With the end of EA Sports’ arrangement with football’s governing body, this year’s FIFA is the last we’ll see in its current form. If so, it’s going out with a bang. This year, there are no gimmicky, movie-style story modes or street-soccer career modes. With FIFA 23, it’s what’s on the pitch that counts.
Much of that comes down to HyperMotion 2, a revamped animation and physics system based on motion-captured players from real 11 v 11 matches, combined with cutting-edge AI. It’s a challenge not to be impressed by the most lifelike movement ever seen in a football game. Players sprint, jockey for possession, and dribble in believable human motion, while tackles and collisions land with a force you can almost feel. There are no more superhuman turning circles, or heads and limbs at impossible angles, just a real sense of momentum.
This crosses over into all parts of the gameplay. Dribble and the ball isn’t glued to your feet, but you can still keep it under control, like Mohamed Salah at his finest. New systems make it easier for defenders to maintain pace with an attacker, and pull off a solid tackle rather than resort to a desperate slide. Shorter, more agile players can suddenly burst through the midfield to grab a shot on goal, and when they get there, a new Power Shots system makes for some epic finishers. Just make sure you have some space around you – a slow wind-up makes it comically easy to get robbed of the ball.
More time might tell us whether some play styles are now overpowered; solo runs with Raheem Sterling seem brutally effective. Still, we’re definitely off to a good start.
The career mode feels slightly hollow, but the way it stages training, matches, and off-field spending and investments gives it the framework of a light footie role-playing game. You can also play manager and step into the Nike sneakers of Ted Lasso, or coach AFC Richmond for yourself. Better still, FIFA is finally taking the women’s game seriously, with female-specific animations and the Women’s Super League. And though FIFA Ultimate Team still goes big on cynical Loot Box shenanigans, the new bite-sized ‘moments’ challenges make it easier to earn stars to spend on cards without splashing out. With its top-tier football. FIFA 23 is a real crowd-pleaser, and a must-have update even if you bought into last year’s game.
