Platforms: Nintendo Switch PC, PS4, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Price: $69 / £69 / AU$109
Release Date: September 27, 2024
Genre: Sports
EA Sports FC, the franchise formerly known as FIFA, steps back onto the pitch this season in an awkward position. Last year’s installment adopted the new name (following EA’s fallout with football overlord FIFA) but didn’t make the meaningful tweaks many long-term fans craved. Subsequently, hopes were pinned on EA Sports FC 25 to usher in a new era for the soccer simulation series, but I’m frustrated to report it’s not the revolution many wanted.
That’s not to say that EA Sports FC 25 isn’t still the finest virtual recreation of the world’s biggest (and in my opinion, best) sport that you can currently play. Nor do I mean to say that the fresh additions don’t leave their mark either. The new Rush mode is arguably the best feature added to the franchise since FIFA 08 introduced the ability to control a single player.
However, more than ever, EA Sports FC 25 looks and plays like a franchise on autopilot. The list of justifiable reasons to upgrade to each new installment on an annual basis is starting to grow concerningly short. Read on to learn why I think only the most dedicated football fans should consider stepping onto the pitch in my EA Sports FC 25 review…
EA Sports FC 25: The Basics
- What is it? EA Sports FC 25 is the latest installment in the long-running soccer simulation franchise, previously known as FIFA. It offers an unparalleled recreation of the world's most popular sport across various modes, playable both online and offline.
- Who is it for? Soccer fans will get the most out of EA Sports FC 25. However, it also makes for a great party game, as you can play almost all modes in couch co-op.
- What's the price? The standard edition of EA Sports FC 25 costs $69, with the Ultimate Edition costing $99 and including a selection of digital extras for Ultimate Team mode.
- What other games has the developer made? EA Sports FC 25 was developed by EA Vancouver, with support from EA Romania, a studio dedicated solely to the franchise.
- What games is this similar to? EA Sports FC 25 builds on the foundation of its predecessors, but will also feel familiar if you've played another of EA's sports titles.
Playing the same game again
Those dismissive of sports video games typically accuse the likes of EA Sports FC and Madden of offering players the same package every year just with a roster swap. Usually, I passionately rally against this sentiment, but it’s alarmingly apt when it comes to EA Sports FC 25.
Playing a match of EA Sports FC 25 really does feel identical to playing one in EA Sports FC 24. And while there are almost certainly some tweaks on the micro level, unless you’re a player verging on professional esports champion level, the differences are negligible.
Tactics are one area that developer EA Vancouver has been eager to shout about this year via the inclusion of FC IQ. This aims to enhance the tactical bedrock of matches and deliver greater control. However in my experience, it mostly just leads to a pesky pop-up continually telling you to switch things up if I haven’t scored a goal within the first 10 minutes of a match.
It’s not that EA Sports FC 25 plays especially poorly. Compared to free-to-play rivals UFL and eFootball, its take on the beautiful game is the closest approximation you’ll get without squeezing into a pair of neon-colored boots yourself. Yet it’s hard to escape the feeling that things are getting pretty stale after multiple years with only minor improvements.
Rush is THE reason to play EA Sports FC 25
The biggest new addition to EA Sports FC 25 is the heavily promoted Rush mode, and while the game makes major missteps elsewhere, this glorious new inclusion was worth all the marketing buzz. And then some. It’s one of the most significant additions in 20+ years.
Replacing the street-football-inspired Volta — much as I enjoyed Volta, it never really captured the interest of the community — Rush is a 5v5 mode that uses the same gameplay as the core modes, but on a smaller pitch and with slightly tweaked offside rules. Essentially, you can only be whistled offside in the opponent’s third of the pitch.
This leads to unrelentingly fast-paced matches. Soccer in Rush feels more akin to basketball with the midfield tussle entirely eradicated. Instead, each team takes turns to attack. I quickly found myself neglecting to experience the rest of what EA Sports FC 25 has to offer because I kept telling myself “Just one more match of Rush and then I’ll play another mode.”
Unlike Volta, which could only be played in its specific corner of the game, Rush has been smartly integrated into every mode from Ultimate Team to Career Mode. When played online there’s a real Rocket League feel about Rush as you congratulate or commiserate your teammates on their epic goal or embarrassing flub. However, the experience does get maddening when paired with online strangers who insist on holding onto the ball even when you’re wide open for a simple tap-in — playing with a group of friends is recommended.
