FIFA 23 FUT BIRTHDAY DARWIN NUNEZ PLAYER REVIEW

Having played nearly 850 matches with OTW Núñez as both a starter and super sub I feel like I am a bit of an expert on the Uruguayan.  I have been saying for some time now that Núñez is just one upgrade away from being back into the meta spotlight.  The OTW card is still on the brink of a starting card and just a small push was all he needed.

The 5 STAR WEAK FOOT Núñez and 5 STAR SKILLS Núñez that dropped in the mini release over the weekend did just that… adding the much needed boost was key, while the Weak Foot and Skills were the true deal breakers.

In the end we decided to choose the more popular of the two and overall I have personally witnessed this flip flop at least 3 times.  As I sat down to complete this review it was the Weak Foot version just edging the Skills and so I went this direction.  Yet one thing is clear, regardless of popular selection numbers… It is the Skills that more FUT Managers place value in and has hovered about 100k more than the Weak Foot Version throughout. 

The 4-2-2-2 suits Núñez perfectly and while I played this review out as a striker, the option to move the Liverpool frontman to a RAM is something I utilize often, especially as a super sub.  The FINISHER chemistry style seems about as suited for Núñez as any and really brought out the goal scoring touch throughout this review.

Núñez was the pace and power driving the attack forward from the front, pulling through a difficult Weekend League finale in the following squad:

Overall 

7 Games, 11 Goals & 3 Assists which cements the very difficult 2.0 goal contributions per game statistic line.  Due to the Alessandrini Objective Review that was posted earlier this week, I had to play Núñez as the deeper lying attacker, which both exposed some weaknesses and almost certainly kept a higher goal total from materializing. 

Main Statistics – Shooting

Shooting Rating: 10/10

Weak Foot: ★★★★★

Traits: Finesse Shot 

It would have been a bit sad if a card that is being highlighted for an improved weak foot was rubbish at finishing, but thankfully that was not the case throughout this review.

Núñez absolutely pile drives the ball when he takes on shots in and around the box.  The 99 FINISHING was on point with both feet and the 96 SHOT POWER is simply too much for keepers to handle.  I was a little worried about losing range with the 81 LONG SHOTS but the shot power was again too much to handle.  

The FINESSE SHOT Trait remains one of my favorites and was on full display with Núñez this weekend as shots from distance and breakaways proved too far out of the keepers reach and added on to the impressive goal scoring total throughout. 

Value/Coins

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5

When you start searching by the minimum statistics that Núñez has to offer you get some interesting search results.  Three cards to be exact.  The Núñez “Twins” and TOTY Erling Haaland (who of course is only 4 STAR/4 STAR as well) for 4 million coins.  The level of Pace and Physical statistics are impossible to match in other areas… And even removing the Physical search parameters still only leaves a small handful of mostly expensive options.

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

This card is an animal overall and there is a lot to highlight from this weekend's dominant performance.

+ When the LENGTHY meta went away, it honestly felt like nothing changed with OTW Núñez who remained just as dominant after.  Thankfully, that same feeling is not lost on the FUT Birthday versions ingame.  The 97 ACCELERATION & 94 SPRINT SPEED are both quick and rapid despite the CONTROLLED AcceleRATE and caused opponents endless issues.  When he gets into space, this man is a serious threat.

+ 186cm | 6’1 with 94 STRENGTH … Ya, it is hard to move this man off the ball.  As a hold up striker I really couldn’t have asked for more in terms of protecting the ball, winning headers, and generally relieving the press of my opponents.  The 95 STAMINA is not as vital for a Striker, but as mentioned I love this style of card as a RAM and it is nice to know he could do a job for 90 minutes plus.

+ Thankfully the 79 BALANCE seemed to have zero effect on anything Núñez did on the ball… Allowing the quality of the 95 AGILITY & 99 DRIBBLING to take literal control of the situation.

Some minor issues to consider before making your final purchase.

- Despite his size and amazing ability to win headers to clear pressure… Núñez couldn’t score a header to save his life during this review.  82 JUMPING &  87 HEADING ACCURACY equalling zero results.

- The 78 SHORT PASSING was a huge concern of mine when dropping Núñez into the pocket to kickstart my attacks, but to my surprise it was solid in execution during the game.  The 77 CROSSING & 68 LONG PASSING on the other hand were simply atrocious.  Even though I suggest playing Núñez as a RAM I don’t cross the ball at all and would not be bothered… But a huge warning for those that would want either of these passing options from this card… They do not exist.

Closing Words

I feel like a little self-pat on the back was in order after reviewing this card because it is clear that Núñez truly was an upgrade away from flying back into the spotlight this year.  I will just pretend the OTW would be the same without the Weak Foot and Skills upgrades… Living in denial is always the best bet.

I truly love this concept and I hope that this is something EA deploys later in the year with other promos and into the future.  Having the option of the Weak Foot or Skills really allows FUT Managers to cater to their playstyle and choose what is best for their needs.

I was quite happy to see the Weak Foot option as the more popular option because I really would not have got the best out of the Skills version.  However, I will add that after playing the Skills version a few times this weekend against FUT Managers with more capable hands… He is a menace and caused me two losses along the way.
Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading.