FIFA 23 makes incremental improvements to last year's game, but the looming presence of Ultimate Team's microtransactions cast a shadow over everything.
FIFA 23 marks the end of an era for the long-running series. After an almost 30-year partnership that began with players like David Platt gracing the cover, EA Sports has parted ways with football's governing body over a licensing disagreement. Future games in the series will now drop the FIFA name in favor of a new EA Sports FC moniker. Not that you'd be able to tell from playing FIFA 23, mind you. Despite being the last game adorned with the household name, it's business as usual both on and off the pitch for EA's latest footballing sim. There are a few new additions spread across its various game modes--and Ultimate Team sees its most significant change in years--but for the most part, FIFA's swansong is a game of minor iterations.
This begins once you step out onto its exquisitely rendered grass, with the introduction of HyperMotion2 ensuring that each and every match in FIFA 23 looks and feels more authentic and immersive. This innovative technology first appeared in last year's game and allowed the developers to motion capture all 22 players in a real-life match. By capturing every minute detail and context-specific action across a full 90 minutes and implementing it into FIFA's gameplay, there was a plethora of new animations that edged the simulation closer to reality. With HyperMotion2, FIFA 23 simply expands on its predecessor by obtaining even more data from both full-length matches and training sessions with professional teams. This means that players move across the pitch, collide with each other, and strike the ball with increased fluidity and an added sense of realism.
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Now Playing: FIFA 23 Video Review
The impact this has on gameplay is palpable, most notably in regards to the game's overall pace. I said the same thing last year, but FIFA 23 is considerably slower than its precursor. Fleet-footed players can still be devastating, but they work best in short bursts, using their acceleration to gain a yard of space or dashing past a static back line. For the most part, goals are created through sweeping passing moves. Picking out a teammate is more consistent this time around, and there's a responsiveness and satisfying zip to passes that constitutes genuine excitement when you're able to spray the ball around to create openings and eventually finish a move off with the ball nestled in the bottom corner. To counteract this, defenders feel more intelligent in regards to their positioning, and successful tackles frequently end with you actually regaining possession. Jockeying is also an effective avenue for winning the ball back, especially when using a stronger player who's able to utilize their strength to great effect, and slide tackling finally feels viable again.
Despite these changes, FIFA 23 doesn't feel like a significant leap forward over last year's game. It's very much a case of incremental improvements on what was previously established, so it's still a good game, just not one that feels particularly new. In fact, one of the only new additions is the advent of power shots, which see your player take an exaggerated wind-up before launching the ball towards goal in thunderous fashion. The dramatic zoom-in that accompanies each wind-up makes the power shot feel like it belongs in Mario Strikers or Captain Tsubasa rather than the latest FIFA, but there's no more satisfying way to score a goal in FIFA 23. Most of the time, however, it takes so long to fire off one of these shots that you'll be dispossessed before the ball can even leave your foot. And when it does, accuracy varies, from pinpoint screamers that fly into the top corner to wild lashes that end up closer to the corner flag. This creates an inviting element of risk and reward where there might be better and safer options, but nothing beats piledriving a shot that the net can barely contain.
Other new additions are similarly positive. The women's game features more prominently than ever before, with the inclusion of club football joining the assortment of international teams that have been in the game since FIFA 16. There are only two leagues to choose from--the English Women's Super League and French Division 1 Arkema--but finally being able to play as clubs like Chelsea and Lyon is a long overdue addition. HyperMotion2 was also used to capture women's football, so players like cover star Sam Kerr and Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema move as you would expect and feel distinct from their male counterparts. The only downside is that you can only use women's teams in friendlies and tournaments, so you can play through a full season in either division, but you're restricted to a single campaign and aren't able to purchase players or engage in any of the other amenities found in FIFA's career mode.
Speaking of which, career mode is much the same as before. One of the new features lets you take part in playable highlights of games rather than having to play through the full 90 minutes, ensuring that you still have an impact in matches you're simulating. If you opt for a player career, you can now ostensibly shape their personality to receive buffs for certain attributes. Assisting a teammate will generate Heartbeat points, for instance, whereas holding on to the ball and scoring yourself will generate both Maverick and Virtuoso points. These points will then boost attributes related to each personality style, whether it provides a bump to dribbling and finishing or crossing and ball control. You can also spend in-game money to gain additional points by, say, donating to a charity or purchasing an expensive watch. It's a binary system that uses the word "personality" very loosely, but it's a step in the right direction, even if it mostly fades into the background and doesn't drastically change the feel of career mode.