The package you expect
Outside of Rush, there’s little new to be found in EA Sports FC 25’s usual selection of modes. Ultimate Team is where most people will congregate, and the infamous mode that tasks you with building the fantasy squad of your dream is as addictive as ever — but it’s also as predatory, with players willing to spend on microtransactions given a clear advantage.
As noted, Rush is fully playable in Ultimate Team letting you earn coins and rewards while enjoying the game’s best mode. Plus, there’s a host of appreciated minor tweaks found in UT including the removal of player contracts (hallelujah!), and the Season Pass system has been reworked to let you progress up the ladder regardless of what mode you’re playing.
Career Mode remains good fun, but lacks the substance to match against the likes of Football Manager. At least this year you can finally play a proper career mode as a women’s team, a feature that has been overdue for some time. I also appreciate how Rush is cleverly integrated. You play Rush tournaments as your youth team periodically, which went a long way to making me care about my auto-generated Academy graduates. Usually, I stick to the real-world pros and avoid engaging with the youth setup, so this addition was meaningful.
I will always appreciate the “Road to Glory” aspect of career mode. Taking a team from the bottom of the football league to the very top is a compelling reason to keep you playing long into the night. Or in my case, doing the seemingly impossible, and getting my beloved Newcastle United to lift a trophy. I may never see such an occurrence in the flesh but at least EA Sports FC 25 lets me live out my ultimate dream in digital form…
As veteran players would expect, Clubs rounds out the package. While this niche mode doesn’t usually get significant attention, this year it adds a new Clubhouse that makes connecting with friends even easier. But otherwise, it’s a case of ticking along like Career.
You can’t get more real than this
In the world of sports games, providing an authentic experience is paramount, and while EA Sports FC 25 coasts in far too many areas, at least here, it continues to outshine its rivals to such a degree it’s like comparing Man City’s Erling Haaland to a Sunday League striker.
EA Sports FC boasts pretty much every major league from the Premier League to La Liga, alongside the biggest tournaments in club soccer including the Champions League and the FA Cup. Plus, the pre and post-match cutscenes that aim to replicate a real broadcast package really do make you feel like you’re gearing up to watch an actual game of football.
It is a shame that some giants of the game, including both AC Milan and Inter Milan, are unlicensed (having inked exclusive deals with rival eFootball), and I’d have liked some player face scans to get updated as many are several seasons out of date by now. But these are minor blemishes that are easy enough to overlook (unless you’re from Milan, I guess).
Not fit for primetime
Unfortunately, EA Sports FC 25 frequently frustrates with a whole litany of bugs and glitches. From unresponsive menus to pop-up notifications refusing to disappear from the screen to players clipping through the ball, goalposts and each other, you don’t have to search very far to find something in EA Sports FC 24 that looks broken.
I also encountered connection issues while searching for a match of Rush, with the entire game liable to lock up after a few seconds of searching for some teammates. This lack of polish can be seen everywhere including, both online and single-player.
Fortunately, glitches can (and I very much hope will) be patched over the coming weeks, but one issue that looks set to plague EA Sports FC 25 for the whole season, is the appalling menus. The user interface is easily one of the worst I’ve ever seen.
The amount of wasted space would make a UX designer cry, and it’s almost impressive how often the basic information or the function you want is buried behind multiple confusing submenus. Everything always takes two, sometimes even three clicks more than it should. And the simple act of navigating is cumbersome.
A poor menu system may not be such an issue in some games, but in a title like EA Sports FC 25 where thumbing through squad management is a key component of the loop, it’s unacceptable that the thing you want never seems to be where you want it.
EA Sports FC 25: Verdict
EA Sports FC 25 is a bizarre beast. It introduces a new mode in Rush that has already provided some of my favorite moments in the franchise ever. And it’s such a worthwhile addition that I reckon it’ll become a permanent inclusion that players expect each year.
However, outside of Rush, EA Sports FC 25 falls into the stereotype of feeling like pretty much the same game as last year, just with updated kits and the numeral on the introductory splash screen swapped. Dedicated players will have already upgraded, but if you don’t mind taking a year out of the game, opting to relegate EA Sports FC 25 to the bench and await more substantial improvements in future editions could be a smart play.
