EA Sports FC 24 emerges - the first in a new series of games from Electronic Arts that continues its lengthy heritage of FIFAs but without the branding or partnership payments required. Who has ever talked about EA's annual game refresh without just calling it "FIFA"? And it might even pass some of the more casual gamers by - the ones who ask granny for the latest outing for Christmas, like whether they should buy PS5 games. They have played FIFA most days for the last four to five years, just about. It's only a few weeks between the last season on one game and the start of the next that they tend to give themselves an extended break. It drives their family mad but keeps them sane and happy. They are not amongst the best players but do hold their own - around Div Rivals League 2 level. And they pulled the Team of the Season Lionel Messi from a standard SBC player pick this year, showcasing their impressive gaming skills. Hopefully, this qualifies them to talk about the on-the-pitch changes in FC 24 with some level of knowledge, as well as where to buy PS5 games to enhance their gaming experience.
A New Era of Soccer Gaming
They feel as though every so often, these games swing back and forth between a faster, more arcade-like experience, and a slower, more deliberate simulator. EA FC 24 feels like the latter of the two, shaping things up with a little more weight and feel. Passing feels tighter, while shots feel more responsive and satisfying, should they put their player in a position to rip an unstable missile.
FIFA 23 came close, but they still felt as though general positioning and placing their strike on their preferred foot yielded some wonky results, where shots would lack either power or finesse. Passing also feels much cleaner, with players now able to take advantage of ‘Precision’ passing. They can now hold the shoulder buttons for unique and precise passes, depending on the situation. Holding the R1 and lob buttons for longer balls, or the R1 and through ball buttons for slipping defensive players on the counter feels incredibly satisfying to whip out when they need to even the odds.
Exploring the Transition
General player interactions also give way to more detailed contests, where players can stumble in a jostle depending on their physicality and even be run off the pitch into the side walls, where they’ll naturally brace themselves. Run them into these walls hard enough, and they’ll even flip over them. It’s not necessarily a huge change, but it’s nice to see HyperMotionV affecting more than just the on-field gameplay. FIFA’s name branding has done little to hold EA Sports back in any meaningful way.