No need to panic, put down your pitchforks.
When it was announced that EA Sports and FIFA were
parting ways after an over 30 year partnership, there was, understandably, a bit of confusion.
What would be missing? What would be coming back? Will players be missing? Is it going to be like the by-gone days of Pro Evolution Soccer, where you would play as the London Blues against the Manchester Devils in the Premier Cup?
Well, no need to panic; we've had a chance to play a build of EA Sports FC 24, and despite some gameplay tweaks, presentation updates, and Ultimate Team overhauls, it's the same football game you've known for years.
It's all about the game, and how you play it
The biggest addition to the game that will make major differences to how you plan your squad is Playstyles, a new attribute for individual players. With these, certain footballers will perform certain actions better depending on their real-life counterparts.
For example, Kylian Mbappé's explosive pace will make him faster than a player with similar pace for the first few seconds, or Haaland's headers could have a little extra speed behind them to make it harder for the keeper to save. These playstyles come in two forms, normal and Playstyle Plus, meaning there are 68 permutations players could potentially have.
https://twitter.com/EASPORTSFC/status/1679537902546477080?s=20
The future of football on the small screen
The first major change players will notice is the presentation of games to further emulate watching a game on television. Broadcasters have turned to EA's football titles for inspiration for how to show matches, and the new additions, including first person ref cam, last five shots visualised, and possession contested will certainly be ones to look out for in the future. Most critically for players, the game can show which players are most exhausted on the pitch, letting gamers know when best to make substitutions or switch up game plans.
Football is for everyone
Ultimate Team, since its addition to the game in 2008, has grown from a downloadable add-on to a key component of the game, with millions of players opening packs, building squads, and racking up wins for bragging rights. For the first time, women players will also be available as potential squad mates, with legends of the game along with current stars potentially being opened in packs. One new feature which could shape how players plan squads is Evolutions, which allows players to complete challenges to upgrade players, improving their stats and giving them new Playstyles. This allows players to customise their teams, meaning their versions of their favourite footballer could be totally different from someone else.
Full time scores
While there were some bugs in this early build of the game, EA Sports FC 24 is set to satisfy football fans looking for a high-quality gaming experience. EA Sports FC 24 is available for pre-order now, with a standard edition available for €79.99, and an Ultimate Edition for €109.99.
EA provided travel reimbursement to JOE to preview EA Sports FC 24.
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