EA Sports FC 25 review: Great additions but blueprint unchanged

Popular football video game that used to be known as Fifa is still trying to adjust under its new name

EA Sports FC 25's cover star is Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham. The game will release on September 27. Photo: AFP

Many football fans around the world eagerly await the latest release of EA Sports FC, the game formerly known as Fifa. It has become so deeply embedded in the wider community that many professional players also enjoying playing.

Last year, the game was released for the first time under its new moniker, breaking away from the Fifa tag after the partnership between Electronic Arts and the football governing body ended after two decades. A year later, players are still referring to the game as Fifa, which will likely still take time to shed completely.

As usual, the release of a new EA Sports FC game brings both excitement and anticipation. Fans are eager to jump back in and play as their favourite teams, while also looking forward to new features that enhance the experience. Luckily for fans, there are small additions and advancements in every aspect of the game to look forward to. Here's what to know.

The winning formula

For years, football gaming was dominated by Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer games, especially during the era of the PlayStation 1 and 2. However, that all changed with the PlayStation 3 and the release of Fifa 07 in 2006. The Fifa series had been playing second fiddle but suddenly it was a contender, thanks to the game's ability to offer a more fluid experience on the PS3.

Since then, it’s been all Fifa, with the Pro Evolution Soccer series throwing in the towel and becoming a free game called eFootball that has little impact on the gaming world. But there’s a downside to being the only competitor – the motivation to improve diminishes.

It’s harsh to say that the Fifa games are bad because they’re not. They’re popular because they’re good at what they do, effectively translating the real-life experience of playing and watching football into the digital realm. But while they were good, they have just stopped getting better in any meaningful way.

Every year as a new game comes out, developers make a song and dance about a new integrated technology that will make the passing better, the shooting more accurate or the goalkeeping more competitive. And every year, gamers put on rose-tinted glasses during the first two weeks of the game’s release and tell themselves that it's different. However, it never really is.

When the game’s name changed, there was hope that something new and different would follow. Something fresh. But much like a curmudgeon who rarely steers from chicken nuggets and ketchup for dinner, the game is still the same.

So, what’s new in FC 25?

So, we know the blueprint has not changed. This includes the always popular Ultimate Team feature that is the company’s biggest moneymaker. Through this feature, players spend hours and money attempting to open packs that contain cards that can be used to build a competitive team and win online games and tournaments.

Fans of this feature can also look forward to more of the same, with the additions being new cards of legendary football players.

Some other exciting changes have been made to the career mode, which is popular with offline gamers who wish not to put their skills against someone online but rather against the computer. Career mode has two options: a manager career mode and a player career mode.

In manager career mode, there have been small added details but the more significant addition has been made in player career mode where a legendary player can be chosen from a selection that includes David Beckham and Thierry Henry. Once a legend has been picked, he can be placed in a team and then carry them through a journey written by the player.

However, the coolest new feature is called 5v5 rush. In it, players engage in a five-against-five game on a smaller pitch that requires more accurate passing and more assertive gameplay. The feature will remind players who spend their days with friends playing football after school, except this time it’s with the biggest names in football.

Verdict

While EA Sports FC 25 is a new game, it is not a revolutionary one. The only way to gauge how much these games improve is not by comparing them to the previous iteration but rather by comparing them to ones from five years ago. Only then can the differences be noticed.

Football fans will clamour to purchase the game and it will deliver exactly what they want it to. But when can we expect big changes? I would love these games to feature legendary squads from the history of football. It would be fantastic to play as Arsenal’s “Invincibles” team to go head-to-head against Maradona’s Napoli.

For now, it’s time to enjoy the familiar and discover the small changes. Only time will tell if these new additions are meaningful or just surface-level.

EA Sports FC 25 will be released on September 27 and will be playable on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S