A few days ago, we witnessed the closed-door presentation of the first chapter of the new era of the football simulator EA Sports FC 24, produced by Electronic Arts. The development of FC 24 goes back a long way and will be the result of years of research and development by the Canadian software house. The HyperMotionV, PlayStyles, and Frostbite trilogy has allowed for an unprecedented level of realism.
HyperMotion V and Frostbite
The scanning with AI Motion and AI Hands has faithfully recreated all the movements, technical and physical characteristics of all 22 players on the field. This, along with the collaboration with Opta, has led to the introduction of Play Styles. This new feature will enable the reproduction of all the technical characteristics of the players, while PlayStyles Plus will specifically characterize the strongest players in the football world.
There are 34 PlayStyles, each divided into two categories, allowing for improvements in various aspects of gameplay, including ball protection, powerful shooting significantly improved for attackers, dribbling accuracy, and heading precision.
Thanks to PlayStyles, a new feature called Swerve Precision Pass (LT/RB + Y) will be introduced for the first time, enabling highly accurate passes combined with player acceleration in the direction of the pass. Additionally, the technology also introduces the Effort Dribble Touch, which allows for more precise dribbling and better ball control to overcome opponents. The Controlled Sprint Dribble also allows attackers to maintain better ball control during open-field counter-attacks toward the goal. The finishing mechanics have also been greatly improved, particularly in competitive play, as it guarantees greater precision in shots.
Regarding the defensive phase, the new technology has introduced a new mechanic called Possession Tackles, which gives defenders greater ball control after winning a tackle.
During the presentation, Sam Rivera announced that EA Sports FC 24 will feature AcceleRate 2.0 with 7 different archetypes (Explosive, Mostly Explosive, Controlled Explosive, Controlled, Controlled Lengthy, Mostly Lengthy, and Lengthy). Four new skills have also been introduced: Skill Rainbow, a new Tunnel, Ball Rall Drag, and the Back Turn, which will create new gameplay situations during offensive actions.
Potrebbero Interessarti
With the evolution of Frostbite and the introduction of Sapien technology, it’s now possible to incorporate the physical individuality of all the players in the game. This technology allows the game to identify when a muscle is in a contracted or relaxed state. This unique feature enables a realistic representation of players’ physicality, such as Vinicius Jr. or Erling Haaland.
The GPU Cloth and Sapien technologies also provide more natural and detailed movements for the fabrics, such as shirts and shorts, following the muscular movements of the players and considering the fit of the clothing. Substantial progress has also been made in lighting, both for players and environments, resulting in greater realism before, during, and after matches. The Matchday Menu will allow players to enter the locker rooms and witness different scenes based on the outcome of the match. Additionally, players can watch post-match interviews, which will also be influenced by the match’s outcome.
Ultimate Team
In the most important parts of the popular Ultimate Team mode, new, unprecedented scenarios have been introduced. For the first time, players can witness settings illuminated by spectators’ mobile phones and pyrotechnics.
The Hypermotion Insight Overlay will display useful information on the playing field. For instance, when the ball goes out of play, it will provide percentages of shots taken, duels won in various areas of the field, and even the players’ physical conditions, allowing for substitutions without having to pause the game. To create an immersive atmosphere during matches, the Beyond Broadcast Audio technology has faithfully reproduced the sound of chants, drums, trumpets, and fans’ celebrations.
EA Sports FC 24 has also redesigned and streamlined the game menus to provide a more intuitive and immediate overview. The new menus allow players to switch quickly between screens with enhanced graphics and a fresh new font. This will enable players to manage their content with fewer steps compared to the past.
The presentation also delved into the most popular mode of the football simulator, Ultimate Team, which has been revised and developed to offer new content throughout the season. The main focus was on the new feature, Ultimate Team Evolutions, which allows players to upgrade their team members and tailor them to their playing style and football philosophy. These upgrades can be implemented during the Ultimate Team seasons, enhancing overall stats, skill stars, weak foot stars, and even changing the player’s position. For example, during the seasons, a central defender can be transformed into a forward.
A mention was made of women’s football as well. Female player cards can be included in Ultimate Team squads alongside male player cards, enabling mixed teams. Chemistry will work the same way, considering position, nationality, club, and league.
In addition to the traditional overall ratings, stats, and chemistry styles, the PlayStyles will also be featured on Ultimate Team player cards. These PlayStyles may be modified during the season with the release of special Team Of The Week or other promo cards.
To improve squad building, the cards for changing positions have been removed. Now, depending on where the player is positioned on the field, their role will automatically change if the card allows for it. For example, if the English forward Saka’s description states that he can play AS, AD, ES, and ED positions, it will be automatically adjusted when he is placed in one of these positions.
Career Mode
In the Career Mode, a new feature called Total Management System has been introduced. This functionality allows players to use various gameplay philosophies to reproduce their football style on the pitch, similar to Football Manager’s managerial style. Additionally, players can have assistants who can be brought along when transferring to a different club. Pre-match specific training and the use of different PlayStyles in various matches throughout the season are now possible, enabling coaches to create various gameplay options based on the opponents they will face. Moreover, the introduction of new cameras will allow players to follow various aspects of matches and make substantial changes to their team to achieve victory even in challenging games.
In the Player Career mode, a new feature called Agent has been introduced, allowing players to develop their in-game alter ego with the help of a consultant. This feature affects the character’s personality and, consequently, the PlayStyles, creating a true football star for the world stage. For this reason, Electronic Arts has entered into a partnership that will enable the in-game counterpart to win the most prestigious individual award in a footballer’s career, the Ballon d’Or.
Pro Club
The Pro Club mode will now be simply called Club, and the previously mentioned features, such as PlayStyles, will also be available in this mode. As announced during the livestream on July 13th, Cross-Play has been confirmed, allowing players to play on different platforms of the same generation. Numerous divisions will be introduced in the Seasons, ensuring a variety of opponents and culminating in the highly coveted and challenging Elite Division.
The same applies to the Volta Football mode, where players will have even deeper customizations for their alter ego, both in terms of appearance and clothing. Concurrently, a partnership with the popular sportswear brand Nike has been announced.
The producers also answered several questions in a final Q&A session, confirming their commitment to creating a football title that is as realistic as possible, especially in the popular mode EA Sports FC 24 Ultimate Team. However, the balance between simulation and arcade gameplay is delicate, and efforts are being made to ensure an enjoyable and realistic gaming experience for everyone.
We had the opportunity to try a pre-beta version of EA Sports FC 24, and hands-on, everything that was described during the closed-door presentation was clearly felt. The initial impressions are very positive, even though the only accessible mode was Kick-Off.
EA SPORTS FC 24 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch and Steam. Keep on following us also through our social Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for other news and Promo.
