The world’s game is back in virtual form, as finally we are treated to a brand-new iteration of what may be the best footballing experience out there in the gaming sphere, FIFA 23… although eFootball might have something to say about that!
Whilst fans of the series (FIFA 22, FIFA 21 and the like) will instantly be familiar with the gameplay systems, the majority of modes on offer, and the general idea of ‘kick ball in net more times than your opponent’, FIFA 23 is bringing with it some innovative new ideas that hope to capture your interest throughout the entire game cycle. And it’s all available today, for those with the Ultimate Edition.
With the introduction of women’s club football, seeing the likes of Sam Kerr ripping it up for Chelsea, as well as the promise of both the men’s and women’s World Cup competitions coming as post-launch content, this is the most inclusive FIFA to date, allowing you to take to the field with pretty much any team, nation and ‘baller you can imagine.
Their playstyles will be faithfully recreated with the new HyperMotion2 animation system, which hopes to replicate the beautiful game as accurately as possible. Speedsters like Sterling will be tearing down the wing, cutting inside as he does for England, powerhouses such as Erling Haaland will be out-muscling your defenders, and the towering Virgil van Dijk will be doing anything he can to stop him.
Despite the classic modes such as Player and Manager Career, simple exhibition matches, Pro Clubs and more can see you take your own players and teams, and carry them through both offline and online divisions, what the vast majority of players will be checking out first will be FUT. FIFA Ultimate Team is getting what could be its biggest overhaul in years, as the Chemistry system (in which you acquire players that link to others) is being completely revamped. Now players will link across the pitch, instead of just to those positionally adjacent, opening up far more opportunities to truly create your ‘ultimate team’.
It’s important that you give players a number of opportunities to acquire new FUT Icons and Heroes (players of old, such as Pele, Johan Cruyff, and Peter Crouch), and the new FUT Moments mode caters. These are small chunks of gameplay that offer up challenges for your team, such as to win the game in the final ten minutes, from being one-nil down, that earn you Stars, which in turn can be redeemed for packs of players. It’s classic FUT with a twist: play, earn, pack. And it’s as addictive as ever!
There will be some of you out there that know all this already, and have already locked in those pre-orders. For newbies, however, surely the promise of battering your mates as the fictional AFC Richmond with Ted Lasso sounds appealing?
FIFA 23 is now available to those with the Ultimate Edition, which costs £89.99 from the Xbox Store. If you are just picking up the Standard Edition for £69.99, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until the 30th September to get started. The Xbox Store will of course sort you out for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One – PS5, PS4 and PC players, you have your own stores to look at.
We’ll get you a review of FIFA 23 and how it plays on Xbox Series X|S real soon.
Game Description:
EA SPORTS™ FIFA 23 on Xbox Series X|S brings even more of the action and realism of football to the pitch in The World’s Game, with advances in HyperMotion2 Technology** driven by twice as much real-world motion capture helping to create more true football animation than ever before in every match.
