Does body type matter in FIFA 23? You bet it does!

Friend, let me tell you – body type is one of the most crucial attributes that determines how playable and effective a player feels in FIFA 23. I‘ve been experimenting extensively with different body types, and it‘s incredible how much of an impact they have!

With the addition of the new AcceleRATE system this year, EA has really doubled down on body types being a key differentiation factor between players. Whether you‘re a long-time FIFA gamer like myself or just getting into Ultimate Team, understanding body types is essential for building a successful squad.

Let me break it all down for you step-by-step…

The Need-to-Know on FIFA 23‘s Body Types

New in FIFA 23, every player is assigned one of three body types:

Lengthy – For tall, athletic players like Ibrahimovic or Haaland. They take longer to accelerate, but can eventually outpace anyone at top speed with their long, galloping strides.

Explosive – Quick and agile dribblers like Vinicius Jr or Saint-Maximin. Rapid acceleration and change of direction, but lower top-end speed.

Controlled – The average body type. Well-rounded physical capabilities, but not special in any one area. Midfield orchestrators like Kroos epitomize this.

When I first heard about these, I knew immediately that lengthy would be super overpowered this year. And I was right – lengthy players absolutely dominate the current meta!

But more on that later. First, let‘s take a deeper look at how body types shape the on-pitch experience…

How Body Type Impacts Gameplay

Body type fundamentally changes how players perform in-game through tweaks to their movement and running animations. Think of it like playing with customizable player "archetypes" tuned to a specific athletic profile.

Based on my experience, here‘s an overview of the gameplay feel for each body type:

Lengthy

• Lumbering initial acceleration, but an EXTREMELY rapid top sprint speed once they get going. Almost like a freight train!

• Their long legs make them take really big strides once they build momentum. Covers distances exceptionally fast.

• Great for making runs in behind and chasing through balls, but poor maneuverability.

Explosive

• Extremely nimble with the ball at their feet. Lightning fast acceleration and change of direction.

• Equipped for quick link-up play in tight spaces. But can‘t maintain top speed for long distances.

• Perfect for techniques like left stick dribbling to beat defenders 1v1. Overall very agile.

Controlled

• As expected, balanced acceleration and top speed capabilities. Not the best, but not too shabby either.

• Decent agility, but somewhat clunky compared to true explosive players.

• They hold their own in a short sprint, but explosive types will beat them over 10+ yards.

Now let‘s see how these characteristics translate into gameplay across positions…

Body Type by Position

Choosing suitable body types for each role in your squad is absolutely vital. Here are my recommendations:

Strikers – Lengthy is a must-have for strikers and forwards. Their ability to tear away on goal from through balls is simply unmatched. Some exceptions like Messi can work with the right tactics.

Wingers – Explosive, explosive, explosive. Wingers mainly rely on sharp movement and speed to beat their man. Lengthy types are too clunky out wide.

Midfielders – Here, controlled is best. They cover less ground than defenders, so balanced physicals enable good all-round mobility to support offense and defense.

Defenders – Tricky, but I‘d go with controlled or lengthy. The giraffe-esque lengthy defenders do wonders in the air. But controlled mobility helps when defending in open space against agile forwards.

So in summary – lengthy up top, explosive wide, controlled through the middle. Adjust based on tactics of course, but this alignment gets the best out of each body type.

Visualizing the Body Type Differences

To further demonstrate the gameplay distinctions, let‘s analyze some acceleration sprint curves:

As you can see, lengthy players like Haaland start slow off the mark but eventually eclipse explosive sprinters like Abedi Pele over longer distances. Quite a drastic difference!

This also translates into distinct runs made off the shoulder of the last defender:

Lengthy clearly cover far more ground at high speed once they‘ve built momentum.

So in summary, body type fundamentally changes a player‘s movement and acceleration profile. Let‘s look at some examples next.

Player Examples

Let‘s analyze some popular players to see how body type aligns with their attributes and playstyle:

Erling Haaland (Lengthy)

• Already rapid base pace. Lengthy running animation gives him an extra gear to blow by defenders.
• His 92 strength lets him brush off weaker defenders once he‘s moving.
• 96 finishing combined with lengthy speed is almost unstoppable 1v1 with the keeper.

