We tried FIFA 23, nothing but goodbye: EA looks to the future

Electronic Arts prepares to say goodbye to the FIFA series after almost 30 years management of brand rights; it is not yet known what will become of the name FIFA starting next year, but what is clear is that EA has no plans to end its experience with a tired and listless titleat least according to the initial premises.

On the other hand this it’s not even in his best interestsince all the know-how acquired in recent years will be poured entirely into EA Sports FC, the football title that Electronic Arts will propose at the end of 2023 for the ’23-24 season, which is why FIFA 23 is by no means a chapter goodbye of the team to the series, but only the last piece of a path ready to renew itself in an experience that in all probability will be in strong continuity with the current one.

But this is what concerns the medium-term future of the company: what about the upcoming one? Yes because before moving to EA Sports FC there is a FIFA 23 now close to the starting line, which we had the opportunity to test for a few days with a first build of the game that aims to highlight the main new features coming this year. Let’s see what it is.

Note: all the news discussed they do not affect the Switch versionwhich will continue to be the classic Legacy Edition based on the graphics engine of the old PS3 and Xbox 360 editions. The game modes and features reflect those of the past generations and the only novelty concerns the updating of the squads and uniforms.

Last year we saw the introduction of the HyperMotion technologya new system capable of generating more realistic and credible animations thanks to machine learning and obtaining data through special equipment used in the development phase of the game, which allowed EA to capture and digitize all the typical movements of samples in flesh and blood, proposing them with an excellent quality level within the current gen versions (therefore PS5 and Xbox Series X | S) of the game.

At the moment we cannot go into too much detail of all the news related to HyperMotion 2but there are some aspects that it is good to deal with right away to understand the general direction in which EA has moved with FIFA 23: the refinement and cleaning of what was good in previous versions of the game, accompanying everything with the implementation of several fixes that the community has been loudly requesting.

It is therefore clear from the outset that we are not facing the chapter that will completely revolutionize the FIFA experiencebut in front of one that points to consolidate its foundations. For this reason, elements such as HyperMotion 2, for example, now appear more mature and able to speak to a wider audience, thanks to the introduction of the system. even in the PC version of the game. Last year, in fact, FIFA 22 on PC offered technological parity with the PS4 and Xbox One versions, while this year PC players will go hand in hand with those of the current console generation.

This makes it clear how HyperMotion technology, in particular this version 2, is no longer a marginal and optional element of FIFA, but it has been promoted to the real basis of the future gaming experience. The main innovations – again without going into too much detail – concern the greater number of measurements carried out on athletes during the data acquisition phase and the improvement of machine learning algorithms which now return a much more realistic behavior of the players on the pitch and the elements they interact with, the ball above all.

The gameplay of FIFA 23 is also enriched with novelties able to directly affect the way we face the gamestarting with new management of set pieces and penalties. The player will in fact have greater control over the effects of the shots also thanks to the possibility of indicating the point where the ball must be hit, in order to give a different effect to the trajectory of the shot. There is also a new system that requires pressing the shot button with the right timing, following the trend of an indicator that expands and shrinks around the ball: the smaller the area when the button is pressed, the greater the accuracy of the shot. shot and the possibility that it ends up on goal.

Still as regards the shots, with FIFA 23 they also arrive the unpublished Power Shotreal ones special shots which can be done by pressing the dorsal keys in addition to that traditionally used to kick. These they increase the spectacle of the game and introduce a more powerful shooting level than the normhowever they are balanced by some factors that do not make them overly devastating (at least as far as we have seen so far). One of the factors to be taken into consideration is the additional time required by the Power Shot to executeso this means that the opponents have an additional window in which they can attempt to regain control of the ball.

Another of the novelties of FIFA 23 concerns the implementation of full cross play within the same generation, so players on PS4 and Xbox One will be able to play with each other without any problem, as well as those on PS5, Xbox Series and PC. This only affects 1v1 modes but includes FUT, friendlies and seasons, which can now be played online against more opponents as the platform becomes irrelevant.

As announced, the only distinction will concern the technology used in the version played, which is why the older generation consoles will live in a bubble of their own, while PC players will finally be able to join the game. chorus of the next gen thanks to the implementation of HyperMotion 2 also in this version of the game, which opens up to cross play between PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X | S, unlike last year. This means that the FIFA community will no longer be divided by platformbut only based on the technology present in the version played, with a great advantage for all those communities that previously had to deal with a lower installed base.

EA’s latest FIFA will show up at the September 30th appointment (from 27 for the early access of the Ultimate Edition) with one of the largest content offerings in the franchise’s history. Surprising are not only the high-sounding numbers communicated by EA during the press presentation of the game – over 19,000 players, 700 teams, 100 stadiums and 30 leagues -, but also the great focus placed by Electronic Arts in the inclusion of women’s football, true and its novelty of this edition.

Obviously this isn’t the first time the women’s soccer lands on FIFA, but never like this year will it do so with a particularly wide range of content, since it will also be included the 2023 FIFA World Cup Australia and New Zealandin addition to the now increasingly prestigious Barclays Women’s Super League And Division 1 Arkema, respectively the top English and French women’s competition. This means that FIFA 23 will also see the debut of the first female professional clubs, thus going to fully explore the other half of the football world that has been gaining increasing success in recent years.

As for the men’s competitions, however, we remind you that FIFA 23 will also include the FIFA Men’s World Cup Qatar 2022, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, CONMEBOL Libertadores, CONMEBOL Sudamericana, Premier League, Bundesliga and LaLiga Santander. In this year’s edition, the concomitance with the two World Cups weighs heavily, which will be the subject of special events that will arrive via free updates, which will cover different aspects of the game and – obviously – also the introduction of new FUT cards .

The package proposed by FIFA 23 is certainly the most interesting in recent years, both as regards the technological refinement of the platform – and the HyperMotion 2 is not the only important novelty, but we will talk about it later -, and for the vastness of the offer of the proposed contents. EA is packing a title that in no way wants to leave fans of the series disappointed, despite this being his latest FIFA; the impression of him is indeed that of wanting to give a taste of what he will be able to continue to offer with his next football titles once the brand is no longer in his hands.

The loss of a noble name like FIFAin fact, it can only be countered by one demonstration of strength towards the public and the competition and it is no coincidence that all the most important news – including some important returns – are framed in a long-term perspective, as if to highlight that what we will see and play with FIFA 23 is destined to be part of EA Sports FC’s DNA.

But this will be a topic to be addressed in the future: for the moment we can only look with curiosity at the full version of FIFA 23 – we remind you that it will be available from 30 September -, waiting to be able to talk to you in more detail about the many technical innovations that have not yet been unveiled.