'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
EA FC 24 has confirmed a place in the nominees for a Game of the Year (GOTY) title at The Game Awards 2023. It has been nominated in the sports and racing games category, a continuation of the trend of the last few years. After all, both FIFA 22 and FIFA 23 were nominated during their tenures, although both ultimately lost.
However, the competition is expected to be easier this time, with titles like Forza Motorsport and F1 23 not as good as Forza Horizon 5.
If EA FC 24 wins the award on December 7, 2023, it will make a huge fan base happy. According to the recent investors' meeting at EA Sports, the franchise has grown even more, fuelled by growth in the mobile version. Nearly 15 million players have tried out the game, a significant victory for EA Sports after losing the FIFA license.
That said, a victory for the football simulator will be utterly unfair due to some considerable reasons.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions
EA FC 24 has plenty of problems at its core
As things stand, EA FC 24 can win the sports and racing game category at The Game Awards 2023. It's the only sports game competing with four other racing titles, all average at best.
F1 23 has the biggest shout-out in overall content and engagement. If the football game wins the top spot ultimately, it will undoubtedly need to make some rapid improvements.
There is little to choose from as a football video game in the current market, and EA FC 24 is undoubtedly the best option. It has different game modes, plenty of league licenses, and daily content to keep you engaged.
Whether you love offline-based career modes, street football, or the competitive Ultimate Team action, it has it all. While the World Cup-themed events are a miss this time, EA Sports has made up for it to an extent.
The most significant negatives of the game currently revolve around its gameplay. EA Sports has retained its Frostbite engine in EA FC 24, but it's very different from when it was first adopted. Every year, the developer has made specific changes; the most significant difference came with the introduction of next-gen consoles.
HyperMotion V is a much-needed change, and it does make the gameplay feel more realistic. However, a more general balance needs to be, particularly regarding how AI works. As of writing, players have been able to abuse the depth by keeping it at 71 and letting the AI do an automatic press, which is incredibly difficult to beat.
Many players have complained about this. Not only does it make your team defend unrealistically, but it also cramps up your opponents' players. This brings us to our second major negative - a broken attacking AI.
The attacking AI has constantly declined in quality over the last few years. In Ultimate Team, powerful cards released as part of promos have helped improve the situation, but the core problem still exists. The only alternative is to control your attackers with player lock manually, but this skill takes a lot of time to learn and practice.
I am not considering facts like the regular release of special promo packs in the Ultimate Team store. This topic has been debated over the last few years, but their frequencies have increased in EA FC 24.
I could have looked past it if the gameplay was good. It takes a lot of work for casual players to keep themselves engaged consistently.
If you love the career mode, co-op seasons, and VOLTA, your relative experience will be more enjoyable. That said, the amount of things to do is far less limited than Ultimate Team, which could become boring after a specific time.
In some ways, EA FC 24 is a football game, as every mode practically makes you play the sport. However, the gameplay differs from what an authentic match will look like. Of course, it's tough to simulate the sport accurately, but the current state of the match engine is terrible.
The auto-press and the shoddy attacking AI make every match feel like a test. While that might be exciting for some, it can quickly drive away anyone who wants to play casually or wants to learn the game.
While EA Sports has increased the rewards handed out in Ultimate Team, the pack weight (which determines the overall reward quality) could be better.
Playing Ultimate Team is okay, as EA FC 24 has plenty of other content to offer. However, the entire attention of the developer is catered towards the Ultimate Team mode. To a large extent, modes like Manager, Career, and Seasons have remained unchanged. Even if they have received any additions, they serve a minor role.
The latest football title has everything it needs to become a game that fans can remember for a long time. So far, the journey has been mediocre at best, and complaints from the community have largely gone unheard.
