EA Sports is back with their annual football game only this time its been rebranded under the new EA FC 24 name. And, today we're talking about my personal favorite game mode from the FIFA franchise: Career Mode. Career mode is one of the oldest of the FIFA game modes and it has gone through many forms and evolutions through the years. At its best career mode is supposed to let you live out your wildest football fantasies and experience the thrills and chills of the beautiful game as either a player or manager avatar. However, lately EA have neglected career mode and its role-playing potential in favor of refining the cash-machine behemoth that is Ultimate Team. Consequently, career mode started to become stale and ultimately faded into the background over the last couple of years. But this time around EA are promising real change and a revamp for this once iconic mode. Whether these will be anything other than empty promises remains to be seen but for now there's enough reason to be optimistic with all the new features announced for EA FC 24's career mode. In the article we will dissect these changes and explore their effect on the overall career mode experience, so strap in!

Changes in Manager Career:

• Tactical Visions
• Spectator Mode
• Pre-Match Preparation

Tactical Visions

The first major change coming to EA FC 24 Career mode is the Tactical Visions system. Tactical Visions is EA's shiny new addition to the managerial toolbox. So, how does it work? Well, Tactical visions is all about crafting your own unique philosophy for your team. According to EA this is going to change the game, and affect how your team performs on the pitch and the decisions your players make in decisive actions. But hold on, there's more! This isn't just a standalone feature. It's cleverly intertwined with the spruced-up coaching system.?

Now, let's talk about the new coaching system. This is EA's latest attempt to make the manager career more immersive and realistic. Just as is the case in real life, you'll now have to hire coaches in your club and develop your players with each coaches' special attributes.?If you play your cards right and recruit coaches that gel nicely with your Tactical Vision, you're in for a treat. Your players will be sharper for upcoming matches, gaining boosts and one-time playstyles that'll enhance their performance and make them play like a player in peak form. Plus, player development will shift into overdrive, making those grueling training sessions pay off even quicker.

For example, if your Tactical Vision is focused on a high press defense, your team will work to aggressively win the ball back in the opposition third. In this scenario, you could recruit defensive coaches that align with this vision, and you'll see your players become more adept at this style of play.?On the other hand, if you opt for a possession-based vision, you'll need to hire coaches more focused on the development of midfielders who can instill that ball-carrying philosophy on the pitch. Supposedly, it's all about finding a good balance and hiring the right lineup of coaches that compliment your on-field vision. So far EA has only confirmed the following 4 Tactical Visions (with more sure to come) :

• Tiki-taka
• Gengenpressing
• Park the Bus
• Counter-Attack

Spectator Mode

EA have finally listened to the community and come up with a fully fleshed out spectator mode that will a sense of realism and immersion that can only be rivaled by latest Football Manager game. Finally, we'll be able to watch our team from afar and not directly influence the result of the match by taking control of the 11 players on the pitch. This nifty feature will allow players to watch the game as it unfolds in real-time from a couple of different perspectives. Experience the pulsating atmosphere of a matchday from the stands, follow a single player and view the game from his perspective or live every heart-racing moment from the touchline as the manager. Regardless of which way you choose to watch the match, you will still have the ability to make substitutions or tactical changes and change the game the way top class managers do.?

The way I see it, this is a feature that's long overdue and I'm over the moon that we're finally getting a decent spectator mode in a FIFA game. I can't wait to feel the heat of the floodlights, hear the roar of the crowd and taste the tension in the air as I'm managing my favorite clubs in the game. This is what an authentic manager career mode should bring to the table and I'm glad EA are finally taking this step.?

Pre-Match Preparation

Let's talk about the creative new match preparation elements coming to FC 24. This year you'll be much more prepared for each induvial match because of pre match reports. Pre match reports will ensure that you know your opponents strengths, weaknesses and key players before heading on the pitch. With this vital information you can tailor your playstyle to your opponent and optimize your team's performance. Whatever details you think you might need to defeat your opponents you'll be able to find all of it in the brand new pre match reports. Wondering who the key players of your opponent are? Curious about their formation? Are they on a winning streak? These reports are your secret weapon, covering all these aspects and more.?

