What’s in a name? When EA announced it would change the title of its premiere soccer series from FIFA to EA Sports FC24, we all wondered: is this also the year it finally takes a real step forward, out of the microtransaction-focused darkness and into the light of its full potential? Well, the answer is a resounding… kind of. There are breadcrumbs of greatness in EA Sports FC 24, with many new mechanics like Evolutions and Tactical Visions showing the series can evolve into something better. Yet, for every exciting improvement added in, there's still far too many of the same things, like poor AI, that have frustrated me for years.

For the first few hours of EA Sports FC 24, everything feels familiar gameplay-wise, for better and for worse. HyperMotion V and the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller feedback return make matches realistic, with precise ball and player physics, noticeable field wear and tear, and goal post-shaking haptics. It's hard to deny that there's a lot of attention to detail going into recreating a realistic soccer atmosphere.