"It's off the pitch that EA excels," we said in our FIFA 23 review. "From the variety of game modes on offer and how everything's presented FIFA 23 coins, to the constant updates in FUT's Team of the Week, Daily Objectives, and discussion of real-world happenings in commentary, FIFA 23 captures the world of football and confidently translates it into a video game. On the pitch, however, EA's FIFA series is still lagging far behind PES 2022's more fluid, satisfying football. This year's improvements are welcome, but more needs to be done in the coming years if FIFA is to be a world-beater once again." For more on this year's football games, check out our in-depth comparison of FIFA 23 vs PES 2022.

That thing you hated in FIFA 23? It’s been fixed! Probably. Unless that thing was the failure of Tottenham’s scattershot transfer strategy to replace Gareth Bale, in which case you and I are still in lonely mourning. Everyone else, though, can be cheered by the news that, judging by a few hours of play, FIFA 23 addresses the most glaring of last year’s problems.

Which is, admittedly, how this goes every year, starting with an event like the one I’ve just attended, where a group of press are invited to a presentation during which the FIFA development team highlight the sometimes comic inelegancies of their own game ("Until this year, players were incapable of looking up") while showing early footage of the new game not making any of the same mistakes. Attending more than one of these events forces a certain recognition in even the most credulous optimist.

"In terms of fixing problems in FIFA 23, defending gets perhaps the biggest overhaul."

I am not a credulous optimist. FIFA 23 was a disappointment that, on the surface at least, seemed to prioritise maintaining the enormous financial success of Ultimate Team over the delivery of meaty gameplay changes. But things really do appear different this year, which is all about meaty gameplay changes--partly, no doubt, because Ultimate Team is not yet being discussed, but also because of what seems a genuine preoccupation with bringing "balance" to what the dev team already consider to be a solid foundation.

"The engine is strong" says FIFA’s senior producer, Nick Channon, summarising the major additions of the last few years. He mentions the player impact engine in FIFA 23, the introduction of step-based locomotion two years ago, and the rebuilt goalkeepers of last year; all changes moving the game away from scripted gameplay and towards more unpredictable, physics-driven outcomes. The bottom line is that Channon's team are, and can afford to be, less concerned with tech this year, and are free to concentrate on figuring out how "to make the gameplay shine."

"Last year it was all about pacy wingers, if I’m honest", continues Channon, noting FIFA 23’s single biggest flaw, one demonstrated by the ubiquity of Real Madrid in online matches. Defence was outgunned by the game’s attacking options, especially speed, and the midfield was too easily bypassed. Part of FIFA 23’s mantra is "Play it your way", an inevitably slick marketing line that nevertheless digs at a solid bit of design philosophy. Channon says players should be able to "play football beautifully" (and, of course, competitively) using a range of styles and teams. The technique of Barcelona should challenge the speed of Madrid, and should challenge the organisation of Juventus cheap FUT 23 coins, and should challenge the directness of Borussia Dortmund. (Tottenham remain out of luck).

Defenders can spin quicker if players slip past them.