Football fans everywhere, or soccer fans in the United States, are all familiar with FIFA. FIFA has had countless editions, each one allowing many different game modes and experiences, with the first dating back to 1994—FIFA 95. But in 2023, FIFA 23 was preceded by FC 24, and with it many new features—both good and bad.

FC 24 is like many previous FIFA games, in the sense that not much changes from year to year as new editions are released. Many of the game features are almost the exact same as previous years, with the yearly update of graphics that are rarely noticeable. Career mode is a particular disappointment in FC 24, considering there were almost no updates to the game mode following the mediocre additions of personal life attributes added a year previously..

The main addition to the game is.Women players being added to the games most popular game mode, Ultimate Team. Being able to create your dream team with both male and female players is something players, including myself, have been desiring for years. The ability to play with women players in Ultimate Team keeps me engaged while playing and switches things up, rather than just sticking to the same old players and getting bored. Allowing the usage of both males and females can cause more theory crafting and experimentation amongst your team, keeping you engaged.

Regarding game play, FC 24 is very similar to FIFA 13, FIFA 14, and FIFA 15. The game takes a lot more skill this year to play, rather than having the computer do everything for you. For instance, defending. Defending in FC 24 is harder than recent years, adding additional stress on the player to be smart while playing. The second major addition to FC 24 is the addition of playstyles. Playstyles allow for more realistic game play, taking attributes from real professional players and translating them into the game. Playstyles shape the way you play the game with certain characters and is my favorite added feature of the game. It allows for more imagination and creativity when building teams, something the game has been lacking for years.

Many players, myself included, were hopeful of more drastic changes with the change in branding of the game and were disappointed in that matter. But, the additions did make a huge difference. Being able to play with the new playstyles, along with women players and having to play more skillfully made FC 24 my favorite edition of the game in almost a decade, and is paving the way for another successful game a year from now.