Listen to this articleWhen it comes to annual releases of a sports title, those who aren’t “enthusiasts” automatically assume at a glance that these releases are just roster updates with minor tweaks to keep it looking fresh. But for those like me who spend countless hours, days and weeks playing these sports titles, especially FIFA this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The FIFA franchise has long since transcended the basic expectations of a football title to the mecca of football matches. 30 officially licensed leagues, over 19,000 players with full stats and the UEFA Champions League are just some of the main reasons why this is the number one sports game in the world. That said, let’s walk around the field and start this review.
If you’ve ever attended a live football match, you know the atmosphere is exciting. The support groups lead the charge with loud chants, the away squad supporters do the same and the players feed on this energy to achieve a win. FIFA 23 does a great job of incorporating all these real match day elements to replicate the live experience.
Authentic chants, TIFOs and stadiums make for an immersive gameplay experience. Before each match, there is a beautifully produced cutscene of your selected team’s stadium, fans entering and players entering the field. Now we’ve seen this level of detail in previous FIFA releases, but developers EA Vancouver and EA Romania have worked hard to get fully rendered images of over 100 stadiums.
That’s why each of these cutscenes you’re watching from Old Trafford to Red Bull Arena highlights the actual stadiums with accurate sunlight as it hits the pitch, so the sound bounces off these massive structures. It is this level of attention to detail that should be appreciated, but can sometimes be overlooked.
While playing FIFA 23 you will notice that during replays a startup screen will appear that reads HYPERMOTION. This is the technology used to capture the movements of real football players. I find it odd that this startup screen has to be displayed in almost every iteration, but regardless of the technology, it’s impressive. I play traditionally between 2 camera images, dynamic and classical. I like dynamism because it’s a zoomed in view of the player with the ball and some of the surrounding players. You need to focus a bit more on the radar for the wing and field players, but it’s great to see player footwork and animations.
FIFA 23 gameplay has slowed down from FIFA 22 meaning you have to be more accurate while on the ball. I enjoy dribbling and using the right stick to perform stepovers, rollbacks and other tricks to get out of tight spots to create passing lanes or space to run. I noticed a myriad of new player movement animations ranging from new player collisions leading to some pretty nasty tumbles to dodging a defender and seeing him try to turn around and do a slight slip.
It all looks very realistic, especially with the pitch showing signs of wear as the game progresses. We also have a new on-field cut scene for injuries, set piece formations and the most notable corner formation. We now have a zoomed in perspective of the shot instead of the top view of the previous one FIFA titles that I assume were done to accommodate the new gameplay mechanics.
Some key gameplay mechanics have been completely changed. This continues with the corner kick. Gone is the reticle to determine where your shot will go in the penalty area. We now have an umbrella line that can be moved up and down with the left stick. Move the left stick up and your shot will go to the back post, move left or right to choose how close you want your shot to be.
I personally had no issues with the previous mechanic, but this one is a bit easier to execute and more streamlined in regards to the player animation that runs to pick up the ball, corner it and stand in front of his or her shot . It’s a very smooth transition. And yes, this new mechanic also applies to free kicks. We also have a new powershot move that any player can perform by pressing the LB + RB and B while aiming at a target. This shot as it’s called is a power shot that’s great for long range shots. While shooting the camera slightly zooms in on you and there is a 2 second winding function that can be locked but also works as a signal to your opponent that you are about to take the powershot.
The key is finding enough space and time to perform the move, as well as aiming at the target. I haven’t mastered it yet, but from the times I’ve connected, it offers some great highlights. Another major gameplay change is the taking of PKs. Again, the reticle is gone, but now we have this ring around the ball that depending on the shot taker, PK stats can move slower or faster as it approaches the ball. The goal is to press B when the circle is close to the ball.
The 2nd part of this process is to then use the left stick to look left or right. You will see your player’s head move left or right to indicate which side you intend to shoot. Don’t worry about how long you push left or right as that’s not a factor, it’s all about that ring around the ball that determines whether the ball goes into the back of the net or the top row in the stands. The only argument is that when you play MP, the opponent can also see your head movement, so you have to be quick and make that choice before you kick the ball.
FIFA 23 is truly the Swiss Army knife of football games. Whether you’re an experienced or a novice player, there’s bound to be a game mode or match type for you. We now have some of the best women’s leagues and soon the 2022 World Cup to compete in. Personally, I live in two modes, namely VOLTA and Ultimate Team.
VOLTA is great to play with casuals or in my case with my 6 year old who enjoys the smaller, fast paced gameplay. Either 3v3,4v4 or 5v5 is one of those modes you can use and anyone watching will feel the need to jump in.
This year Ultimate Team has gone through some major changes. The first is the review of team chemistry. Gone are the multicolored lines that represent each player’s chemistry with each other and produce an individual chemistry score. It is now focused on country/region, league and club. If your player(s) have 1 or all 3 team spirits, it will be indicated by 1-3 dots in the lower left corner of the player card.
The reason for the change is to offer more variety to your team builds so that you can have Benzema play in a pro-dominant EPL squad as long as you have a few other French players. Another major game change for UT is the removal of multiple position modifier cards. We now have 1 modifier card and when applied to a player it shows the alternate position the player can play. So an LW can switch to an LM, etc. You can also check your player’s bio and it will show the alternate position he/she can play.
However, I noticed that all my GKs have no alternate position. We also have a new mode in “Moments”. When this mode was announced, I was excited because I thought it would be a way to replay key moments from a particular player’s career. And while some of this is there, it really turns out to be a bit of a grind fest to get the new star currency to unlock packs similar to the ones in the UT store.
The first player moment is titled “Rise of Mbappé”. Your goal is to complete specific goals such as completing a few passes, scoring a goal and getting an assist, all as Mbappé. The mode also offers an Mbappé Loan Card, so don’t worry about having to buy one from the transfer market. It’s also worth noting that you don’t use player contracts in this mode.
However, this brings me to the rewards I feel are missing. Since it’s all about Mbappé right now, I’m assuming that if I complete all the tier challenges (which there are plenty), I’d end up with at least a non-tradeable Mbappé, maybe a rookie card or some variation. But no, you just get more stars to unlock more packs. This is a new mode and as we’ve seen with others, the mode and rewards may change over time. I only wish completing Rise of Mbappé would yield an Mbappé related reward.
FIFA 23 delivers in providing the ultimate football gaming experience available. Hell, we even have Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond. EA also announced a partnership with Marvel to create some beautifully designed Legendary UT maps. This is also the last release with the “FIFA” license. Next year’s release will be called EA Sports FC and will still include all of the aforementioned leagues, players, etc. as these are separate license agreements. Football is life and regardless of branding, EA together with all the development studios involved continue to produce a great football game.
This review is based on a digital review copy of FIFA 23 for Xbox Series X provided by EA Sports.
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