FIFA 23

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 makes incremental improvements to last year's game, but the looming presence of Ultimate Team's microtransactions cast a shadow over everything.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The tweaks to FIFA 23's gameplay make for a more deliberate, physical representation of the beautiful game – and while it won't be to the taste of sweats who are used to five-star skilling their way up the ranks in Division Rivals, personally we appreciate the commitment to authenticity. As an overall package, this is a strong end to an impressive 30-year run, but an overemphasis on microtransactions and some cumbersome UI decisions underline everything that's been frustrating about this franchise for the past decade or so. Make no mistake, with crossplay and a wealth of things to do, this is the best shape the series has been in – but we hope EA Sports FC, unshackled from the overbearing eyes of governing body FIFA, brings a little bit more to the field.

FIFA 23 brings some great gameplay changes, but the sins of its predecessors still drag the game down.