can evolve into something truly new and engaging, or if it will continue to coast on the inertia of its legacy.
Pros:
- Familiar, responsive gameplay.
- Welcome update to menu design.
- Improved player animations.
- Diverse gameplay options.
Cons:
- Lack of significant innovation in Career Mode.
- Inconsistent defending and questionable AI.
- PlayStyles feel like a rehash of existing features.
- Limited visual upgrades.
- Ultimate Team remains heavily reliant on microtransactions.
Rating (out of 10): 6
