14 DAY TRIAL // 
Not a long time ago, FIFA fans were shocked to hear that their favorite game is going away, as EA decided not to renew the license after the 2023 season.
In reality, however, the only thing that’s changing is the name. With FIFA apparently planning to build its very own soccer game, EA will continue with what the company will call EA Sports FC. It’s pretty much the same game with a different game.
However, EA knows that even the name change could make some people walk away, so the last version of its FIFA game had to be massive.
Enter FIFA 23.
Available on both old- and new-gen platforms, FIFA 23 expands the cross-play approach and finally lets PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S owners play against PC users.
The new FIFA, however, comes with huge changes from one end to another, starting with the increased focus on women’s football and ending with the improved version of HyperMotion.
In many ways, FIFA 23 feels like a completely new game even for diehard fans of the franchise. The menus are different, there are tutorials pretty much everywhere you go, and there are plenty of changes that you need to discover and eventually get used to.
At some level, all these show that FIFA 23 is a completely new game and not just a season update with kits and new squads. And for someone who plays FIFA for fun, this is absolutely fantastic.
Let’s jump straight to the part that most people are interested in: the gameplay.
EA has clearly refined the gameplay in a substantial manner, and the updated version of HyperMotion makes everything feel a little bit smoother and more fluid. Passing the ball feels more realistic now, and the shots are spectacular, to say the least. The new power shot is an excellent addition, and while it takes some time to master it, the whole thing is extremely rewarding. However, I think people will end up overusing the power shot, just like they did with finesse in the previous version of FIFA.
In many ways, I feel that being good at FIFA no longer comes down to knowing what buttons to press but rather to using them just at the right time. This makes the game feel more realistic, and after all, this is precisely what a sports simulation title is all about.
The behavior of defenders has also been substantially improved. The tackles are often spot-on, though I think the sprints still need further polishing. More often than not, defenders are caught off-guarded when facing a fast forward, so you won’t even have to turn to the trick stick to get past it.
Goalkeepers, on the other hand, offer a very mixed experience. While they sometimes block impossible shots, there are moments when they actually make the most awkward mistakes, leading to frustrating goals. However, I believe this is something that EA will further polish in the coming updates, so let’s not forget this is just the very first version of FIFA 23.
Ultimate Team has gone through a massive transformation as well, and as someone who enjoys playing this mode in particular, the new approach has left me with mixed feelings.
First and foremost, this massive transformation that I was talking about makes playing it feel like a completely new experience. In other words, there’s a lot to discover about FUT, even if you played it hard in the previous games.
The UI is obviously different, so there’s a chance you’ll feel lost at first, but give it some time and you’ll notice that FUT is still extremely addictive.
The new chemistry system, however, is an awkward approach. Players no longer depend on the chemistry points they get in the squad, so you don’t have to match two players with the same nationality or from the same club or league to get the maximum score. In other words, it’s easier to build the perfect squad, and what’s more, the lack of chemistry between two players will no longer make them feel like complete strangers during the game.
Beginners will certainly find this change welcome, but on the other hand, I think it kind of makes FUT and the challenges of building a strong squad less rewarding. One of the things I loved about FUT was the squad-building experience, as it involved a lot of planning, and in many ways, advanced knowledge of everything that means football, including teams and clubs.
The matchmaking is still awful, and I really can’t understand how come this isn’t already resolved. The DNF modifier still doesn’t seem to matter, and more often than not, I ended up playing against people who quit the game after receiving just one goal. Furthermore, if you’re a beginner, there’s a chance you’ll occasionally end up playing against super-experienced players, especially in FUT, and this obviously makes everything extremely frustrating.
The Good
- More fluid gameplay
- The new power shot is great
- FUT comes with redesigned chemistry settings
The Bad
- AI still needs further polishing
- FUT feels less rewarding
- Matchmaking is still awful
CONCLUSION
While there are things that still need further polishing, this isn’t necessarily new to long-time FIFA players. This is exactly what every release feels like, but on the good side, EA typically includes tons of changes in the updates it ships for the main release.
At the end of the day, FIFA 23 is a release that’ll probably keep many players on board next year when EA Sports FC will be thrown into the battle for the very first time. It’s a major release in pretty much every regard, and while some things are missing, such as VAR and the support for only three substitutions, this is by far the best FIFA. Ever.
Review code provided by the publisher.