In a PR savvy move, AFC Richmond is also a playable team in FIFA 23. You'll see Ted Lasso patrolling the touchline and emerge from the tunnel with a lineup featuring the likes of Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt. It's a fun gimmick for fans of the show, although it doesn't really go anywhere beyond the visuals. You can select Richmond in career mode and stick them in the Premier League, but press conferences still use the same generic answers, so don't expect any Ted-specific lines. Selecting Richmond also puts you in a bit of a hole to begin with because the squad is so small. The bench and fullback positions are filled by generic players in lieu of there not being enough characters in the show, but it feels like an oversight that there aren't more of them. You need to spend your first transfer window buying backups for nearly every position, so being able to use Richmond in career mode doesn't seem particularly well thought out.
Of course, EA's primary focus in FIFA 23 is Ultimate Team. The annual money-maker has reworked its chemistry system this time around, with the maximum possible chemistry your team can reach now 33 instead of 100. You're still rewarded for having teammates that share leagues, clubs, and/or nationalities, but these players don't need to be adjacent to one another in order to receive the attribute boosts. Crucially, there's also no punishment for fielding a player with zero chemistry. You can stick Messi on the wing in a team that's otherwise comprised of Serie A players and his attributes won't suddenly decrease because there are no Argentine or PSG players near him. This transforms Ultimate Team into the fantasy football game mode it was initially billed as. Cards that very few people would have used previously will now be viable because you don't have to worry about their links to other players in your team. Your squad has the potential to be more diverse and unique to you, while the decision to amend position modifier cards is also a positive one. In FIFA 23, these cards can only be used to move a player to their real-life secondary position, putting an end to teams deploying five strikers across the midfield with no negative consequences.
The only downside of this chemistry revamp is the effect it has on Squad Building Challenges (SBCs). Previously, you could stick players in any position and achieve just enough chemistry via their shared nationality and other factors to be able to submit the squad. That's more difficult now because players used outside of their natural position account for zero chemistry, and the requirements for some of these SBCs ask you to submit a squad where the chemistry rating of each player is at least one or two. This feels like another move designed to entice players into buying packs in order to acquire more cards that might potentially be useable in different SBCs. It's a sure sign, if you ever needed one, that the predatory aspects of Ultimate Team aren't going away anytime soon. The issue of pack transparency is still obfuscated, and those who spend the most real money will end up with the best teams.
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The addition of Moments does at least give you another avenue to acquire packs without spending a dime. These are bite-sized challenges that vary in difficulty, tasking you with scoring a hat-trick with Mbappe or curling a free kick in from 30 yards out. Their quick-fire nature makes it easy to accrue rewards after an hour or so, and it also proves to be a decent learning tool for newcomers. The only downside is that you're taken back to the Moments menu in between each challenge rather than immediately jumping into the next one--like you're able to on Madden. This minor annoyance isn't enough to detract from what is an enjoyable new addition, though.
FIFA 23 is a fitting end to an era, successfully capturing the essence of the beautiful game alongside the disheartening practices of the profit-hungry vultures circling overhead. It's as much about greed as it is about scoring a screamer. A game where the on-pitch action has been refined with slicker passing, more effective defending, and myriad animations that bring it all to life, yet the shadow of gambling looms over it all. This has been the case since Ultimate Team was introduced 14 years ago, so none of this comes as a surprise. And with the next World Cup taking place in Qatar--a country known for sports washing its human rights record--it's all par for the course when it comes to football. The age of FIFA might be coming to an end, but EA Sports FC is likely to kick off in much the same way: offering a fantastic game of football that's otherwise consumed by an exploitative cash grab.
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FAQs
FIFA 23 Review - Football Is Life? ›
FIFA 23 is a fitting end to an era, successfully capturing the essence of the beautiful game alongside the disheartening practices of the profit-hungry vultures circling overhead. It's as much about greed as it is about scoring a screamer.
