So it is not surprising that a little bit of melancholy is noticeable at the team during the presentation. For “FIFA 23” one would like to bring the most inclusive and at the same time most playable series offshoot on the way. In addition to PSG star Kylian Mbappé, Samantha Kerr is the first female soccer player to grace the cover of a FIFA game. EA Sports wants to give women’s soccer a big focus this year and is integrating club teams for the first time.

In addition, there is also crossplay, so that at least players of the same console generation can compete against and with each other. But is that all? Of course not. The editorial team has already tested “FIFA 23” and explains what makes “FIFA 23” different.

First impressions from the hands-on

Along with the extensive presentation, EA Sports also made a demo version of “FIFA 23” available afterwards for extensive test play on the PlayStation 5. The big game types like FIFA Ultimate Team or the career options were still inactive in it. Instead, friendly matches with teams like Paris St. Germain or Borussia Dortmund were played.

When you first pan through the stadium and look at the pitch, you’ll notice the revamped, much finer-looking grass. After kickoff, however, the detailed Hypermotion 2 animations come into play: The kickers look altogether more agile and quicker on their feet. Changes of direction – with and without the ball – are easier. The kickers continue to slide less across the field and seem to have firmer footing.

EA Sports changes the sprinting characteristics of its players and creates archetypes for this purpose. Explosive athletes pick up top speed quickly, while long-distance sprinters he full speed later. Controlled athletes are in between. There are also minor variations between types depending on the kicker’s abilities. This makes running duels in particular seem a bit more natural and not solely dependent on character values.

The positional play of the defensive lines has also been adjusted, so that in the future “FIFA” players won’t be so strongly concentrated in their own half as before. However, two features stand out during the kick-off round: With the Power Shots, EA Sports introduces a “Risk & Reward” mechanic. These shots take longer before they are fired and have to be well-placed so that they don’t go into the clouds. At the same time, they have enormous power. This arcade impact is fun in solo mode, but could cause problems in multiplayer. On the other hand, we liked the goalkeeper behavior and the overall larger physique much better. Collisions feel more forceful than before and especially in aerial duels, things get pretty tense. FIFA 23 definitely takes a step forward here.

This looks better!

Speaking of the technical aspects of the soccer game. EA Sports also makes some significant changes to the graphics engine and presentation. These often go into great detail and are only noticeable upon closer inspection. For example, the goal nets are now completely physics-based. The impact of the ball thus represents the force and angle of the shot. The redesigned and significantly more three-dimensional turf also takes damage during the course of the match due to straddling and other actions.

It’s a similar story with the goalkeepers’ actions. If the goalie merely parries a ball with his fingertips, we observe in the replay how his stylus bends slightly backwards, giving the ball a corresponding spin. When it comes to the staging of matches, you’ll notice the much livelier fan blocks, which have a lot more life to them thanks to cheering and flag-waving spectators. In total, there are over 500 new chants as well as additional anthems and goal tracks. And “FIFA 23″ also uses the options of the PS5 controller and plays certain effects via the speaker.

Before the matches, smaller players tailored to the venue now provide atmosphere, and the display of the lineups has also been adapted for the respective modes. FIFA 23” stages its replay with automatic camera pans and slow motion sequences. So that the best scenes also come to bear accordingly.

The career lives

In terms of game modes, we have to rely on the statements of the developers during the presentation. EA Sports put a lot of focus on the adaptations of the career – even if some of the innovations already caused displeasure among the community.

New here is a revised personality system for the player career, which is divided into Maverick, Virtuoso and Heartbeat. The Heartbeat is the heart and soul of his team and leads by example. The Maverick is the opposite and wants to stand out at all costs. The Virtuoso, on the other hand, celebrates soccer in all its forms.

Your playing style determines your alignment, so you can put your own stamp on your character. To that end, they’re also expanding off-court activities, for which you’ll earn points in the three character areas. In addition, you can now invest your hard-earned money in sponsorships or luxury goods.

For the manager career EA Sports promises additions to the transfer system. For example, real coaches will appear at the negotiating table and bargain with you for millions. Afterwards, you’ll receive a rating for your negotiating skills. The player and manager careers also share refreshed menus and dynamic moments that show your character interacting with fans or in important situations. This is supposed to give your own character additional depth. Very nice: You decide how much time you invest in the individual matches. For example, you can only play the highlights while the rest of the game is simulated.

There will be more information about Pro-Clubs, Volta and FIFA Ultimate Team in the coming weeks. Here EA Sports has unfortunately imposed an embargo to publish the news.