(Pocket Ribbon) – It’s the end of an era. After 29 years, FIFA 23 is the last football game from EA to bear the FIFA name, and in the future the series will be rebranded as EA Sports FC.
We also suspect that this will be the last to be released for last generation consoles as little seems to have changed for those machines year over year. And to be honest, it would be hard to find so many improvements to even the current generation versions as this marks the end of the FIFA government. EA’s best new features are definitely set for 2024.
So, does FIFA 23 still offer enough to appeal to its hardcore fanbase or is it just a bunch of new kits and gimmicks?
We reviewed the PlayStation 5 version to find out.
FIFA 23 is a solid, confident outing for the series. It adds just enough to make it all worth while, but EA is clearly holding back on its latest ideas.
As always, Ultimate Team is the star, although it’s about as familiar as it gets, featuring the same Division Rivals and FUT Champs models conceived and modified during last year’s run. There are some improvements though – not least the new team spirit system that (finally) allows you to use players from different national leagues without being heavily penalized.
Cross-platform play is also much better implemented this time around, while the expansion of women’s football in the game is very welcome.
But essentially Hypermotion 2 aside, the gameplay is as familiar as can be. A little more strategy is needed, but you’ll probably find that your tactics and play patterns that looked good to you in FIFA 22 will do it again.
So there’s a taste of the same old, same old, but something tells us fans really don’t care, while newcomers and those who skipped a generation or two might just get the best FIFA game yet.
Let’s hope we get something more innovative next year other than a name change.
- Presentation is as good as ever
- Gameplay is slower but more methodical
- New chemistry system in Ultimate Team works well
- Tweaks to the menu system make it faster to get into games (on current generation)
- Game modes are largely untouched
- Lots of cutscenes and non-play animations copied from last year
- Seems more like a collection of tweaks than innovation
squirrel_widget_12854120
What’s new?
When you first load up the game, you’ll realize that much of last year’s design language has continued. There’s a new color scheme and some nicer graphic details in the menu system, but it’s very similar to before.
It’s the same with the gameplay modes, with all the old favorites returning and little else. However, there are some additions and improvements, such as the ability to play as the main character of the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso and his team, AFC Richmond. There is also a greater presence for women’s football, with the addition of club teams from England’s WSL and France’s D1 Arkema League.
Unfortunately, you still can’t compete against a women’s team in career mode, nor against a specific female player, but EA has promised further updates via free DLC in the coming months. That includes the addition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia alongside the Qatar Men’s World Cup as new playable tournaments, so there’s definitely more to look forward to.
Cross-platform play is also better realized this time around. It made its debut after a software update late in FIFA 22’s one-year lifespan, but was limited to certain modes and shortened slightly. Now it works in almost all multiplayer modes, including Ultimate Team, and even shows an icon above players showing which platform each gamer is using.
We have now played many matches and can honestly say that we have not noticed any advantages or pitfalls due to an opponent’s platform. It’s worth noting, though, that only PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia, and PC owners can play against each other. Latest generation machines (including Switch) do not support the feature.
Other than these, little else has changed when it comes to the overall FIFA experience. Perhaps the biggest improvements are in Ultimate Team and on the pitch.
Ultimate Team
There’s no doubt about it, while the career mode, Volta, and seasons are fun in their own right, FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) has proven to be the most popular entry in the series over the years. The final iteration will be no different.
It’s set up almost the same as in FIFA 22, but with a big change in the way you build your squad. The chemistry system has been overhauled to an almost identical format after many years. Now, instead of having connecting lines between players from the same league, team and/or country, they can be improved through a three-point system where the more points earned by compatible teammates who are in the same starting 11, the higher the advantage of a chemistry add-on they will receive.
The main difference from previous years is that you don’t have to put matching players next to each other – they can be placed anywhere in the team. And once you have three equal players to build up the three points on each, you can use players from other leagues and countries.
This allows you to effectively create teams with much more freedom than before. For example, you can have a combined La Liga and Premier League team without getting penalties for player performance. While it may sound complicated at first, it’s actually easier to match players if you don’t have to make sure they’re next to each other on the field.
Another Ultimate Team change is in player positions. Instead of allowing players to switch positions depending on zones, you are now limited to changing a player’s starting position based on their real world skills. That means a striker who can also play as a center forward in real life will be able to take any of these positions, but his chemistry score will be penalized if he is placed elsewhere. Position mod cards in the game are now also universal – you don’t need to purchase a specific CM-to-CDM card, for example. As long as a player is a natural fit for the position you want to change him to, you just use the same card.
The latest addition to Ultimate Team is Moments. These are single player objectives on the field that you must complete to get stars. These Moment Stars can then be traded for in-game items, packs, and even players. They’re fairly easy to get to (for experienced players) and also serve to help newcomers understand the basics of gameplay – important as the action feels a little different this year.
On the field
Matches definitely feel slower and more methodical this time around. There is a heavier reliance on passing and while many of the same tactics and moves still seem to work, a more thoughtful strategy can pay off.
In reality, the game feels a little too slow right now, especially in Ultimate Team, but that could be because we’re starting from scratch with lower-ranked gold cards instead of the meta players we gathered at the end of FIFA 22. It’s a bit a shock to go from the tempo of 99 and go back to the low 80s. Accurate passing is definitely a bit trickier when you first start out, and through balls are nearly impossible to get.
Those will of course improve as your team does, and when EA pushes its numerous gameplay tweaks and patches, as always. But we really like the fact that pace is much less important this year, especially in midfield and defense, while other stats are more relevant now. Sure, a striker with a decent pace will still get more capable behind defense, but it’s no longer everything, it feels.
That’s thanks to what EA calls Hypermotion 2 – an enhanced version of the animation and AI engine that allows players to take more intelligent positions and passing routes on the pitch. There are also new acceleration (AcceleRATE) and shooting technologies that allow better gamers to get an extra meter or a more powerful attack on the target.
Setplays have also changed, with a different point of view and a new line system that makes free kicks and corners more varied and accurate – once you’ve battled them out. Sanctions are also different, although we’re not quite sure we’ve mastered them yet and suspect it will take some time.
That will be the case with the overall gameplay point. It’ll take a few weeks to really get a feel for it and figure out the best tactics to use – just in time for EA to launch a patch that will have you rethinking everything. It’s always the way.
Beautiful but the same
Perhaps all that remains to be discussed is what the game looks like and, to be fair, there has been very little change aside from some slightly improved player models and new kits. Even the FUT stadiums are basically identical to last year.
That said, FIFA 23 still looks fantastic. It runs at 60 frames per second during gameplay and seemingly in 4K on PS5, Xbox Series X and compatible PCs. And it’s as tight as ever.
We experienced some frame drops during gameplay, but that’s because of the server connection and not the software itself. It’s also worth noting that we played during the review and early access, when things were still getting set up properly, so that might not even happen with the full consumer release.
Audio is identical to FIFA 22, although we do get a new tracklist with licensed songs that will eventually get stuck in your brain as they spin on the menus and screens. We wouldn’t want it any other way.
squirrel_widget_12854120
All in all, FIFA 23 is a very good game, but hardly anything new. To be fair, we’ve been saying this for a few years now, and real change only comes once in a while. That said, it’s still the best football game out there, hands down, and it will reward hardcore fans, especially with the changes to the team spirit system in Ultimate Team and an added focus on building the game on the pitch. Keep in mind that this latest EA game nicknamed “FIFA” is pretty much the most FIFA-esque of them all.
Written by Rik Henderson.
0 Comments