FC 24 from EA Sports is the first non-FIFA football game in 30 years, which means it arrives with something akin to big expectations.

That's a tricky problem for the long-running football juggernaut to have considering this year's game is merely the latest annual installment, simply under a different banner.

The proposed on-paper upgrades are, regardless, highlighted by presentation additions and droves of fancy-sounding technology to make the on-pitch action better mirror real life.

But whether these additions can match the hype of of a total rebranding and another installment on next-generation consoles will dictate the reception FC 24 receives and how it stacks up historically to past entires.

FC 24 certainly differentiates itself from past entries right away.

The on-pitch action is upgraded, perhaps giving the most notable leap we've seen in years courtesy of the HypermotionV system and the tech that uses data from matches across various leagues. It loops in full-match action as well as individual characteristics in a way that translates nicely to the digital field.

Fancy naming and tech or not, weight does feel to matter more realistically in the game now, so jockeying for position is more than simple timing now and overpowering a smaller defender while dribbling down the pitch is notably different and vice versa. It's refreshing and akin to the weight-based differences recent NBA 2K games have been able to establish to the post game.

The game isn't lacking for other new gameplay features to compensate, either. There are new acceleration types, which give players more options while also better reflecting how the real game unfolds on a club-by-club basis.

Controlled Sprint is a notable one that fans will recognize. It's simply dribbling quickly without breaking into an outright sprint at full speed, but it's a nice layering-on of strategy available at the fingertips of players that freshens up the whole experience.

Also a big boon for the gameplay is new precision passing (pass, lob and swerved pass). It feels just like manual passing from prior games and displays a line on the ground to show where the ball might end up. While not easy to do right away, there's nothing wrong with more ways to approach a given scenario and again, it moves the experience more toward reflecting real life.

It certainly feels like ball physics got a revamp, with goalkeepers keeping more shots home and close as opposed to the unpredictable ricochets off blocks. Ditto for steal attempts on slide tackles, which tend to stay on the defender now instead of flying off randomly.

By far the biggest mixup, though, is the addition of the so-called PlayStyles (think X-Factors from a game like Madden). There are a ton of them in the game at launch and at their simplest, give specific footballers big boosts in certain areas that reflect real-life skills.

The impact on gameplay is immense across all modes. Players will feel the difference when say, someone with the "First Touch" skill has more finesse control over the ball upon receiving it—with exclusive animations. Or when a "Power Shot" skill user benefits from increased ball travel speed on those types of shots.

It's worth wondering if PlayStyles and the souped-up PlayStyles+ make for overpowered metas during online play and Ultimate Team very quickly. But in the base game at launch, they're fun to explore and provide a big overhaul to the feel of play for the better.

Whereas last year's game dialed in on things like good shot indicators and passing options that return, this release feels more like fine-tuning and expanding upon fundamentals. That, plus the push for realistic individual standout footballers excelling under the spotlight. It all combines, at least while the clock is running mid-match, to feel like the best-paced and feeling game in the series yet.

Graphics and Presentation

As a result of all of the above, there are a ton of new animations all over the place in FC 24 that will give even long-time players at least a raise of the eyebrow.

The marriage of gameplay and presentation is just that good this year, in part because the tech behind the experience keeps expanding to beef up small details that comprise the whole.

One of the best examples is the fact there is more detail in things like fabric swaying and improved matchday crowds. Lighting clearly gets a big boost this year, especially during highlights or simply viewing footballers on the pitch under the spotlights and seeing their shadows move.

Individuality is a big upgrade here. The biggest football players in the world generally look spot-on and emote well, oftentimes doing exclusive celebrations or simply dribbling in a way that most others don't.

Broadcast-style pre-match narratives have improved and in a refreshing step, reflect the importance of the upcoming match. Players will surely hit repeats at some point, but the variety is nice.

This accurate broadcast feel extends to half-time and other breaks with new camera cuts, including the ability to actually see the play-by-play announcers doing their jobs. There's even a referee camera while yellow and red cards come out.

Perhaps the best new wrinkle is the presence of new overlays, including stats, shot charts, win percentages. An overlay on the pitch itself showcasing the last five shots attempted with green and red dots during a pause in the action is just buttery smooth in the best way.

FC 24 even has a brand new Tactical Cam viewing angle that provides a broader look at the action while still keeping everything visible in a nice manner. Some players won't mesh with it, but the option to change is there.

The rebrand to FC was also an excuse to mercifully overload the clunky menus of the user interface (UI). It's not perfect across the board, but in most areas, feels necessarily more simplistic and user-friendly.

Career, FUT and More

Some sports games don't do much for their respective career modes despite how beloved it is by fans.

FC 24 isn't one of those games.

A year removed from giving players more control over decisions, the series invests further in this via Career Experiences.

During a manager career players have more in-depth control over training and other areas. The immersion levels for players gets a boost, too via a new perspective while spectating a match from the field level.

And the player career features a new agent who helps the player establish a career path. Setting goals equates to creating actual objectives, giving players agency. A new player-based camera is a fun wrinkle that can boost immersion levels too, for those who can stomach not seeing the entire pitch at all times.

These are understated boosts to two distinct-feeling modes that really help the experience, especially in tandem with the sweeping gameplay upgrades. The ability to make choices and even partake in only key moments of a match or season also helps again create one of the better career modes in sports games.

One of the big headline items for FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) this year is men and women's football on the same pitch. It's a refreshing angle for the game to take in many ways, with one of the biggest being the sudden boost in team variety. The presence of even more card options and team compositions should mean even the online meta feels notably different than in years past.

In an apparent effort to reward players for playing the game in the way they want, FC 24 brings out Ultimate Team Evolutions for a debut. This tacks on a progression path for each footballer card in a club that improves skills, PlayStyles and ratings.

Make no mistake, this is still a per-card grind. But it's a nice nod and admission that players should be able to form the teams they want with better finesse control. At least early on, it feels like it accomplishes this and reduces the pressure a player annually feels to only seek out and use the most competitive cards in the meta.

This doesn't absolve the microtransactions side of the game by any means whatsoever, but it does seem to open the door for meaningful player investment in their preferred cards while remaining competitive.

Little player requests have made it into the game too, such as no longer needing a consumable to shift a footballer's position on a club. There has also clearly been an emphasis on making things less complex in the menus thanks to a streamlined quick-navigation feature.

Crossplay arrives for Clubs and Volta Football this year too after the all-important arrival of shared progression last year, hopefully beefing up online search times for the more arcade-styled modes.

These modes go with the seasons format. They span six weeks, and now include a League Phase where players can move around divisions before a Playoff Phase. Where a player's club finishes influences the number of rewards.

Beyond the expected general quickplay modes, FC 24 makes some nice boosts to the practice arena and tutorials, gently walking even the newest of players through the fundamentals. A robust suite of options again rounds out one of the most complete packages found in sports games.

Conclusion

Time for a quick summary that might sound bad, but isn't necessarily—outside of the menus overhaul, this feels exactly like what FIFA 24 would've been.

But FC 24 feels like the jump FIFA 23 made last year while evolving the game around the next generation of consoles. A safe jump, but a jump nonetheless.

Truth is, FC 24 is merely another step forward for one of the best sports games on the planet. It might not match the hype of a rebrand, but it's hard to deny how good the on-pitch action feels, how it continues to better mimic the real thing down to the fine details while offering big skill gaps and player agency and how it can take the hand of a completely new player and guide them to notable heights.

Oh, and it's just plain fun, be it a pick-up-and-play session or for a super-competitive online player. Regardless of name, FC 24 is the best in series yet, especially on the pitch, where it matters most.