FIFA is Dead, but EA Sports FC 24 Lives On — Is it Any Good Though?

Of course, the long-running FIFA franchise has undergone some changes for this year’s entry, with EA Sports ditching the FIFA license altogether and rebranding the football sim. But, with even with a new name and approach, what is different about EA Sports FC 24?

The game itself has continued to evolve on the foundations of FIFA 23, improving the player animation technology, AI, and adding more personality to each player, with the most notable change being that EA Sports has added 34 new playstyles, which are applied to certain players. What this means is that instead of all the players essentially being the same, with some having more stats in areas than others, players get ‘abilities’ of sorts, such as being a standout dribbler (Trickster), an incredible defensive player (Interceptor), or long-range specialist (Finesse), among others.

It’s a bit of a throwback to the ‘star players’ feature of FIFA entries back in the day (although wrapped in a new packaging), where using your key players’ abilities becomes increasingly important to win vital matches. You can’t just expect to finesse shots with average players all the time, as it makes far more sense to get your primary finisher into the red zone and capitalise on his higher chance of pulling the shot off compared to those other players.

This is the same on the defensive front, where some defenders are now capable of doing stop-tackle moments, which can cleanly slide the ball away from attackers while maintaining control. It’s a great way to use your defenders to strip the ball and immediately launch a counter-attack more effectively.

And for some added animation when you do these new abilities, the team has enhanced their HyperMotion technology, which uses the real-world camera in professional games to capture volumetric data from players. This means that the animation system has basically been updated with a whole bunch of bunch of animations, including some new volley shots, quick dribbling techniques, and direction changes, making the general moment-to-moment play feel a lot smoother. While small, most longtime FIFA fans will spot these new animations and note their improvements.

The career mode returns too and while there’s nothing too new here, the Ballon D’or ceremony (you know, the Oscars of football) is included in the season, so you can see your created custom player attend the event and even win, if you deserve it, of course.

We don’t even have to discuss whether EA Sports FC 22 looks good. Of course, it does, they’ve been refining the presentation of these games for over 20 years, so every player, boot, blade of grass and detail looks incredible. With the change of license, there are some small presentation changes that are noticeable, with that FIFA coat of paint not being there anymore, but the truth is that there are a lot of less trademarks and branding, making the game’s new menu design seem refreshing.

EA Sports FC 24 is a great step forward for the football sim franchise. Of course, there’s never going to be any radical change, but the small touches, such as player personality, post-goal cut-scenes, and a spiffier presentation always make it feel a lot more exciting. Additionally, the gameplay has had some welcome adjustments that make who’s on your team a lot more important. If you’re a FIFA die-hard, you’ll be glad to know that this sports sim is still in good nick for another season.

EA Sports FC 24 is available on Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | Xbox One | PS4 | Switch | PC.