How long is a FIFA 23 game in real life? ›It's worth noting that the matches will last for 90 minutes, just like they do in real life.
Is FIFA 23 good or bad? ›FIFA 23 is one of the best FIFA games in recent memory, with some of this year's new features really helping to freshen up the annual experience. However, while the game is arguably a lot better than some of its more recent predecessors, there are still quite a few issues that EA needs to address.
Is FIFA 23 worth it 2023? ›FIFA 23 is a solid, confident outing for the series. It adds just enough to make it all worthwhile, but EA is clearly holding back its freshest ideas.
Is FIFA 23 worth over 22? ›In this comparison, FIFA 23 fares much better than FIFA 22. And if you do not have any of these games yet, and are wondering which one is worth investing in the most – choose the unimaginably epic gameplay in FIFA 23.
Is FIFA 23 the most realistic game? ›FIFA 23 makes history as the most realistic football simulator in the series and with HyperMotion technology getting increasingly more impressive, the future looks bright for EA SPORTS FC.
Can you play FIFA 23 for 10 hours? ›Try FIFA 23 and other new-release games for up to 10 hours, starting days before they launch. Unlock exclusive member-only rewards in new EA games, including XP boosts and FUT Packs in FIFA 23. Members get instant access to FIFA 22 and dozens of other great EA titles in The Play List.
Why is FIFA 23 so difficult? ›FIFA 23's Legendary in particular has its issues in the aspect of the AI moving and passing the ball much quicker than players can react, leaving for a more frustrating experience than ever.
Why is FIFA 23 shutting down? ›Players in the Americas might face some server problems in the near future. EA Sports has announced that its FIFA game data center in Mexico City has closed down on January 13, 2023, due to the company's technology vendor shutting down their services at the location.
Does FIFA 23 feel slower? ›FIFA 23 is a much slower game than FIFA 22, but it has improved on player movement and game mechanics so it can be as smooth and realistic as possible.
Why is FIFA 23 so fast? ›
FIFA 23 on the current-gen console introduced HyperMotion 2, a new animation system that completely changed the way pace is reflected in games. Now players that have low pace on their items, may actually be faster than players with high pace, due to their sprint style.
Does FIFA 23 have World Cup mode? ›See what's new in FIFA 23, with HyperMotion2 Technology, both men's and women's FIFA World Cup™ tournaments, cross-play features, and more.
Will FIFA 23 be discontinued? ›FIFA 23 has also been confirmed to be the last game in the series, leading to speculation about the future of the franchise. The franchise is not ending, but it will be undergoing a significant rebrand later this year.
Will there be FIFA 24? ›EA Sports FC gameplay details
Expect EA FC 24 to feature everything you know and love from the modern FIFA games, including Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Pro Clubs, and VOLTA. You can expect the same attention to detail and number of official licenses, too.
One of EA's biggest focuses for FIFA 23 has been to create more realistic player animations. With HyperMotion2 technology, EA has been able to capture twice as much data as before. This results in a claimed 6000 true-to-life football animations, so players look and behave just like the football stars they're imitating.
Why is FIFA 23 the best game? ›Gameplay. The gameplay is the star of the show with FIFA 23 and it's the most fun I have had with a FIFA game on the pitch in a number of years. The addition of an updated HyperMotion engine – a feature first introduced last year – improves the motion of players, giving lots of them distinct feelings and movement.
Is FIFA 23 beginner friendly? ›This year, EA has added a new Training Center to help beginners hone their skills at the game. This mode is divided into chapters, with each one giving you goals to achieve that get more advanced and challenging as you progress.
Is FIFA 23 an improvement? ›The gameplay changes are enough for it to feel like a fresh experience, particularly in regards to passing, shooting and dribbling. From a gameplay perspective, FIFA 23 features the biggest improvement we've seen in recent years, with the game also looking better than ever graphically.
Will FIFA 23 have real players? ›That means that, yes, EA SPORTS FC will have real players, teams, leagues, stadiums, and everything else you can think of. EA has confirmed that they've got more than 19,000 players, 700 teams, 100 stadiums, and 30 leagues coming in the new game.
