FC 24 Review: The New Meta, Defending, and More

EA FC 24 has been out for a while now, and I've had a proper chance to review and understand the game. I'll be covering the game's mechanics in broad strokes, the new game meta, and mostly Ultimate Team-focused reviews. There's plenty new in the other game modes too, but there's less to say about that side, since with competitive play down and fewer regular matches happening there, it makes much more sense to talk about the overall game through Ultimate Team specifically.

FC 24 Ultimate Team Meta Moves and New Gameplay Dynamics

The change to R1 dribbling really makes itself felt. I used R1 dribbling a lot in last year's game too, and I was a bit thrown off at first moving into this one, but once I got used to it, I can say R1 dribbling is very effective in this game. It's especially effective when you're cutting into the box from the wings.

[video width="1920" height="1088" mp4="/gorseller/2023/10/EA-SPORTS-FC-24_20231010125011.mp4"][/video]

Like in the video, R1 + combinations have also become pretty lethal, and they seem to make life quite a bit harder for defenders looking to make a challenge.

Ultimate Team

The game's menu is much simpler, and they've made it a lot easier to use.

Evolutions

The new Evolutions feature has turned out to be a lot of fun. You get the chance to upgrade the players you want, and doing it through objectives adds even more excitement.

Transfer Process and Player Tracking

Since my interest in football games goes back to my childhood, I've played pretty much every football game I could get my hands on since the PS1. (Which also gives away my age :) ). My interest in FIFA specifically started when PES began to fall out of favor and FIFA was on the rise, around FIFA 13. That's where I met Ultimate Team and fell in love with it, and between the transfers, team building, and having a competitive mode, it completely won me over. I stepped away from the PES mechanics I'd been used to for years and turned into a full FIFA player. A lot has changed since then, and the game itself isn't even called FIFA anymore. But one thing that hasn't changed is the transfer process.

In Ultimate Team, if you check a player's price range, current traffic, and how crowded the auction is before making a transfer, you're unlikely to lose money. Since FUTBIN usage has grown a lot in recent years, players can easily track all the recent price changes.

Be patient when trading, know that the player will come up at a lower price, and don't rush. I'm sure you'll eventually be able to add someone to your squad at the price you want.

Differences from FIFA 23

There's no room for simple passing in this game. Going for the first option isn't always effective, so it helps to check the player on the radar before making a pass.

• Skill moves have a much smaller impact compared to previous years
• The scissor move, which has been the meta for about 4 years, doesn't work this year.
• Direct attacks aren't as effective in attack as they used to be. The key to the game is being calmer, more controlled, and patiently working the right angles
• Near-post shots have had their effectiveness reduced a lot, and if the opponent isn't controlling the goalkeeper, scoring a near-post goal from the corners is almost impossible
• Compared to FIFA 23, the thing that's definitely lost the most effectiveness is L1 triangles. Last year, casual L1 triangles were incredibly effective; this year, even straightforward L1 triangles barely work.

Playing the ball in the air and over the opponent works to get past the midfield press. But if the opponent is covering the space behind and you think "my attacker is fast, I'll just do an L1 triangle and let him run onto it," think again — that ball will come right back to you from the defender at the same speed. Even if you want to play a long ball, you can check your player on the radar and combine it with a hard ground pass (R1+X). The bottom line is that instead of playing your attacker into feet, it's much smarter to play the ball into the space behind the defender and then try to beat them one-on-one or with a pass.

FC 24 Ultimate Team Defending

Defending has always been difficult and the place where you need to keep the highest concentration. Not much has changed this year either, and charging at the opponent to try to win the ball back leaves big gaps behind you and plays right into the opponent's hands. But always blocking passing lanes or never stepping in also basically invites the opponent into your box. Find the right moment, sense when the opponent is about to make a move or has made a mistake, gather your courage, and take that ball off their feet. (a detailed video on this is coming)

[video width="1920" height="1088" mp4="/gorseller/2023/10/EA-SPORTS-FC-24_20231010123555.mp4"][/video]

Slide tackles and challenges have become a lot more enjoyable, and centre-backs who can win the ball back from deep are finally getting their due. If you time it right, slide tackles also become very important in defending.

You Can Approach Defending in FC 24 Ultimate Team in Two Ways:

The first is pressing combined with an offside trap. While doing this, you need to keep one eye on the radar and the other on the opponent. By keeping your team pushed up with a consistent offside trap while the opponent tries to come forward, you leave no space for them to pass through and break you down — and if you apply this correctly and also find 1-2 goals in the match, the opponent tends to check out of the game.

The second is setting up your defense deep, waiting, and playing in a controlled way. This is less risky, but it plays into the hands of skilled players. Players who don't just rely on passing but also use skill moves and special moves can dribble all the way into your box as you close off passing lanes and space, throw off your defensive balance, and find a goal. Defending has always been hard, and it always will be. What matters is finding your own style and sticking with it.

Things I Found Negative About FC 24

I'm someone who lives for football games and likes to play by feel. Unfortunately, since competition in Ultimate Team has ramped up a lot in recent years, everyone tries to do 100% of what the game requires and doesn't stray outside the mechanics. That leads to a lot of matches playing out the same way, with everyone trying the same things, and honestly, that gets a little tiring for me. Of course winning the match matters a lot, but maybe try to enjoy it a little too, folks :)

Women footballers are a point of pride, that's a separate matter, but them competing in matches together with men strikes me as pretty absurd. Rather than removing women from the game down the line, opening separate tournaments for them with big prizes could make it more appealing. If things keep going this way, women footballers are a strong candidate to become a meme record in FC 24's very first year. Seeing a 1.50m-tall woman score a header over a 1.80m man was funny to me at first, but it ended up lowering my sense of realism a bit.

Conclusion

Overall, I liked the game's mechanics. In particular, the Ultimate Team menu speed, matchmaking, and the finer details have been put together well. The objectives newly added inside it get you to spend more time and stay engaged. Competitive mode has gotten even tougher this year, and there's no forgiveness for a momentary loss of concentration in a match. And of course, the closing minutes and the goal-line moments are lethal, with very little room for error.