As part of a major presentation, MeinMMO author Julian Schröder was able to experience the gameplay of FIFA-23 successor EA Sports FC 24 for the first time. Whether something fundamental changes in FC 24 and what his favorite feature is, you will find out here.
What we tested: EA Sports invited us to Amsterdam to participate in the grand presentation of EA Sports FC 24. We were able to spend several hours with a very early pre-beta build and test the new features extensively.
A total of 4 teams were ready. With the male players, matches between Manchester City and PSG could be held, and among the women, Chelsea and PSG were available.
We will share our first impressions of the new gameplay here.
Does FC 24 really bring a gameplay revolution?
The first question I asked myself as a long-time FIFA player before the first match of FC 24 was: Will the game really be completely different now? After all, there is so much new in the name, logo, and presentation like there hasn’t been in years.
But as I started my very first match against an English colleague, one thing became clear after just a few seconds: “FC 24 plays like a classic FIFA.” Everything feels similar to the predecessor: the control, the animations, the dribbling.
After the match, which I lost 0:2 by the way, I quickly realized that FC 24, despite its new name, is still more of an evolution than a revolution in terms of gameplay. However, that’s not a bad thing, as I really liked FIFA 23 and spent hundreds of hours on the game. My first impressions of FC 24: also extremely positive.
This is how FC 24 plays: Because although much is the same and the overall feeling is strongly reminiscent of its predecessor, there are some changes that stood out to me immediately. First, the game tempo has slowed down a bit. This contributes to making the game feel a little more realistic.
New animations, especially for goalkeepers and defenders, also add to the realism.
I found it very hard to score in my first matches because the goalkeepers made saves I had never seen before. The defenders were always in the right place to intercept my perfectly timed passes.
Frustration slowly set in as my attacks weren’t really dangerous. But then I tried the new “Precision Passes.”
My favorite feature of the beta: the new precise passes
Even before EA Sports talked about it, I discovered a description of a new feature in the beta menu: the “Precision Pass.” A new type of pass that enables you to activate a pass preview to precisely determine where the ball should land.
This makes it possible to make passes that curve. So passes into space that curve around the opposing defender to reach my striker running into space. A type of pass that footballers like Kevin De Bruyne often use, but were never possible in FIFA.
According to the FIFA menu, there should be 3 different variants.
- Precision Pass – R1 + Pass into space
- Precision Lob – R1 + Lob
- Evading Precision Pass – L2 + R1 + Pass into space
I gradually approached the new passes and initially despaired. It felt so unfamiliar to see a pass indicator on the field that showed me exactly what path my pass would take. Controlling it while also managing the player was a challenge.
But after a few tries, it worked better and better, and I was able to use the function to execute the most precise passes of my FIFA career. Some even led to goals, making me look forward to perfecting the new passes in the full version and leaving no chance for future opponents.
What’s up with the PlayStyles? The probably biggest gameplay innovation is likely the 34 different PlayStyles that are supposed to make each player unique. There are PlayStyles for passing, heading, shooting, defending, and many more.
This sounds great in theory and should play a major role, especially in Ultimate Team, where you carefully choose and know each of your players.
However, in the few matches I was allowed to play with the limited number of teams, I hardly noticed the PlayStyles at all. Only a symbol that briefly popped up indicated that I must have triggered a PlayStyle ability.
It will definitely be exciting to see how FC 24 will develop and especially how the new PlayStyles will impact gameplay. I’m also curious whether the precise passes can truly win my heart in the long run.
If you want to know more about the details of the gameplay, then take a look here:
How EA Sports FC 24 changes the gameplay compared to FIFA 23: 8 highlights from the pitch notes