Why is lengthy so good in FIFA 23? ›Lengthy players start off slow when you hold down the sprint button, but maintain their pace for a longer time once they've built up to top speed. They tend to be tall players with high strength but low agility. [So most of the game's best CBs fit into this category.]
How far can you go in FIFA 23 Career Mode? ›
FIFA 23 Career Mode will allow you to play up to 15 seasons, taking you from the start of the 2022/23 season to the end of the 2036/37 season. After this point, you will be greeted with a message that thanks you for playing career mode, before the credits roll and you've got to start all over again.
How important is lengthy FIFA 23? ›Lengthy: Taller and stronger, these players need a bit more time to get going, but are able to catch up to anyone and even surpass them, provided they have enough distance. These players start slower but will thrive over long distances.
Is Ultimate harder than Legendary? ›Apparently the only difference is Ultimate boosts stats, but both are roughly the same in terms of difficulty. Legendary is really hard this year so am delighted.
What is the hardest FIFA 23 career mode? ›'Road to glory' is an all-time favorite for players and is best used in England's EFL League Two where three promotions are required to reach the Premier League. It's one of the toughest challenges in FiFA 23's career mode, but also on of the most rewarding.
What is the hardest level in FIFA 23? ›Basically, there are six difficulty levels in FIFA 23 - beginner, amateur, semi-professional, professional, world class and legendary.
What teams are no longer in FIFA 23? ›Roma, Atalanta, Lazio and Napoli are not featured in FIFA 23 due to their exclusivity agreements with rival game eFootball, and are instead known as Roma FC, Bergamo Calcio, Latium, and Napoli FC respectively.
Why is Mexico not in FIFA 23? ›Liga MX's absence from FIFA 23 is the result of an agreement that it entered into with Konami, the maker of eFootball 2023. The league has a full license for this year's release, which includes all clubs and players plying their trade.
What will replace FIFA 23? ›As you might recall, there's been a huge shake-up in the world of the video game football - with Electronic Arts dropping the FIFA brand in favour of 'EA Sports FC'.
Is FIFA 23 blurry? ›Players looking to root out the “Textures Blurry and Pixelated” error in FIFA 23 can try out these steps: Make your way to the Display settings option in the game, and change the resolution to 1920 x 1080 (16:9). This will be one of the first things that you will need to do, especially if your system is a bit dated.
What is a weak foot in FIFA 23? ›A good weak foot is a real gamechanger in FIFA 23. You become much more unpredictable in your gameplay when you can finish with both feet from any position. Mo Salah, for example, has his right foot just to keep from falling over. With him, it is clear that he will only shoot at goal with his left foot.
Who is the fastest player in the world FIFA 23? ›
Kylian Mbappé, who has a 97 pace rating in FIFA 23, is the fastest player in the game. Many deem him the next legend in the making, and his consistent performances over the last 5-6 seasons have established him as arguably the most talented player in the world.
Who is the fastest ST on FIFA 23? ›1. Kylian Mbappé - Paris Saint-Germain - 97 PAC.
What will FIFA 24 be called? ›EA won't publish FIFA 24 this year. Instead, the next FIFA will be released under the new name EA Sports FC. After the EAFC logo reveal, there are a lot of things happening.
How much will FIFA 23 cost? ›The Standard Edition will cost $59.99 (£59.99), consistent with most major video game releases. The Legacy Edition will cost $39.99 (£34.99) and is a call-back to previous versions, featuring updated rosters, but "without any new development or significant enhancements," EA Sports confirmed.
Will the Camp Nou be in FIFA 23? ›There are 17 La Liga teams who have their stadium featured in FIFA 23, including the iconic Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabeu.
Why did EA lose FIFA license? ›In an interview with the BBC, EA Sports vice president David Jackson says that the deal with FIFA wasn't just for the name, but included a set of licensing restrictions that EA no longer has to abide by. This could free the company to explore more interactive and fan-focused gameplay content.
Did EA lose FIFA license? ›We examine what will happen to EA Sports after losing the FIFA license and what we can expect from its next work, EA Sports FC, its spiritual successor. FIFA 23 will mark the definitive end of the collaboration between the organization headed by Gianni Infantino and EA Sports.
