Let's get this out of the way - EA Sports FC 24 is a solid game. As far as soccer simulators go, it's got the sort of graphical prowess you'd expect from a juggernaut like EA, alongside access to character models and club representations that make it a go-to for real-life fans of the sport. By all accounts, should this be someone's first experience with a soccer game over the past several years, they'd probably be outright amazed at the quality. If that's you - EA Sports FC 24 is a must-play.

For everyone else, though - the die-hards who purchase a game every year, or those who revisit them frequently - the mantra remains the same: at some point, we need a change. EA Sports FC 24 just doesn't meaningfully improve anything that previous iterations did, whether that be strengths or weaknesses. It's a largely similar experience with nothing that will excite those who want soccer games to continue pushing boundaries.

It's especially frustrating because EA Sports FC 24 could easily have been the game that EA finally took a risk on. The rebranding was a perfect opportunity to throw the genre headlong into its long-awaited future. It could've been a tantalizing player campaign that brings back some of the more cinematic and emotional decisions of yesteryear. A more robust multiplayer mode with gameplay features ranging from goofy to inspired. It could have been anything. What we got instead was just a taste of what the future could be like with a slew of new mechanics that feel like they're only in their infancy.

Power Ups & Downs

One thing EA Sports FC 24 gets right is its lean into slightly more RPG-like character building. Giving players access to traits and Playstyles makes character customization perhaps the best its ever been - save for an extremely disappointing and generic creation system that spits out the same 12 or so people over and over, just with different tattoos or hair. The actual Playstyles build into a nice little crescendo as the created character progresses, with more control than ever before over their playstyle on the pitch. That makes it easier to build your own version of Kevin De Bruyne.

That being said, the actual player movement itself still feels kind of sluggish and uninspired. All the customization in the world won't save EA Sports FC 24 from the core issue of its familiarity. There's still a disconnect between feeling freedom of movement on-screen and the way the game presents that movement - the latter looks great in cut-aways and replays, but the former feels restricted and repetitive on the pitch. It isn't bad, but it's the same. It's the same when it comes to the more fluid nature of soccer's movement up and down the pitch - passes don't feel like they go the right direction at times, and angling defenders onto the ball remains an annoying, cumbersome experience.

Headscratching AI

Hypermotion V's major selling point is its AI technology. In theory, this should create some more organic-feeling struggles for ball control on the pitch, with physicality that looks natural and plays out similar to the way in games. In practice, it's a weird uncanny valley of almost-real-looking players careening into each other and bouncing off each other like test dummies. It's amusing, but not something that should be present in a franchise this tenured, especially one that's looking to make a new first impression.

When it comes to actual AI performance as players, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The difficulty settings still feel appropriately scaled, and improving enough to tick them one slot higher is an appealing incentive to figure out EA Sports FC 24's more complex mechanics when it comes to dribbling and shooting. That said, the AI's learning is all over the place, with some sound decision-making accompanied by some of the worst defensive soccer ever played. It won't fully tank a single game, but it will happen often enough it's noticeable.

Ultimate Team Is Back

What is there to say about Ultimate Team that hasn't already been said? Players who love it will continue to do so; those who actively hate the way the game mode turns soccer simulation into a gacha game will continue to loathe its presence. To EA's credit, Ultimate Team in EA Sports FC 24 has been modified enough that it will at least feel a little different. Evolutions let the user take a player with worse overall stats and improve them, which means the game finally has a bit more leeway available to those who do not want to spend money on Ultimate Team. The rate at which players complete objective sand get Evolution rewards is fairly pacey, but it certainly feels like it won't fully balance out the discrepancies between those who pull for higher-rarity roster options and those who are playing largely for free.

Final Thoughts & Review Score

EA Sports FC 24 is still one of - if not the - premier options for soccer simulation experiences. Truthfully, however, that's what everyone has come to expect. It's disheartening to see a series settle for good rather than great or excellent, but that's what FC 24 does. For a game that was supposed to be a fresh start on licensing and branding, it feels like the only thing that changed was the name.

Anyone who enjoys soccer will enjoy EA Sports FC 24. The same can be said about FIFA 23 and many of its predecessors. The problem with EA Sports FC 24, like those that came before it, is that it's doubtful anyone will even remember it this time next year. One day, hopefully, there will be a soccer experience that challenges the idea that this is a good way of doing things.

EA Sports FC 24 is available now. Screen Rant was provided with a PS5 review code for the purpose of this review.