FIFA 23

FIFA 23 is the final entry of this footballing franchise under its current iconic name, and it's not really one to remember. While the gameplay continues to strive forward, most of the other new features are rather undercooked and the overall package lacks a bit of polish.

FIFA 23 is perfectly serviceable, the gluttony of FIFA fans won't find much to complain about. Truth be told, the formula is so one-dimensional that it is hard to get wrong after iterating on the same product year after year. Subtle tweaks to gameplay do mix things up, but not enough has been done to refresh the modes on offer. Either EA are out of ideas, or they are storing them up for their next game in their new franchise. Anyone looking a football game in 2023 though should certainly stick with the tried and tested FIFA.

If better hair physics is what you were hoping for when it comes to the new edition of FIFA – you’re in luck! The hair looks gorgeous now. But as for the other, more important things we need, it is the same as always. It takes a bit of improvement and a lot to pay for it.

A few nice improvements cannot hide the fact that FIFA needs proper innovations really badly. The Ultimate Team works well, in no small part thanks to the new Chemistry system, but the Career mode is literally dead and buried. I’ll be expecting much more from the future EA Sports FC.

FIFA 23 is the best feeling football game currently on the market, the gameplay is much better this time around than it was in FIFA 22. It's just a shame the lack of attention to the single player game modes, and Pro Clubs, lets the rest of the game down.

FIFA 23 is ultimately (no pun intended), a good FIFA game and the best football game on the market, but that about sums it up. There aren't any big innovations here, and in a yearly franchise, and also possibly the last in its line to bear the name FIFA, I expected more from EA.

At its core, FIFA 23 is a solid game that offers a whole lot to experience. Sure, some passes won’t go where you expect them to and yes, too many gameplay tweaks will inevitably unbalance things from time to time. Yet you’ll have plenty of opportunity to find the balance of your choosing—because at the end of the day, finding that perfect balance is a frivolous exercise. So experience it however you like doing so. Get out of it whatever you wish to get out of it, and look forward to what’s next.

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.

The last game in the series to bear the FIFA name is a fittingly unambitious entry. It makes minor changes here and there, but there's not an awful lot to differentiate it from last year's offerings. Thankfully, the on-pitch action is still a hell of a lot of fun.

With FIFA 23, EA takes another step forward when it comes to gameplay with the necessary relatively subtle improvements and innovations. FUT Moments is an excellent addition and the visual quality is outstanding. At the same time, there isn’t a lot of real innovation and the game still has its share of issues and bugs, which can interfere with gameplay. Basically a good football game, but EA still has some polishing to do.

FIFA 23 is starting to look like football again. It is actually too bizarre for words that this is a plus for a footie, but the series is coming out of a deep valley. Hopefully EA will continue on this foot from next year without the yoke of the FIFA name (and costs!) ...

FIFA 23 is a bombastic swan song for the series (under its current name, at least) with a welcome focus on theatrical flair. FUT Moments, action replays and viral-friendly gameplay revisions like Power Shots make it a more considered, memorable game of simulated football with intentional defending and plenty of drama and goals. But EA's Spartan approach to the modes that don't make money ensures FIFA 23 is an all-too-familiar beast to previous years, and Ultimate Team’s offensive focus on microtransactions continues to take much of the fun out of it.

FIFA 23 is a fitting end to an era, successfully capturing the essence of the beautiful game alongside the disheartening practices of the profit-hungry vultures circling overhead. It's as much about greed as it is about scoring a screamer. A game where the on-pitch action has been refined with slicker passing, more effective defending, and myriad animations that bring it all to life, yet the shadow of gambling looms over it all. This has been the case since Ultimate Team was introduced 14 years ago, so none of this comes as a surprise. And with the next World Cup taking place in Qatar--a country known for sports washing its human rights record--it's all par for the course when it comes to football. The age of FIFA might be coming to an end, but EA Sports FC is likely to kick off in much the same way: offering a fantastic game of football that's otherwise consumed by an exploitative cash grab.

Quotation forthcoming.

More reliable passing, improved defending, and balanced attacking options mean FIFA 23 is a lot of fun to play. It’s an improved overall package, even if FUT’s main additions are underwhelming and the other modes have been given little love once again.

FIFA 23 is the same as it has always been, maybe for the last time.

FIFA 23 is trying to give new footballing experiences to players, but falls short on many levels. Graphically the game is extremely impressive and the new match day experiences add a new sensation when stepping on the pitch. However, the problems of old, like janky animations and general slowness, are still present in the gameplay and keep frustration alive. All these things make FIFA 23 a mixed bag of awe and annoyances.

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.

FIFA 23 had been a much better game if you could leave out everything outside of the matches. Ultimate Team has become too much of a focus, while the minute to minute gameplay still works.

All good things come to an end, and so does FIFA. Not that the game itself will cease to exist, but from next year it will simply be called EA Sports FC. In any case, the latest edition in the series could not be more FIFA: the moments on the pitch are great, those off it a little less so. There are times when it seems mostly a commercial for itself. The menus are garish and lead you everywhere but where you want to go. They also make it clear where Electronic Arts wants players to spend the most time: in flagship/milk cow Ultimate Team, where you build the strongest team possible and compete with it online. But once you get busy you notice how Electronic Arts manages to make soccer just that little bit more appealing every year.

One of sports gaming’s longest partnerships ends with a shrug of the shoulders. FIFA 23, positively and negatively, doesn’t feel like the end of an era. That’s mostly because it’s hard to see EA revolutionizing the underlying formula after the FIFA license has departed. All in all, FIFA 23 is a solid football spectacle with the same old woes.

FIFA 23 tries new things and doesn't quite get them all right. It's not a bad game, but it's also not the best we've ever seen, not even close. It brings slower gameplay, a more patient passing game, but patches will surely change this over the coming months. Career Mode threatens to score a banger, but gets lost with repetitive cutscenes and some bizarre bugs in the Artificial Intelligence's behaviour. Ultimately, EA Sports and FIFA won't be saying goodbye with grand ceremonies, but rather with a timid exit from the pitch.

A disappointing final whistle from EA as the new mechanics and fine-tuning create little in the way of major change, for a series that has long been in need of a major revamp.

FIFA 23 misses the mark. The whole game is based on its fast pace and depth, but the collisions are still failing and infuriating. The addition of the heavy shot leaves us fearing the worst. That said, the game is very beautiful on Next Gen and the content remains enormous and will keep you busy all season, for lack of anything better.