eFootball 2024 Review: A fresh apple in an old basket

A fresh football season in eFootball 2024 arrived on mobile devices on the 7th of September. Fortunately, this time around, we didn’t experience any extensions of maintenance, which certainly sweetened the update. With each new season, the thrill of assembling the ultimate squad reaches new heights, and this season is no exception. However, as the dust settles on the new update, it’s apparent that not all players are in agreement about whether the gameplay has improved. Many find themselves disappointed as the game hasn’t introduced a significant array of new features. So, in this article, we’ll dive into a comprehensive review of the latest iteration of eFootball 2024, covering the pros and cons of the football title from KONAMI.

Improved gameplay mechanics is a big positive

When reflecting on eFootball 2023, it’s clear that the game had its fair share of gameplay problems. Throughout the season, many players found themselves grappling with various issues in the gameplay department. With the exception of a few fleeting moments of improvement, consistency remained elusive. However, it appears that this scenario has taken a turn for the better in eFootball 2024.

The gameplay is now more balanced, with the faster speed of play affecting the decision-making in a positive way. The increased pace of play has positively impacted decision-making. Players exhibit greater responsiveness, and surprisingly, the removal of player playstyles hasn’t had a detrimental effect on player movement. They feel like real players, and in most cases, you will find them to be enjoyable to control.

Coming to the passing and shooting, as mentioned before, the pace of gameplay being increased also has an effect on this. The ball now exhibits improved movement, with passes carrying an impressive weight to them. Shooting, in particular, has become a more realistic experience, with the ball’s trajectory and the subsequent movement of the net adding to the overall authenticity of the game.

Minor improvements to graphics do reflect on experience

Well, this is where a lot of players have been noticing some improvements, and frankly, we did too. The graphics have been greatly enhanced, especially with the player faces being positive towards the overall atmosphere. The advertisement boards are flashier than before, and you can find them attractive enough. Additionally, the improvements extend to the crowd animations. In previous iterations, the crowd often felt somewhat static and lacked the dynamism you’d expect from a real football match.

However, in eFootball 2024, the crowd models have been significantly upgraded. They now display a more convincing level of movement, reacting more naturally to the action on the field. There are some negatives still, no player shirt name, presentation of players, etc., but to conclude this section, there is no denying that the team has put a good amount of effort into providing a visual experience that is pleasing to the eye.

UI impresses with its color scheme, music still could have been better

The user interface in eFootball 2024 has made a notable impression with its choice of color scheme. The combination of black and purple is a visually striking choice that lends a modern and stylish feel to the game. When the game loads and you are presented with Messi smiling at you, there itself you can feel the rush of gaming inside you thanks to the color scheme. The menu choices feature distinct colors, which initially felt unusual but quickly grew familiar.

However, the scorecard retains its yellow and blue color scheme, which I was not a fan of, and might be the only negative I had to point out. Going to the music section, well, the tracks are good, and while it does its job in creating an ambiance, it’s noted that it still doesn’t quite reach the heights achieved by the 2018 PES tracks if you remember. Still, good.

New features were desperately needed, and it fell short

Being an avid fan of the game I was desperate for new game modes. C’mon, a penalty shootout game mode would be good enough, or maybe bring the Master League you have been teasing for a long while now? Unfortunately, nada. Instead, while eFootball 2024 introduced some in-game features such as Boosters and the ability to track player stats with goals and assists, these additions didn’t quite align with the expectations we had in mind when requesting new and innovative features.

The addition of an extra stadium shouldn’t have posed a significant challenge, especially considering the abundance of licenses at their disposal. The player base on mobile is quite large, but they didn’t capitalize on improving mobile in that regard. Expanding on the game’s content with additional cutscenes, for instance, could have been seen as a more substantial effort to enhance the overall experience.

The game remains free-to-play friendly, at least until now

The absence of disruptive ads contributes to an uninterrupted gaming experience in eFootball 2024. Furthermore, the game maintains a level playing field for paid players, granting them the ability to acquire their preferred players, but there are packs that have the best players in it which you can purchase.

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