Footy fans slam new AFL 23 video game that’s so awful it’s gone viral for all the wrong reasons
Footy fans slam new AFL video game so horrid it went viral for all the wrong reasons: ‘I can’t believe I paid full price for this’
- AFL 23 has launched for PS5 and PC
- It’s a broken, bug-filled mess
- Fans who paid full price share the litany of glitches
Aussie Rules fans eagerly awaiting the latest video game to hit shelves be warned: the latest installment is more of a broken mess than North Melbourne’s defense line.
AFL 23 hit shelves on Thursday for PlayStation and PC, with the Xbox version pushed back to June.
Footy fans who pre-ordered or paid a premium price to get their hands on a copy on launch day were more disappointed than the average Brisbane Bears supporter in the 1990s.
They claim that what Big Ant Studios delivered was broken, incomplete and basically unplayable.
Is that you, Bevo? Player models fell short of expectations, including this apparent recreation of Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge
The character models are nothing like the real thing, with the representation of Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge receiving plenty of ridicule online.
It is possible to simply run and bounce from box to box and kick a major that is completely uncontested – even on the hardest difficulty.
Want to use Stadium Build mode? You have placed the exchange bank in the center bouncing circle.
Hilariously, footage has surfaced of players spilling a simple catch to launch the ball 70 yards up the pitch and over the sidelines of their arms.
The career mode has been scaled down while the Pro Team mode, modeled after the popular FIFA Ultimate Team trading card mode, is completely missing.
The fan response was quick and serious.
“That’s a $100 game if I’ve ever seen one!” mocked a fan.
“Can’t believe I paid full price for this game,” wrote another.
“Really don’t understand how the game shipped in this state,” another wondered.
Two separate patches on day one seem to have done little to fix the mess.
Fans are angry that the AFL 23 previews (pictured) don’t match the final product
This is not a swan, this is an abomination. The three-headed Sydney monster is the final boss to defeat to win AFL 23 in its current broken form
The problems are so bad that even the AFL itself has issued a statement.
“The AFL and Big Ant Studios are aware of issues with the launch of #AFL23 on Thursday,” the statement said.
“Patches in the first 24 hours have fixed gameplay and stability issues, while other missing features will be reintroduced in the coming days to ensure the best experience.”
The game was developed by Big Ant Studios, the small Melbourne company behind the likes of AFL Live in 2011, Rugby League Live in 2010 and Don Bradman Cricket 17 in 2017.
While AFL may be a big deal in Australia, the domestic market is just a drop in the ocean compared to Asia, America and Europe – meaning you really can’t compare AFL and rugby league video games to juggernaut titles like FIFA and Madden.
By 2021, the globally acclaimed FIFA series had sold more than 325 million copies, with publisher EA Games reporting that sales of FIFA 23 are up 10 percent over last year’s game.
The Madden series from the same publisher and bearing the name of NFL legend John Madden has made more than $4 billion since its debut – $600 million annually.
In contrast, the most recent Aussie Rules game, AFL Evolution, sold only 18,541 copies in 2017.
That meant expectations were pretty low for AFL 23, but even those weren’t met.
Fancy a handy substitution bench in the middle of the field? Then this is the game for you
The game includes the licenses for all 18 current AFL franchises, including all players and stats.
There’s an impressive range of Guernseys to choose from, including retro options – you can even star in the infamous Carlton M&M’s strip.
Small details will impress AFL fans, such as Big Ant including the Collingwood banner with the misspelling of ‘tonihgt’.
The new goal-kicking mechanics are a dramatic improvement over previous games, allowing you to choose your style of kicking as you battle against conditions such as the wind of a two-step run-up.