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EA Sports FC 24 (PS5) Review
Developer: EA Vancouver / EA Romania
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports / Football Simulation
Release: 2023
EA Sports FC 24 marks the beginning of EA's football series after the end of the long-running FIFA branding. Rather than completely reinventing the formula, FC 24 builds on the established football gameplay while introducing new technologies, PlayStyles, a revamped Ultimate Team and greater integration of women's football.
On PS5, it remains a polished and feature-rich football simulation, although some of its familiar issues with animations, AI and the emphasis on Ultimate Team prevent it from feeling like a revolutionary new beginning.
Gameplay & Mechanics
The biggest strength of FC 24 is still its football. Matches feel responsive and offer plenty of control over passing, shooting, dribbling, defending and tactical play.
The PS5 version benefits from HyperMotionV, which uses volumetric data from more than 180 professional matches to influence player movement and animations. PlayStyles are another important addition, giving individual players distinctive abilities beyond their overall ratings. ()
These systems help differentiate players. A technically gifted midfielder, powerful striker and fast winger can feel noticeably different rather than simply being different numbers on a team sheet.
Physicality has also been improved, while passing and shooting offer enough depth for experienced players to spend considerable time mastering the mechanics.
However, there are still occasional moments where animations don't connect naturally. Defensive AI can also behave inconsistently, and certain matches can become frustrating when players make strange positioning decisions.
Strengths:
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Responsive and deep football gameplay
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HyperMotionV improves movement and animation
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PlayStyles make individual players more distinctive
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Strong passing, shooting and dribbling systems
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Tactical options provide considerable control
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Large selection of authentic players and teams
Weaknesses:
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Some animations remain awkward
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Defensive AI can be inconsistent
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Occasional physics and collision issues
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Gameplay can feel familiar rather than revolutionary
Career Mode
Career Mode remains an important part of the package and is divided into Manager Career and Player Career.
Manager Career receives Tactical Vision and Coaches, giving managers more control over how their team approaches matches and develops its players. Player Career focuses on developing an individual footballer, with the Ballon d'Or added as an additional long-term objective. ()
There is a satisfying amount of content here. Taking a smaller club through multiple seasons, developing young players and building a tactical identity can still provide dozens of hours of entertainment.
The problem is that Career Mode doesn't feel as transformative as some of the additions to Ultimate Team. The underlying structure remains familiar, and certain management elements could be deeper.
Nevertheless, it remains one of the best options for players who prefer a traditional single-player football experience.
Ultimate Team
Ultimate Team remains the centrepiece of FC 24 for many players.
The most significant change is the introduction of women's footballers into Ultimate Team, allowing male and female players to appear together on the same team. EA also introduced Evolutions, allowing selected players to be upgraded by completing objectives. ()
Evolutions are particularly useful because they provide an alternative to simply replacing players with increasingly powerful cards. Building a team around particular players and improving them adds another layer of customisation.
There is an enormous amount of content, challenges and squad-building possibilities, but Ultimate Team's live-service structure can also make progression feel heavily tied to constantly engaging with new content.
For dedicated Ultimate Team players, there is potentially hundreds of hours of content. For players who simply want a straightforward football game, it can feel unnecessarily complicated.
Clubs & Multiplayer
Clubs receives a significant overhaul, including a new league system, Club Reputation and PlayStyles. Cross-play also expands across multiplayer modes on compatible same-generation platforms. ()
Playing as a customised footballer alongside friends remains one of the most enjoyable ways to experience the game.
The team-based nature of Clubs rewards passing, positioning and communication considerably more than simply controlling an entire team yourself. Progression and club development provide additional motivation to keep playing.
Online gameplay can still be affected by connection quality and the occasional frustrating behaviour of teammates or opponents, but Clubs is an important part of the overall package.
Final Verdict
EA Sports FC 24 successfully establishes the new FC branding without abandoning the football formula that made the series so popular. The PS5 version looks excellent, while HyperMotionV and PlayStyles provide meaningful improvements to how players move and behave on the pitch.
The biggest additions outside the core gameplay are the inclusion of women's football in Ultimate Team, Evolutions and improvements to Clubs. Career Mode remains enjoyable, although it doesn't receive quite the same level of attention.
Ultimately, FC 24 is more of an evolution than a revolution. It is a comprehensive football game with excellent presentation, a huge amount of content and satisfying gameplay, but many of its underlying systems remain recognisably familiar.
For football fans looking for a polished PS5 football simulation, there is a lot to enjoy, even if the transition from FIFA to FC doesn't fundamentally change the experience.
Score: 8.5/10
