FIFA 23 Review - Same Name, Same Game

thegamer.com:

Folks, it’s that time of year again - the FIFA 23 launch is here and I’m settling in to review a game that I’ve played year in, year out for the past 25 years, only to be told each time that it’s the exact same game every year. One glance at FIFA: Road to the World Cup ‘98 compared to now will show that the series has advanced significantly in those 25 years despite always being the same. Even looking at last year’s entry, FIFA 22, reveals some differences. However, they feel a little like sideways moves, and more worrying is the continuation of FIFA being funnelled entirely into one game mode: Ultimate Team.

To call upon a football cliche, I’m going to set my stall out early and declare that I’ll be saying very little about Ultimate Team here. I’m sure there are hundreds of reviews out there in various different forms which focus entirely on Ultimate Team, so this is the antithesis. I never play it, despite logging hours upon hours of FIFA each year, so I’m not in position to comment. I was given 4,600 FIFA Points for the review, and even after spending them all my team left a little to be desired - my only viable wide players were Coman and Son, both loan signings with just three games each.

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After them, my best player was Trippier. As a Newcastle fan, I can see the excitement that comes with the ever more spectacular player reveals, but if I want to play as Kieran Trippier online I can just play as Newcastle or England anyway. After spending what amounts to around £35, my team does not feel worth it. With that, let’s move on from Ultimate Team completely.

There are a few differences in the gameplay this year, but that’s what they are - differences. Not improvements,