Vinicius Jr (Explosive)

• With mid 80‘s pace, the explosive type accentuates his acceleration and agility.
• Can change direction extremely quickly to evade challenges. Less effective making runs in behind.
• Pairs dribbling and balance nicely to weave through defenses.

Toni Kroos (Controlled)

• Epitomizes the controlled archetype as a midfield orchestrator.
• Doesn‘t excel at any one thing, but well-rounded to support his world-class passing.
• Makes him a useful two-way midfielder – decent mobility to attack and defend.

So you really want to look at the full picture of a player‘s attributes and playstyle when selecting suitable body types to get the most out of them.

Hypermotion Impact on New-Gen

One key caveat – the AcceleRATE system and body types are exclusive to PS5/Xbox Series X|S and PC. Without HyperMotion, body type is non-existent on old-gen consoles.

This explains why pace behaves so differently on PS5 vs PS4. The lengthy meta simply doesn‘t exist on old-gen, so rapid players feel much quicker there. Keep this in mind when building squads for each platform.

Tactical Considerations

How you utilize body types will also depend on your preferred tactics and formations. Here are some tips:

Possession

• Lengthy targetman striker can provide a long ball outlet while controlled midfielders recycle possession.
• Explosive fullbacks are useful to stretch play wide in attack.

Counterattacking

• Ideal for lengthy strikers who can punish on long through balls behind the defense.
• Controlled midfielders can quickly turn possession into attack.

Crossing

• Lengthy striker is a must for the targetman.
• Explosive wide players generate the separation to deliver crosses.

Pressing

• Explosive defenders close down space rapidly when pressing high.
• Use a lengthy forward to cut off passing lanes and press from the front.

Blending body types to complement your style is the key – don‘t just stack 11 lengthy players! Apply these tips to accentuate your manager tactics.

Stopping the Lengthy Metasheep

Alright, let‘s address the elephant in the room. Lengthy players are ludicrously overpowered in FIFA 23 thanks to their insane top end speed once accelerated. Some examples:

• Haaland and Lukaku plow through defenses like runaway trains.
• Even lengthy centerbacks like Van Dijk are keeping pace with rapid wingers.
• Shorter technical dribblers like Messi and Bernardo Silva feel useless

This has caused the current FIFA 23 meta to revolve almost entirely around lengthy players. Everyone and their mother is just stacking lengthy strikers, abusing through balls, and sprinting clear on goal. No skill involved!

So how can we counter these metasheep lengthy abusers? Here are some tips:

• Use explosive CB‘s like Kounde with good agility/balance to contain them, along with fullbacks like Theo or Cancelo.
• Drop deeper so they have longer distance to accelerate. Then press them once they receive the ball.
• Get in tight and use lateral agility to block passes into their path.
• Master manual defending – carefully time tackles rather than holding sprint.

With the right tactics and defenders, we can negate the lengthy menace! Don‘t just blindly join the herd.

Balancing the Playing Field in Career Mode

The lengthy dominance also breaks immersion in Career Mode. But thankfully, we can edit body types here for realism!

For example, I changed Haaland‘s body type to controlled – suddenly no more steamrolling my defense. His scoring dropped from 60 to 30 goals a season in my Arsenal career. Much more realistic!

I also gave Messi a lengthy body type, reflecting how he outpaces defenders in real life after hitting top speed. This rejuvenated the 35 year old Messi into a 20 goal/season star for me.

Don‘t overdo editing, as too many changes can ruin game balance. But minor tweaks can restore authenticity without breaking realism. Give it a try yourself if gameplay feels too skewed.

Closing Thoughts

And there you have it friend – everything you need to know about getting the most out of body types in FIFA 23. They introduce a whole new layer of customization and variety into how players perform on the pitch.

While the lengthy dominance needs some tuning, it‘s otherwise an excellent new feature that genuinely improves the gameplay experience when utilized properly.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat more FIFA with fellow fanatics. Whether you‘re new to the game or a seasoned veteran, mastering these body type mechanics will give you a big competitive edge.

Now get out there and start building your body type balanced dream team! I‘ll see you out on the virtual pitch.

Your friend,
Terry