And it doesn't stop there! The training sessions before matchday have been revamped too, with a sprinkle of a new game mechanic. Picture this - a successful training session could reward your players with some extra, albeit temporary,?FC 24 PlayStyles. This is essentially like a buff for one of your players that can give your team the special edge in the match and ensure that you take home the 3 points. Combining the training with the knowledge learned in the pre-match report you can train specific aspects of your team's game to target your rivals' weaknesses and disarm their threats.

Ultimately, I'm excited for these features because it seems like they're here to make sure that as a player I never go into a match unprepared and that I have greater tactical control over how I challenge my opponents.?

Changes in Player Career:

• Player Agents
• Player Personalities
• Ballon d'Or + New Cinematics

Player Agents

We're stepping into a whole new realm in Player Career with FIFA 24. This year you'll finally have more control over your career's trajectory with the new player agent system. That's right, this year you'll finally get to hire your very own agents to represent and fight for you off the pitch . And, they aren't just glorified messengers. They're determined pros that step in to demand the sweet, sweet wages you deserve or to hand in that transfer request you've been fretting over. But wait, there's more! They're also your personal career guides, mapping out the path to your dream club.?

That's right, you can pick a dream club to play for - the kind that gives you goosebumps just thinking about it. Once you've made your choice, your agent gets down to business. They set objectives, offer recommendations, and basically do everything in their power to improve your game so that you can end up wearing the colors of your favorite club.?

Player Personalities

Player Personalities are making a thrilling comeback in EA FC 24! Now, I know what you're thinking. They're going to work just like they did in FIFA 23, right? Well, you're not far off, but there is a key difference. The choices you make, both on and off the pitch, have a direct impact on your crucial player attributes. But here's the kicker - they're now intimately linked to the exciting new PlayStyles system.?

In EA FC 24 each level of personality you unlock unfurls a fresh, usable PlayStyle. And the best part? The PlayStyles you can access depend entirely on your unique personality type. Let me paint a clearer picture for you. When you level up to the top of a personality tier, that tier’s PlayStyle morphs into a supercharged PlayStyle+. A PlayStyle+ will give you that lethal cutting edge on the field and allow your player to perform world class actions like power strikes or incredible acrobatic finishes in the box.?

In the end, this slight tweak to the player personality loop should make things dramatically more interesting when it comes to seeing your player develop and gaining some of the game-breaking attributes from the PlayStyles+ collection.

Ballon d'Or and Other New Cinematics

Isn't it just mind-boggling how some features seem so obvious, yet take an eternity to find their way into the game? Well, brace yourself because this addition to Player Career Mode will have you asking: 'how on earth was this not included before?' In EA FC 24 your player won't just be limited to just racking up golden boots and club trophies. No, EA have upped the ante this year. Your player can now fight amongst the elite class of footballers for the most coveted individual honor in the game– the Ballon d’Or. Finally!?

And hold onto your controller, because EA have pulled out all the stops to make sure this a memorable moment in your player career. Picture this: a new cinematic cutscene that captures you, clad in your finest tuxedo, accepting the game's most prestigious award amidst an authentically recreated ceremony. It's not just a nice touch, but instead it represents a new summit to reach and the ultimate goal every player will be striving for.?

But there's still more ways that EA FC 24 will celebrate the highest moments of your player career. Alongside the Ballon d’Or, EA will include cinematics for bus parades and other award ceremonies. It's about time they added some much-needed flavor to the career mode, don't you think?

Will the EA FC 24 Career Mode be better than FIFA 23 Career Mode?

Career Mode in FIFA 23 was, to say the least, a bit of a mixed bag. Yes, it had its moments, but there were also times when you would scratch your head, wondering why certain features were missing, or why certain decisions were made. So, the question looms -?will the new features in EA FC 24 Career Mode be game-changing enough to surpass its predecessor??

Here's what I think. While the core elements of the experience are undisturbed it also appears that EA have put in real effort into making career mode more immersive and refreshing this time around. If they can really hone in on these refinements, focusing on what the fans really want, then the EA FC 24 Career Mode could truly shine. But if these changes don't tangibly affect the core gameplay loop then we might just be looking at more of the same. And wouldn't that be a disappointment?

So, to all the Career Mode fans out there, keep your fingers crossed. Let's hope that EA takes our feedback to heart, and that the EA FC 24 Career Mode turns out to be a step forward, not just a sidestep. Because we deserve better than empty promises and false dawns.?