FIFA 23 is the end of an era. The last of its kind. No FIFA 24 next year because the license agreement is over after 30+ years. Ea Sports FC is already announced as the heir to the FIFA throne while the FIFA bozos have also announced making a new football game to rival their former partner. Exciting times ahead but for now we can still hold on to what we knew with the newest iteration of FIFA aptly named FIFA 23
Smack some Hypermotion 2 on it
Every new version of FIFA is in essence just a roster update with a bit of fresh paint added to make it stand out from the previous version. Not every new version is treated the same way. I remember some disappointing years throughout the history of the game but ended up playing the new version regardless. This year won’t be different. In the end, Fifa games are still the best way to experience “the beautiful game” in a virtual way. This year the biggest improvement in the overall gameplay is the added Hypermotion 2 technology. Sadly only current gen owners will benefit from the added realism this new technology brings to the game. I can confirm the animations look awesome and feel less “video-gamey” than what I was used to on FIFA 22.
To be more precise… The game feels a lot slower than before. The physics of the ball has improved. The game isn’t centered on speed anymore. I feel like a player with good passing has become more useful than before. You need to find space to dribble with the ball and use intelligent passing to outplay your opponent. A lot more tika taka instead of kick and rush automatically makes for a more tactical way to play. I personally love it but I heard equally as many voices from the community who think it is just too slow. I like the added realism a lot and think people just need to get used to the new feel.
Ultimate moments
FIFA 23 is once again mostly featured around the Ultimate Team mode. This year it’s exciting to see some new features that could potentially make a big difference in the experience. In FIFA Ultimate Team you collect cards to make up your own team. Earn rewards by competing offline and online in order to improve your team. With a new chemistry system implemented the squad building opens up so many possibilities for awesome and original teams. Players from the same nation, same club, or same league all add to chemistry like it always did but this time they don’t need to play next to each other. Each player can have up to 3 chemistry points earning that player the biggest boosts in his stats. A player without chemistry won’t get the boost but won’t get a penalty either and just play with his base stats. Dropping that Messi in your team without any French league or Argentinian link is now a valuable option.
Another nice addition to Ultimate Team is a new way to earn packs through Moments. These mini-challenges can be completed to earn stars. Stars are a new type of currency to spend in the stars store. This opens up newer ways to earn packs for those who are not willing (or able) to buy FIFA points. These moments center around a certain situation where you need to perform a few challenges. These challenges are fun to complete and even help to improve your game. For instance, the Rise of Mbappé moments (a timed moments event at the start of the game) teaches a lot of the skill moves in actual game situations.
Career, Volta, Pro Club, Woman’s club teams
Career mode got a big revamp last year. Still, FIFA 23 adds a few new things, especially in the player’s career. There are more ways to get involved as a player and feel a part of the whole football player lifestyle instead of just training and playing games. Why not buy an esports team to earn you money so you can afford dance lessons to improve your balance? It’s all possible. Volta and pro clubs are back with no new improvements. Woman’s football teams are introduced for the first time. The English and French league are featured alongside the international woman’s team from the previous version.
World Cup and Woman’s World Cup update
Nice to know FIFA is planning to introduce the World Cup in Qatar and the Woman’s World Cup in Australia later in the game through a free upgrade. There were times FIFA released a whole new game for these events just to make you pay again for what was exactly the same game experience as the base game. Luckily, EA sports has come to its senses.
Conclusion
The last FIFA 23 brings the best virtual football experience out there. The gameplay improvements have a huge impact. The added content to both Ultimate Team and Career mode plus the coming World Cup updates make this a sure buy for anyone still on the fence.
