EA Sports FC 25 Review

Every year I ask myself what I want from a new EA Sports FC game and the answer is that I’m not really sure. I guess all I want is a gameplay experience that feels better than last year’s title and one that has taken player feedback onboard, for the most part at least. We’ve all heard, and probably said, that every EA Sports FC game is the same year after year, and while I disagree with the general sentiment, I do think that we’re at a level now where unless changes are made to the sport itself, it’s hard to make massive changes to the game. This begs the question, one that gets louder every year, should this be an annual release? This thinking is where we find ourselves with EA Sports FC 25, this year’s entry in EA’s mega-popular football series. It’s certainly not a title that takes too many risks, but it features minor tweaks on and off the field while still delivering a solid football experience.

As they say, actions speak louder than words, and it’s what happens out on the freshly manicured grass that is paramount to my long-term enjoyment of any of EA’s football games. The biggest on-field addition is the FC IQ system, which has been designed to give you greater control over tactics and how your team executes your vision.

Top bins

One of the ways you can do this is by assigning Player Roles, allowing you to select how players approach the game with and without the ball. For example, if you’re playing with two strikers, you may want one of them to operate as a false 9 and help generate attacks as a playmaker, while the other striker you may choose to play as a poacher. Collectively, you can also play around with your team’s tactics on the go by using the D-pad, such as swapping between tiki-taka football or parking the bus to defend a lead.

Generally, FC25 plays a bit slower compared to last year’s iteration, with everything seemingly feeling more realistic, which I appreciate. However, it is still a video game, meaning that passes will go to the wrong player frequently, your defenders will struggle to stick a tackle, and pace is still the most damaging weapon.

Visually, FC25 is the spectacle that you’d expect from a big-budget sports game, successfully capturing the blockbuster scale of football broadcasts with its in-game atmosphere and stats making it feel like you’re watching the real thing.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is that Volta, EA’s 3v3 street football mode, is no longer a main mode. Technically it does still exist as a 3v3 option inside Kick Off, but it’s ultimately been replaced by Rush, a mode that sees 5v5 (four outfield players and a keeper) teams duke it out on a smaller pitch, and it’s fantastic. Rush is designed for fast-paced shootouts and is not bound by the standard rulebook. Matches are seven minutes long and begin with both sides racing to the middle for possession of the ball, no substitutions are permitted, blue cards are issued for serious fouls, with players receiving a one-minute stint in the sin bin, and offside only applies in the final third. It’s honestly some of the best fun I’ve had while playing a football game in recent times. My only gripe with Rush is that the commentary is as cringy as it comes, and there’s only so many times you can hear the same lines.

Let the Rush begin

While Rush can be played as a standalone mode, it’s also integrated across Career Mode, Clubs, and Ultimate Team. In Career Mode it allows you to get a look at some of your youth talent in a tournament setting; winning Rush matches in Clubs will yield Victory points that help with your progression, while in Ultimate Team you can earn rewards to improve your main squad.

Career Mode is another mode that I used to lose hundreds of hours of my life to, and while I don’t quite have the time to commit to taking Doncaster Rovers from League Two to the Premier League, I’m certainly giving it a crack. For those hoping for something akin to Football Manager, it’s still a ways off, but EA has introduced some welcome additions to make Career Mode a deeper experience.

For starters, players can choose between a more authentic football experience, where wind and weather effects have an impact and matches attempt to be more like real life matches, or a classic FC25 experience. There’s also the option to tweak certain settings, such as not getting the boot when financial performances haven’t been met or making transfer negotiations harder. As far as becoming the next Pep Guardiola, you’ll need to select your footballing philosophy (your tactical preset) and hire the appropriate coaches to help get the most out of your squad. Furthermore, you can set up training plans to ensure they’re at maximum sharpness or fit as a fiddle.

Become a tactical mastermind

Then there’s the new in-game social media feed, which includes some of the sport’s biggest outlets and names, such as The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano, whose iconic “Here we go,” is used when transfers are completed, giving the experience a little added level of realism. Lastly, you now have the option to manage teams from a handful of women’s leagues, which is a great step forward in continuing to raise the profile of the women’s leagues. All these changes are welcome of course, but for those wanting to really get into the nitty-gritty of management, Football Manager is still numero uno.

I’ve never felt the pull of Ultimate Team personally, but I can understand the attraction in theory. It’s just a shame that Ultimate Team has become the exact reason why EA will persist with yearly releases – it’s all about profits. It’s no secret that Ultimate Team is a mega cash cow for EA, and every year those who are addicted to the cycle of unpacking players, building a team and sinking hundreds of hours playing online are the ones who will buy the expensive Ultimate Edition for early access and spend countless amounts of their own (or their parents’) money.

Final Thoughts

As someone who plays EA Sports FC casually and just wants a solid football game, EA Sports FC25 ticks the boxes. Career Mode has had some nice additions but it still pales in comparison to its competition, but the new Rush mode is a blast. But as the years go on and the changes get less meaningful and more buzzwordy, it’s hard to argue against the idea that this could be a DLC pack that EA charges for a fee much less than a full-priced product. However, the shareholders would likely give that idea a red card.

Reviewed on PS5 // Review code supplied by publisher

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