Is EA done with FIFA? ›The breakup means that EA's series will no longer be able to call itself FIFA—it will now be known as (the less catchy) EA Sports FC—and will lose access to global tournaments, following with the Women's World Cup in 2023. But it's FIFA that stands to lose the most from the parting.
Will there be a FIFA 25? ›“It's set to be named FIFA 25 with a release date of Winter 2023. It's set to be one of the biggest projects in gaming history.”
What game is replacing FIFA? ›EA Sports FC – logo revealed
Replacing the big FIFA branding on the cover of its game was always going to prove a tough task for EA, but an official logo for EA Sports FC was recently unveiled, confirming the abbreviated name for the game will be 'FC'.
Will FIFA be held every 2 years? ›
The tournament has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War. The reigning champions are Argentina, who won their third title at the 2022 tournament.
How should I start FIFA 23? ›Your best bet is to play the single-player modes; these modes still let you win coins and get rewards, but you play AI at the difficulty you choose. This makes it much easier for you to get used to FUT and then take your team online once you feel ready to do so.
How long are FIFA games in real life? ›A match lasts for two equal halves of 45 minutes which may only be reduced if agreed between the referee and the two teams before the start of the match and is in accordance with competition rules.
What is FIFA 23 length? ›Lengthy: Taller and stronger, these players need a bit more time to get going, but are able to catch up to anyone and even surpass them, provided they have enough distance. These players start slower but will thrive over long distances.
How long is a FIFA 22 game real time? ›| Single-Player | Polled | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Main Story | 26 | 66h 39m |
| Main + Extras | 9 | 185h 11m |
| Completionist | 3 | 100h 26m |
| All PlayStyles | 38 | 97h 23m |
| Platform | Polled | Main |
|---|---|---|
| PC | 18 | 105h 51m |
| PlayStation 4 | 17 | 63h 57m |
| PlayStation 5 | 8 | 46h 12m |
| Xbox One | 7 | 71h 30m |
The first European Championship played with the rule was in 1996, as was the first MLS Cup that year; the first World Cup played with the rule was in 1998. The first golden goal recorded was on 13 March 1993 by Australia against Uruguay in a quarter-final match of the World Youth Championship.
Is FIFA real time strategy game? ›It's a Sports game. It has microomanagement and macromanagement, thats what its required to be an RTS. and RTS has resource and troop production and management while commanding large groups of units. All FIFA has is unit control.
What happens if a football match is abandoned after 75 minutes? ›If the match is abandoned by the referee due to a significant change in the weather or the pitch becomes unplayable the match will be replayed from scratch regardless of score or how many minutes have elapsed.
Does length matter on FIFA 23? ›Lengthy - Taller and stronger players are slower over a short distance, but can catch up over long distances. Think of someone like Virgil van Dijk, who might seem slow over the first few yards, but can rein in fast attackers over longer distances.
Will FIFA 23 have World Cup mode forever? ›
FIFA World Cup™ Heroes will be available in FUT across two team releases starting November 11. Similar to Campaign content, they will be permanent within FUT 23.
How do you make FIFA 23 games longer? ›...
Option 3:
- Launch the FIFA 23 Companion or Web App.
- Go to the Settings option.
- Enable the Playtime toggle.
- Enter the Playtime menu.
EA SPORTS Scripting is a popular theory in FIFA 22. While the FIFA 22 developers vehemently deny the existence of scripting in their series, some still claim to find evidence to support the theory each year.
How many FIFA games can you play in an hour? ›To everyone posting “why did I get this error” or “why am I disconnected when I win and it doesn't count” you are limited to 15 game an hour or 75 games a day. If you get that message, play a different game or watch something for an hour because trying to play more will do nothing.
What is the Golden Goal rule in FIFA 23? ›EA Sports has added a brand new friendlies game mode for the purpose of its objectives in FIFA 23. This new mode features a Golden Goal rule, with the game ending after the very first goal is scored. Naturally, this makes the grind significantly easier and far more enjoyable, swiftly gaining the approval of fans.
What is the Golden Goal in FIFA 22? ›The Golden goal method is a way for players to complete objectives in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) without playing the full in-game 90 minutes.
What is FIFA playtime? ›Matches Played Limit
FIFA Playtime allows you to set personal limits for Matches Played.