EA Sports FC 24 Review (PS5): Nothing Unexpected

Our EA Sports FC 24 Review is finally here. Formerly known as the football game under the FIFA series, EA has left that relationship in the past and begun anew. This fresh feel, design, and ideas have arrived in a new franchise called “Football Club” 24. Developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania and published by EA Sports, you can play FC 24 on the PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X | S, PC, and Nintendo Switch. FC 24 will also be released on mobile under the FC Mobile series.

Is the latest take on the world’s favourite football game any different than before? Will it take a step ahead in FUT? Does it change crucial elements demanded by players? And most importantly, is it immune to bugs found in FC 23? Let’s drop into our EA Sports FC 24 Review.

KICK OFF

You can observe many new elements from the title screen and a brand-new reimagined UI. Does it look better than the previous title screens? It is minimalistic, providing a clean and much faster experience to set up games, but we liked the original better. It removes unnecessary campaigns and forced tutorials every time you log in and ensures you play what you decide. All game modes return to FC 24 from FIFA 23, with a few missing leagues. This, however, is well compensated because FC 24 still has 700+ teams, 30+ Leagues, 100+ Stadiums, and, more importantly, a whopping 19,000+ fully licensed players. Anyone new to the game will find no difference and will be able to happily experience the plethora of playing options in the game.

But do you get any brand-new game mode you’ve never seen before? Do you get any narrative game mode similar to VOLTA in FIFA 21? Unfortunately no. The priority is still focused on the couch co-op enjoyability and the FUT. If you’ve purchased the FC 24 ultimate pack, apart from the 7-day early access, you get – 4,600 FC Points, a Nike Ultimate Team Campaign, a Nike Ultimate Team Loan and a Kit, and one Team of the Week Ultimate Player. As you have noticed correctly, these benefits are only on multiplayer and prove to be a pay-to-win over cosmetic items. Since the player cards are some of the most critical elements of the game, having a Team of the Week player earlier vs. players who have just started the game will make a significant difference. At the end of the day, FIFA is more oriented towards being a skill-based game; however, you will often have advantages and disadvantages based on your players’ stats.

Even in this version, except for your FIFA points, none of the assets and earned items go forward in the next game, and it still blows my mind. Paying for two different editions of the games with only 10% graphical improvement yet having separate titles is genuinely a business-only endeavour by EA. But hey! As a returning player, you will get a legacy player kit and badge. Isn’t that amazing for the total price you paid last year? Oh, and speaking of Volta, you still cannot 1v1 with your friends. But, in Volta, you can now equip signature moves, refreshing the playstyle while retaining most of the previously enjoyed elements.

The Look of FC 24

FC 24 utilizes the power of next-gen systems to the next level and provides highly detailed graphics during close-up shots and replays. The audience, NPCs, and Stadiums have an overhauled look and feel that pushes one step toward the realism offered in FC 24.

In terms of graphics, FC 24 is truly a spectacle. These minute details have caught us in awe, from carrying the dirt in jersey accumulated during slide tackles to sweat showering in the face after a mile run counterattack. As you may have heard, there is a brand new First Person POV of the referee while booking the players and preparing for a penalty kick. We saw it in action and had goosebumps all over. Watching your opponent get booked for ruining your perfect play up close is the peak definition of satisfaction.

Apart from the overhauled look and feel of the players and stadium, the pre and post-match cinematics have a fresh sense, giving it a little more touch of realism.

The Feel of FC 24

Compared directly to FC 23, the players are slower and more grounded. This reflects that FC 24 wanted a more realistic approach to how a player would react and theoretically dribble with the ball. Instead of running across the map like an Olympic run, you prioritize making a play and going for the shot.

The Goalkeepers will, like before, miss easily savable shots and will save almost all impossible-to-defend attempts. We have yet to learn how this works, and we hope a future patch will also overhaul that. Apart from Goalkeepers, headers are another pivotal part of the game that feels changed and more complex to hit—overall making corners slightly harder to succeed with headers. Since the game is already a part of the Asian Games, it would be very interesting for players to quickly realize the changes and adapt their strategies.

The newly optimized hypermotion animations feel slightly more disappointing than before, as they are almost entirely fast and look less attractive, similar to the PS4 version of FIFA 23.

But apart from what we’ve mentioned, FC 24 is truly a remarkable step towards making one of the most realistic football video games we’ve ever seen. From the hair waving and bouncing as the player walks to the visually disappointed goalkeeper shouting at the defenders, you can observe the intricate details put down in part of the game.

VERDICT

FC 24 is truly leaps ahead of the competition, in making the most realistic football game to date. From the intricate facial details to pitch wear, there is no room for errors. However, the game has minimum changes to its predecessor; just like before, the focus is on the Ultimate Team Multiplayer part instead of all game modes. Overall, apart from graphics, everything stays the same. The status quo stays the same for FC- if you liked last year’s outing, you’ll definitely like this one.

Final Rating: 80/100