Shaun Ranft
Notably, it’s worth kicking off this review by highlighting that FIFA 23 is the final team-up between football’s governing body and EA Sports, a collaboration dating all the way back to 1994. FIFA as we know it will be an entirely new formula moving forward. I’m pleased to say this final effort in a long-running series feels like a fitting enough send-off.
In recent years, they’ve tried to capture realism on the pitch through gameplay tweaks and motion capture advancements. This is certainly apparent in FIFA 23, but yet again, almost to the game’s detriment. Over time, they’ve tweaked so much to the point where the in-game physics begin to feel cartoonish. Players crash into each other at an alarming rate; sometimes it is as though you’re running into a brick wall only to ultimately be flipped over it.
It’s difficult to find that balance between authenticity and enjoyable gameplay. You go too far in either direction, and this becomes a different game entirely.
Still, there is a noticeable improvement in the game’s AI over last year’s entry. Defending is crisper and thus far, players can find success within the more defensive-minded formations—a 5-2-2-1, for example—despite the patient build-up play some of these requirements. In-game tactics are just as customizable as they’ve been in recent years. Tinkering with individual instructions can lead to grand rewards while tinkering too much can leave you exposed.
When it comes to FIFA 23, and I cannot stress this enough, you’re going to get out of it what you want to get out of it.
For some, the Ultimate Team grind has become a way of life. For others, that same game mode has taken over to the point where other modes are simply secondary; only there because they need to be there, only there because they make up part of being a FIFA game. And yet, there is joy to be had outside of Ultimate Team if players wish to find it.
Taking AFC Richmond and throwing them into The Championship? Pretty neat. Going one step further and playing as AFC Richmond? Perhaps even better; although, why on Earth would you want to take Ted Lasso and Coach Beard out of the picture? The same can be said for Wrexham, who as part of the fifth tier of English Football wouldn’t even be in this entry if not for owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. So why not throw them into League Two and see what happens?
Staying with Career mode for a moment, FIFA 23 certainly does try its darndest to give players complete control over every aspect of their club. It seems as though they’re going for that Football Manager-feel given the level of detail, yet it often comes across as bloated. Despite trying to clean up the tedious menu navigation of years past, said tediousness remains. Though those who wish to control every aspect of training down to the drill, or scout every player down to the bone, can.
Once more, it’s all about balance. Oftentimes the balance is slightly off, but the effort is there. So again, I must stress, FIFA 23 will give you what you wish to get out of it.
For players like me, Ultimate Team rules everything. That is, despite the ramped-up amount of untradeable pack rewards; regardless of how tedious it can be to grind Squad Battles or other modes on a weekly basis just to have a chance at top rewards; no matter how insignificant the new Moments feature feels or how unbalanced the rewards-to-objective difficulty can be.
Ultimate Team, as it does every year, gives me a chance to reconnect with one of my oldest friends even when we hardly get a chance to see one another in real life. There is a shared joy with every good pack pull, a shared misery with every perceived slight be it in-game or through the lesser pack pulls. Most days, with this game, that’s going to be enough.
And sure, the entirety of the FUT Stadium customization may not be your thing. It’s certainly not mine, and yet I’ve committed to making my stadium the most obnoxious experience possible. Submarine alert sound whenever we score at home? Yep! A clash of colors so over the top that you’d wish you were playing in a void? Absolutely. A German club walk-out song and fire coming from behind the net? Why the heck not? All of these options exist, so you might as well have fun with them while you can.
The overall presentation shines through well enough, though once again the announcing is entirely too repetitive. Perhaps that’s true to life, but it can make for a fairly irritating or even bland in-game experience. It’s difficult to remember the last time FIFA announcers were truly calling the match in front of them. Again, it’s all about balance. Blending the right gameplay with realism can be very difficult, but some variety in commentary would be such a welcomed addition.
For me, the biggest drawback to Ultimate Team will always be the never-ending card promotions and the struggle to keep up with them. Every single week, it seems, players get a new set of cards to lust after. FUT Heroes are present from the beginning; Ones to Watch (OTW) as well; weekly Team of the Week (TOTW) lineups and, yeah you guessed it, monthly Player of the Month (POTM) SBCs, not to mention Flashback, Europa Conference, Europa, and Champions League versions as well.
Ultimate Team is as big a commitment as ever. So if you’re a player that simply does not have the time for it, just enjoy what you can. See how far you can go with a fairly ordinary squad. Practice those skill moves with whoever can pull them off. Test yourself against the world and see who breaks first.
There is plenty of fun to be had without giving yourself to the game entirely. Yes, with sports video games especially, putting more of your real-life money into it will likely reward you with greater opportunities. But you do not have to succumb to that, even if these titles do tend to force you to.
Outside of Ultimate Team and the somewhat-altered yet certainly familiar Career Mode, the likes of Pro Clubs, Volta Football, and Seasons remain. Still, it’s clear where EA and FIFA put most of their resources. Even as this partnership ends and EA embarks on EA Sports FC, it’s difficult to see that aspect changing. But I’m not here to take away that hope.
Ultimately, FIFA 23 is largely what players have accepted and excepted it to be as years have gone by. Gameplay tweaks are apparent, and we know they’ll be tinkering with them throughout the game’s lifespan. Though, the balance is not quite there. Skill moves can be incredibly satisfying to pull off against others while simultaneously sending one into a rage when they’re utilized against you.
The player physics are better in some places and continue to be cartoonish elsewhere. Goalkeeper animations may not ever be truly good. Hoarding cards in FUT is still the way to go. Taking lesser sides from the lowest of leagues to the pinnacle of club football can still be fun as all get out. If you’re a player who would rather live offline, it can be done. As always, the choice is yours, even if said choice is restricted.
At its core, FIFA 23 is a solid game that offers a whole lot to experience. Sure, some passes won’t go where you expect them to and yes, too many gameplay tweaks will inevitably unbalance things from time to time. Yet you’ll have plenty of opportunity to find the balance of your choosing—because at the end of the day, finding that perfect balance is a frivolous exercise. So experience it however you like doing so. Get out of it whatever you wish to get out of it, and look forward to what’s next.
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