Doctor Newspapers compares Conjure Fey (2024) with the legacy version (2014) and bumps his grade from B+ to A-. The spell barely resembles its old self.
The old version took a minute to cast, summoned an actual fey creature up to CR 6 with its own stat block and initiative, and if you lost concentration it turned hostile and attacked your party. The new version is a single action that conjures a spirit as a spell effect - 3d12 + modifier psychic damage on a melee spell attack, plus frightened with both you and the spirit as fear sources. No save on the frightened, bonus action repeatable, teleportable. Clean, effective, druid-only.
Like so many things in the 2024 D&D, this is a streamlining and more combat focused version. It reduces it all down to using the fey as a weapon. You wouldn't say, summon a green hag as in the old spell and talk with her, using her abilities or asking her to help you cut up a prime-rib. This is a flavor-remover, I guess. Feats like Keen Mind have this as well: you no longer know true north, have 30 day photographic memory, or know how many hours until sun-rise. You just increase an ability, get proficiency, and have quick study.Well, I guess you could have the generic fey spirit cut you a prime-rib, but that’s not really the same as Mutter Slicer doing it for you.