I play a handful of games annually, not just because they are released yearly but because these are my go-to games for guaranteed enjoyment. EA Sports FC 25 (aka FIFA) has been on the top of my list since the first FIFA release in 1993 on the Sega Genesis. I spend hundreds of hours playing this game and the reasoning is simple.
Soccer / Football is my favorite sport to watch and play. I’m also pretty sure many of you reading this review are in the same boat and are no strangers to this franchise. So, let’s jump into what’s new and worth discussing with this year’s release.
EA Sports FC 25 is now using what they call “FC IQ”. They said the game engine now incorporates real-world player data in regards to movement and tactics, with a very heavy focus on tactics as we’ll discuss later. The idea is that the players are not just performing well based on their real-world characteristic’s stats, but also their movements, and playstyle.
This all sounds very similar to NBA 2k PRO PLAY which converts real-world footage into gameplay. Now for many, this might go right over their heads in the “whatever man” category but if you are a fan of one team, let’s say Real Madrid and you see how Vini Jr. starts his run or how he cuts in from the left then this new tech is noticeable.
The overall presentation of the beautiful game is well, beautiful. We now see an insane amount of player detail which is instantly visible on the players’ kits. We see more free-flowing movement of the jersey and shorts along with sweat build-up and dirt stains. I play using the Dynamic camera angle because I am THAT GUY who likes to dribble and see the footwork up close. Therefore, I can clearly as day see all the new kit movements and how the opposing players also interact with the kits such as pulling on the jersey.
On that note, gone (at least from what I can tell) are the generic face models for non-top star players. EA Sports FC 25 is now using this smart AI face-scanning tech that can see an image of a player and map the face onto a player in the game. Now besides the EPL, I’m also an MLS supporter so to say I’ve seen a good number of generic faces in previous FC games would be an understatement. With that said players like LA Galaxy Riqui Puig now look like Riqui Puig.
Career mode has never been the same since EA removed the Journey. Honestly this year even with all its emphasis on tactics, there still feels like something is missing. We have a few more cut scenes for the player career mode but it’s mostly the same as last year with one major stand-out addition. That being the ability to play the career with an ICON player.
So of course I started my career with Henry! However, the game in the cut scene does not acknowledge him as one of the G.OA.T. instead the cut senses just regard him like a regular new player to the team. It would have been nice to have some new cut scenes and some fan fair go along with having such a high-profile player on the squad.
All your favorite modes along with career modes for the women’s leagues are in EA Sports FC 25 with only one mode removed, that being VOLTA. Now I’m not going to say I’ll miss it but I really had hoped it would at some point transform into the FIFA Street mode we all had hoped for but it never did.
Ultimate Team + new Rush mode
EA Sports FC 25 is stacked with game modes, cup tournaments, etc. but for the overwhelming majority of players (myself included) there is only one mode that stands tall above the rest and that is Ultimate Team.
You can love it for the dream matchups and amazing squads you can create or hate it for the “pay to win” element that has created an entire industry of coin-selling sites so one can purchase all the best players instantly. The truth is to quote the rock “IT DOESN’T MATTER” how many top player items (aka player cards) you have. If you don’t truly understand how to play in regards to formation and player tactics then you will still be trash. EA is very much aware of this which is why they have gone in deep with the new tactical system which can now be shared via a QR code.
Ultimate Team has also made some much-needed quality-of-life improvements such as removing player + manager contracts! We still have cure-all injuries items along with player loans and extended timed player items but the days of having to stack a bunch of contracts on your starting 11 are over. They have also removed or modified all formations that used LWB, RWB, and CF since these positions are no longer in the game.
The BIGGEST change and one every UT player has been requesting has finally arrived. We now have a storage locker for our untradeable duplicate items. While we could recover discarded duplicate player items (which you still can do) it was limited to a handful per month and for “power players” who constantly earn packs there is nothing more frustrating than having to discard a bunch of high 85+ duplicate items.
Or having to leave them unsorted so you can quickly work on an SBC to use the items in your club. NOTE – To activate the SBC storage you first must complete the intro SBC. Once done the option seen below will appear the next time you pack a duplicate untradeable and the next time you are doing an SBC you will see the SBC storage option in the top left menu.
Evolutions are back which is great. As I predicted in my FC 24 review this new item upgrade mode was going to be great and widely used. We had a bunch that were free mixed in with some requiring coins. This time they added the ability to change your completed evo item color. Now I thought this was going to be a new feature or perk upon completing an evo, and it may very well have one at some point, but that point isn’t now. There is currently one color option in Evolutions and it requires you to play with the player item you plan to change the color of. This is fine, but I was really hoping this new feature was a perk ADDED to the item evolution process.
The 2 English-speaking commentary teams of EA Sports FC 24 are back but have a few new lines and now mention some actions that took place in your previous game. For example, I scored a hat trick with Lukaku, and in my next match, the commentators mentioned my hat trick and my great form as of late.
There was a lot of talk that we would see more ref or player POV (point of view) and the answer to this is, not really. I’ve already put in over 20 hours and have not seen anything different in regards to the rep POV from last year BUT I have seen the new POV from the player which, depending on the footwork can look amazing and make for some great video clips.
Manager items have seen the biggest improvement thanks to the addition of tactics. So let’s say you get a PEP Guardiola item and want to use him as your manager. You will now see an option to also apply his preferred real-life tactic and formation. This is very cool and brings more value to the manager items. You will also see some players have a (+) icon under their item next to the position. This means they perform very well in their current position and formation. We also have a new tunnel walkout animation for players high profile players in packs but gone are seeing the player run out wearing your team kit and doing a silly dance. I would have liked it if they kept this in for the non-tunnel walkout players but now those common player items just have a splash screen of the card with music.
Rush mode
This is it people, the hybrid of standard soccer, VOLTA, and indoor soccer. This new mode is 5v5 with the goalie being played by AI. It’s played in a custom size pitch in a unique stadium with its own super-hyped play-by-play commentator. Since the pitch is larger than an indoor game you have more mobility with a smaller window for offsides which only gets called when in the final box. We also have indoor soccer blue cards which will cause you to play with one less player for 1 game minute and since the matches are 7 minutes this is a good amount of time to play a player down. Rush does have yellow but no red cards.
As of right now, Rush mode is played under event restrictions. For example, as of this writing, there is only one rush event going on that requires players of 79 rating and status untradeable. This means you can’t just use that new M. Salah you picked up in the transfer market. The game will scan your items and produce a list you can choose from.
Rush mode is also only playable online. So you are paired up with other online players to face other online players. Now you can get your friends involved and create a squad to face the world together but if not get ready to play with randoms. Rush is fun to play, it’s fast-paced and feels like its own new creation. I’m sure as time goes on we will have other rush events with different requirements and like all the other modes in Ultimate Team you do earn plenty of rewards. I earned an 88 SON. Sold him on the transfer market for over 800k and used that coin to build the squad you see below.
I really do hope they incorporate a rush mode offline, like squad battles so we can create new 5 player rush squads featuring our top 5 players. EA Sports FC 25 is packed (pun intended) with features, modes, and real-world leagues to keep every football/soccer fan happy around the world.
If you are a casual who just wants to play matches from the current real-world fixtures then you can do that, or recreate UEFA tournaments of yesteryears. Go for it. But the real question is this, is EA Sports FC 25 fun and worth upgrading from FC 24? My answer to you is YES! now go out on the pitch score some goals and DON’T FORGET (RB + A) now intentionally pull your opponent down to the ground to help you re-create those glorious Real Madrid Pepe moments.
This review was written based on a digital review copy of EA Sports FC 25 for the Xbox Series X provided by EA Sports.
