The summer time of soccer is upon us! From the Euros to Copa America and at last culminating with the Olympics, it will likely be a busy summer time as membership soccer fades into the background. With worldwide showdowns taking heart stage, people like myself have needed to mud off their digital copies of EA Sports activities FC 24 for the all-new Euro 2024 event hosted by Germany.
What I Like
Lead Your Nation Mode
One in every of my favourite modes from yesteryear is again, and whereas it’s not fairly “Captain Your Nation” mode from FIFA World Cup 2010 or 2014 the place you might lead your staff by means of a full qualification state of affairs, it’s higher than not having the mode. Carrying the burden of your nation in your shoulders is all the time an enormous accountability however fortunately there’s somewhat extra to do than simply play video games. Coaching mode is part of Lead Your Nation mode so the power to study some new PlayStyles may also help give your participant a short lived enhance do you have to choose a participant from a rustic that’s not anticipated to take dwelling the Euro 2024 trophy.
The European Journey
For these glory hunters on the market, the brand new European Journey must be proper up your alley. EA describes the mode as:
Embark on the European Journey and earn rewards throughout your favorite sport modes by finishing challenges themed across the alternative ways to play UEFA EURO 2024. Finishing all of the challenges will earn you a reward to embark on a brand new journey. The ultimate reward shall be revealed after the event ends.
Whereas I’m not an excessive amount of of an accomplishment seeker relating to sports activities video games, I do just like the idea of working in direction of one thing though I’m not too fussed by the mysterious reward that you simply’ll get on the finish of the real-life event.
Stadiums
If there’s one facet EA appears to nail for each main worldwide event, it’s giving us the genuine stadiums. Whereas the World Cup 2022 DLC didn’t flatter on this respect as there have been just a few host websites in Qatar, the 2018 World Cup in Russia had all the stadiums, and very similar to this yr’s Euro 2024 DLC, the stadiums are very nicely accomplished. The intros go away loads to be desired since you may solely see a lot, however when you get inside the sport the ambiance and visuals are high notch and what you’ll count on from a footy sport in 2024.
What I Don’t Like
No Lineups Earlier than Kickoff
Straight from the streets of Germany to the ref blowing the whistle at kickoff. That’s what you get with EA’s Euro 2024 DLC. I do know most EAFC casuals skip over all of the cutscenes, however it will be good to know what lineup your supervisor throws in Lead Your Nation mode or what the AI selects do you have to need to management a complete staff. The inconsistent method to those issues all the time baffles me. I get why some would possibly need to skip by means of thee lineups, particularly after seeing the AI managerial picks, however simply make all the pre-match intros separate and skippable. The perfect of each worlds for all events.
Nonetheless The Identical Unbalanced Gameplay
Sadly, EAFC’s 2024 Euro DLC is beauty solely when it comes to what it brings this summer time. Which means for higher or worse, the gameplay remains to be topic to the identical overpowered attacking dumbed down soccer. Followers of simulation soccer will nonetheless be left wanting, regardless of sliders serving to a tad. Scorelines are nonetheless closely inflated because of the AI defenders performing silly, taking poor angles, stumbling/jogging or simply standing there admiring the motion. Problem sensible, you’ll want to play on not less than Legendary with a purpose to get considerably of a problem however that opens you as much as the dynamic problem, which implies you’re going to see sure star gamers doing pointless stepovers and random methods whereas your goalkeepers both make worldie saves or let in howlers.
Backside Line
Contemplating the Euro 2024 DLC is free and the squads at the moment are up to date because the closing rosters have been finalized there actually isn’t an excessive amount of to complain about. I personally don’t suppose we’ll ever get again to the purpose the place solo video games (i.e. World Cup 2010) can have sufficient to hold a standalone value, but it surely’s nonetheless a welcome sight to know that EA, regardless of strolling away from the FIFA license, nonetheless has love for its roots, worldwide soccer.
