When it comes to the initial preparation for a game review of a franchise, I usually look at my reviews of past installments. After I EA Sports FC 24 Having now relegated it to the forgettable drawer in my mind as a relatively decent game, I was surprised to find that my review from last year said something different – bugs, arbitrariness and little love.
In fact, this changed my view of EA Sports FC 24 It was a little straight and made me smile a little. EA Sports FC 25 It takes most of the negative points and... simply makes them even worse. EA Sports FC 25 You can find out here in our test whether it does anything better than its predecessor and which aspects have actually worsened.
The side stories
Can I assume by now that everyone who wants to read a review of the new EA Sports FC installment actually just wants to see a review of this year's Ultimate Team mode? For everyone else: Here's a brief overview.
In career mode, the main changes are (wie immer) not really anything. Apart from the Live Start Points, where you can join at any point in the current season, and the option to now also start a women's football career, everything remains the same despite the new interface look.
In Pro Clubs, or Clubs as it's now called, quite a bit has changed compared to Career Mode. Whether it's the personalized locker room, the new menu interface, or the staff you can now hire to boost specific attributes – it's clear that a lot of work has gone into this. Besides the 5v5 Rush mode and the rather useless quick chat, it's the return of the relegation playoffs that really caught my attention. The possibility of being relegated, and even having to fight it off in a crucial final match, always provided plenty of excitement and is a welcome return.
For those who like their Pro particularly ugly, there are in EA Sports FC 25 In addition, there are a lot of new customization options, so it's fair to say: Pro Club fans have been spoiled this year. All other modes, such as online seasons, kick-off, and training, remain unchanged.
The money printing machine
One thing that still factors into the evaluation this year, but isn't mentioned in detail this time, is Ultimate Team's pay-to-win aspect. We've all heard about it a thousand times by now; nothing's going to change there anyway. Otherwise, there aren't really any major changes this year. You need more wins in Division Rivals, play less in the Weekend League, and have the exact same draft system as before.
The new Rush mode On the other hand, it's a really good component that, fittingly for the current resurgence of small-sided football in real life, offers a great way to work on your Ultimate Team with several friends. The 4v4 mode itself is very well implemented and, with its changing challenges in each match, provides enough variety to keep players engaged for longer. As with many other aspects, it will be essential that more content is added and that the mode isn't simply abandoned.
Regarding team building and SBCs, the direction is clearly still towards untradeable options, which is a good thing in itself. With numerous untradeable SBCs, rewards, and Evolution players, you can create incredibly individual combinations, and you don't necessarily need a lot of coins to do so. From the initial impressions, everything sounds positive, and you could almost hope that there wouldn't be much negative news... but then, there was plenty of negative news.
Good things made worse
Let's start with the gameplay itself, which feels like every player is walking on quicksand. There's no creative flair, no speed, and no individuality. Defenders mostly defend everything on their own, midfielders pass every other ball to the opponent, and the strikers, if they manage to get hold of the ball, don't move an inch. On top of that, there's the complete dismantling of the tactical instructions, which no one had ever complained about before. Now you're faced with an incredibly complex and confusing interface where you can change player roles and behavior. Up until now, I've found it too tedious to bother with, and I suspect many other players will feel the same way.
The in-game tactical instructions have also been changed, allowing for spontaneous adjustments to the lineup. However, more time will be needed to form an opinion on this, and generally speaking, the first major patch has largely altered the entire gameplay, leaving room for hope that this game might still be somewhat enjoyable. At least the chemistry system from the predecessor has made it into this installment, which was a definite improvement.
AI on the rise
A major theme in gameplay this year: HR IQThe new system significantly improves the on-field experience, especially off the ball. Thanks to smarter teammates and the integration of new AI technologies, players can now focus more on ball movement and strategy without constantly having to think about their teammates' positioning. This enhances realism and tactical awareness.
An interesting feature is the role familiarity rating, which indicates how well a player performs in their assigned role. This adds an extra layer of strategy to the gameplay. Goalkeepers also benefit from new mechanics and now have the option to manually optimize their position, contributing to a more varied defense.
While the offensive gameplay feels more dynamic and precise, the defense remains a weak point. It's noticeable that defenders often lag behind, allowing manually controlled attackers to easily bypass them. Despite these shortcomings, the game offers a solid blend of realism and classic video game fun, with a clear focus on offense.
Bug FC
Of course, bugs and glitches are a must, and EA Sports has certainly come up with a lot this year. A quick search through various online platforms reveals all sorts of crazy errors, each one worse than the last. However, I'll only be discussing the ones I've personally encountered. Aside from the fact that player selection in the draft isn't working properly, I've had issues with my game from the very beginning. EA Sports FC 25-The game features English commentary. Why this is the case and how to switch it back to German is still a mystery to me. Another pleasant surprise is that my friend and I are always kicked out whenever we encounter opponents in the co-op Division Rivals mode who are also playing as a duo. A small bonus: my friend gets a loss every time we're kicked, but I don't.
Next up is the aiming menu, which is a constant source of chaos. It often displays things you haven't even clicked on. This could also be because the menu as a whole is simply far from user-friendly. It's also delightful to have to restart the game every time an opponent leaves the match during kit selection. The list goes on and on – but ultimately, it's embarrassing for a multi-billion dollar corporation that can't even manage the simplest things, even though they themselves managed them just a few years ago.
Conclusion
This isn't a review, it's just a rant. I also own the game, and the new tactical elements, along with the FC IQ concept, significantly change the gameplay. And what exactly is meant by an "arbitrary catastrophe" in relation to the gameplay? The "review" only mentions this in a single sentence. This post is a bad joke. If anything, it can only be considered a rant or a commentary. Then it would be more understandable.