Summary
- Fans are torn between EA Sports FC 24 and other titles due to gameplay bugs and mechanics issues, as well as the negative reception to Konami's eFootball 2024's omission of the 'Master League.'
- EFootball PES 2021 Season Update offers mod-friendly options on PC, including new stadiums, player faces, kits, scoreboards, and gameplay modifications.
- FIFA 23 remains a viable option for players who prefer its career modes, with mods addressing long-standing franchise issues and introducing new player faces and kits. Football Manager 2024 offers a tactical, manager-focused experience, while UFL and Man of the Match promise immersive football experiences.
With the advancements made over the years for career modes in the FIFA franchise now known as EA Sports FC, many fans maintain high praise for what has been implemented. Whilst EA Sports FC 24 still manages to provide a good manager mode experience for a variety of players by implementing some more realistic football simulation features, mechanics within gameplay and bugs have left fans torn with which other titles they could turn to.
Since Konami's eFootball 2024 has come with a barrage of negative reception, mostly due to its complete omission of 'Master League,' which is equivalent to the aforementioned EA Sports FC career mode and the primary focus for online only modes, fans have been subjected to revisiting older entries while some anticipate the release of new games.
5 eFootball PES 2021 Season Update (Modded)
Unfortunately, previous Pro Evolution Soccer entries have been completely removed from all stores across all platforms by Konami, leaving only players who purchased and currently own it on PC able to utilize mods. Given the mod-friendly nature of eFootball PES 2021 Season Update, there are a plethora of mods available for PC players, ranging from new stadiums, player faces, kits, scoreboards, and even gameplay modifications that change the mechanics of the game.
While many mods can be mixed, one that has most of what fans will need is the Ultimate Master League package, which is available through a Patreon subscription for just $5. With an updated roster, including players attaining new ratings to align with recent performances, and much more, this stands as one of the best alternatives to EA Sports FC 24 despite only several players having access to it.
4 FIFA 23 (Modded)
FIFA 23
- Released
- September 27, 2022
- Developer(s)
- EA Vancouver, EA Romania
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC, Stadia
- Genre(s)
- Sports
As FIFA 23 to EA Sports FC 24 has only seen a few changes, specifically within the realm of its career modes, players who favor FIFA 23 may be encouraged to stick with it. While it may not be as mod-friendly as Konami's football titles due to updates often undoing most modifications made, it is certainly worthwhile, especially since EA's focus with updates will now be on EA Sports FC 24.
Most importantly, many of these mods address the issues that have plagued the FIFA franchise and its career mode for many years and introduce new player faces and kits, including official licensing for unlicensed teams. Just as there is a notable package for eFootball 2021 Season Update, FIFER's mods adhere to creating an overhauled and unique experience from the base game experience.
3 Football Manager 2024
The Football Manager franchise has maintained the largest database among all football games for many years, including teams and players that are neither present in eFootball nor EA Sports FC. Despite it being purely a tactical game and unlike most other titles where players can control each individual in their team, it remains the best football simulation title there is, putting players in the shoes of real-life managers.
Every decision with players, coaches, board members, and the rest of the staff in whichever club players decide to choose all matters and contain their own consequences. With Football Manager 2024 set to release on November 6th, 2023, there is no doubt that this will be a title to hold people for another year in anticipation of new entries.
2 UFL
While Strikers Inc.'s football title will be focused on online modes as EA and Konami both do with their franchises, it has been confirmed that there will be offline play, and fans are hoping that a career mode can be included here. UFL, with what has been showcased so far, appears to be a title that is most certainly in the realm of competition with EA Sports FC 24, especially since it has left many impressed in its early work-in-progress phase.
If the equivalent of EA's career mode that fans have become accustomed to over the years is implemented in the aftermath of UFL's release, it has the potential to produce an offline simulation experience that is more realistic and immersive than ever before.
1 Man Of The Match
Despite it still being a long way away from its release, the new Man of the Match looks set to be the most complete football game experience, promising to allow players to play however they want. This ranges from being a spectator, manager on the touchline, player on the pitch, a commentator, or even an owner of a club, making this stand as one of the most ambitious football games yet.
This adheres closer to the likes of the Football Manager franchise, greater than EA Sports FC 24 and Konami's eFootball, promising an experience that allows its players to do almost anything in the aspect of football, both on and off the pitch. With the presence of custom face scans, players will be allowed to use their own face in-game, which is one of the immersive features that was once present in the FIFA franchise that was unfortunately omitted. Whilst players may be waiting until its estimated 2025 release date, Man of the Match seems to be a football game that is worth the long wait.