FIFA 23 Reviews
FIFA 23’s slick and dramatic virtual football is fitting for the series’ last hurrah under its long-time name, but familiar frustrations abound, and it still greatly undervalues some of its most beloved modes.
FIFA 23, like so many FIFAs before it, sums up the best and worst of football culture - a joyeous game in the vice-like grip of profiteers.
A disappointing final whistle from EA as the new mechanics and fine-tuning create little in the way of major change, for a series that has long been in need of a major revamp.
EA and FIFA part company with a game packing fresh content both on and off the park – but FIFA 23 is ultimately hamstrung by a pair of longstanding frustrations.
There’s a famous saying from former footballer Gary Lineker that “football is a simple game – 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes – and at the end, the Germans always win.” I want to make a similar assessment of EA’s yearly soccer game: FIFA 23 is a good game – it’s flashy, fun to play, and has a lot of modes – but in the end, you realize it’s mostly the same game you’ve been playing for years.
The gameplay changes, which are the most meaningful improvements among FIFA 23’s additions because they serve all modes of play, don’t just give me more things to do, or moves to memorize on my gamepad. By opening up new ways to exploit my team’s strengths, they actually tell me I’m better at soccer — video game soccer — than I give myself credit for. Of all the things I noticed in FIFA 23 right out of the box, that might have come last. But it mattered the most.
FIFA 23 makes incremental improvements to last year's game, but the looming presence of Ultimate Team's microtransactions cast a shadow over everything.
FIFA 23 is the most expansive game in the series' long history; women's football has never been better represented, there's fun new activities like Volta Arcade, and there's still all of the classic modes. Still where FIFA 23 takes steps forward in some areas, it could still be better in others. The action on the pitch is fun and engaging, but the user interface can be clunky, and modes like player career mode feels like an afterthought with largely superficial changes, compared to the investment in Ultimate Team. FIFA 23 is the end of an era and goes out on a high, but still has the hallmarks of the series' gradual yearly evolution.
FIFA 23 complies, but does not abandon the path of continuity. EA Sports bids farewell to its legendary license with interesting gameplay tweaks that will have their defenders and detractors, as always. FIFA 23 looks a little better, as always. FIFA 23 maintains what sells, as always; and FIFA 23 brings us quality and fun soccer, as always.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
There is less to dislike with FIFA 23 than there was with last year’s game, but I also wasn’t blown away with the advancements in several features such as career/franchise mode or the visuals. While it’s technically a better game than FIFA 22, it may not seem like it to those who don’t spend most of their time in FUT or VOLTA. Color me satisfied, but not overwhelmed.
But keeping things on the pitch, FIFA 23 is still utterly engrossing, wildly frustrating, uncannily realistic and very silly. It’s endlessly playable but, just like real football, the search for the perfect blueprint goes on.
FIFA 23 is the perfect goodbye party for the EA Sports franchise. HyperMotion 2.0 is brilliant in portraying intensity, dynamism and hi-tense rhythm football. The gameplay is hectic and engaging, even though quite unbalanced in terms of offensive/defensive action and the goalkeepers AI is quite questionable. If you like offensive football and epic individual duels, FIFA 23 will provide hours of fun both in single and multiplayer, while the "new" Ultimate Teams works great.
Review in Italian | Read full review
FIFA 23 represents the evolution of a path that began with FIFA 22, that of the implementation of the new Hypermotion 2 technology, an addition that serves the title to modify the rhythm of the matches, moderately improving what has been exposed so far. It is not a revolution, but it ends up bringing more novelties than its predecessor.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Outside of the lengthy modes discussed, it's just what you want out of a football game: a damn good game of footy. I don't care what they call it next year, if it improves on this then I will be there on day one.
FIFA 23 brings some great gameplay changes, but the sins of its predecessors still drag the game down.
FIFA 23 is a step up for the FIFA series as far as gameplay and in-game elements go, and the tweaks to gameplay and addition of new modes does help the game overall. However, microtransactions remain one of the biggest stains in this series, and oftentimes outshine even the good.
An increased focus on the women's game and accessibility features marks a bold play for new audiences ahead of EA Sports' split from FIFA.
FIFA 23 is the same as it has always been.
Now it feels like the physics, AI and animation have come together in a way that makes even these ridiculous moments feel naturalistic and pleasurable.
So is it worth it this year? That's a firm "yes". The Hypermotion 2 engine lives up to it's hype and delivers what it probably the best simulation of football I've seen. You have a variety of game modes to find your favorites with some like Volta that deliberately speed up the pace that the engine tends to slow down in Career. You also have the widest variety of stars to choose from featuring men's and women's teams as well as all the licenses and real player likenesses you can hope for. However, Career mode needs some love. And by love I don't mean more meaningless transfer cutscenes. I mean depth beyond just the UK pyramid: add some real lower division teams across leagues and stop neglecting everything outside of Europe.