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A new dawn is here. The acrimonious split between EA and FIFA has taken shape, with EA Sports FC set to take over. Competition appears to be scarce for FC 24, but needless to say EA is seeking to assert its dominance in the football gaming world.
The EA Sports FC 24 release date has been confirmed and reveals are now taking place. We have been lucky enough to get our hands on a pre-beta version of FC 24 and while it is still a shadow of what the full game will be, the early signs are extremely positive for the new game.
The first thing that strikes you in the new game is the new UI. EA has torn up the script and started afresh this season, and it has worked a treat. This year’s game offers a cleaner, smarter, and more intuitive menu experience than in FIFA 23, which applies throughout everything, from the main menu to specific modes.
Last year we saw some muddled thinking, as navigating from Quickplay Modes to Kick-Off required three different menus to find, rendering the ‘quickplay’ label a misnomer. This year is different, with straightforward menu options for the main menu and Ultimate Team allowing you to easily navigate the game to your desired destination.
While the user experience off the pitch is important, the action over the course of 90 minutes is what determines whether FC 24 is a success or not. As with any pre-release beta or demo, we must take what we played with a pinch of salt, but with that in mind, the limited version of what we played was brilliant.
Aesthetically, it’s gorgeous. The current gen consoles have extraordinary firepower but even so, EA has taken FC 24 to new levels and it truly does look like watching a live match on TV. Our fears following the interesting Ultimate Edition cover were instantly quashed.
New SAPIEN Technology adds to the authenticity as each player moves and reacts in a more realistic manner than ever before. Hypermotion V also plays its part as EA no longer has a need for motion capture suits. The volume of data captured has risen from two matches to 180, increasing the number of animations in the game exponentially.
Now we have established how great it all looks, how does it feel? In truth, it is remarkably similar to the start of FIFA 23. Most of the pre-launch versions of FIFA have provided slower gameplay, but that is partly due to the speed in which we adjust to the Ultimate Team cycle when our squads are stacked with incredible players with buffed pace and strength.
While the FC 24 gameplay was slow, it still felt rewarding. More emphasis appears to have been placed on vision and passing, bringing creative players to the forefront of the game. Players like Kevin De Bruyne will play a more valuable role in unlocking defences, especially with the new Precision Pass feature. Using the awkward combination of L2, R1, and the pass input will take some getting used to. We think the idea is solid, but maybe the execution still needs some fine tuning.
Manchester City and PSG were the only two teams available in this early version of the game, which meant pitting FC 24 cover athlete Erling Haaland against last season’s poster boy Kylian Mbappe. Having played with both sides, I can confirm that Mbappe is still ridiculously good, and will inevitably be a nightmare to play against in FC Ultimate Team.
Even up against Kyle Walker, Mbappe was burning past him with blistering speed. The new Controlled Sprint Dribble, activated by R1/RT, gave a new dimension to Mbappe too. He didn’t need any more weapons in his arsenal, but with the new mechanic he, and other technical dribblers, can lure in defenders and burst past them with great control.
This is not to say that pace will be the be all and end all. Haaland was deadly in front of goal and lethal in the air, especially from corners. Matching up your in-game style to suitable players appears to be very effective. While Mbappe was certainly the standout, each of City and PSG’s stars felt useful throughout the games I played when playing to their strengths.
Overall, our brief interaction with FC 24 was a positive one. It’s fun, realistic, and it’s rewarding – and it’s exactly what you’d expect if you’re a veteran FIFA player. Scoring my first goal in FC 24 with none other than this summer’s hero Jack Grealish really did top off the experience, and the full launch can’t come soon enough.
