EA Sports FC 25: A New Era in Football Gaming

EA Sports FC 25: Highest-rated players and review of new release

The new EA Sports FC is here -- and there have been some noteworthy changes. Most video games, particularly those centred around football, are prone to incremental advancements but FC 25 has features that help it stand out from its predecessor, which was EA Sports' first football simulator since its split from FIFA. Here The Athletic will run through what's new in FC 25, as well as the highest-ranked players in the game. A tactical system called 'FC IQ' is the headline addition. How you think about tactics and individual player roles is now different. When deciding your starting line-up, there is a new section that lets you customise your formation, build-up style and defensive approach and the game outlines the pros and cons of each system. There are three build-up styles: 'counter', 'short passing' and 'balanced'. The 'counter' approach encourages players to make runs behind the opposition's defence, 'short passing' leads to fewer runs and more support for the ball carrier, and a 'balanced' build-up style strikes a middle ground. Each position has multiple player roles. For example, your wide players could be deployed as a winger, wide playmaker, wide midfielder or inside forward. After you select a player role, you can choose how attacking you want your defenders to be, and vice versa. The caveat is, you need players suited to the roles. If you take a player who is best suited to being a target man and put him in an advanced forward role, they are not likely to perform well. In FC 24, you could customise your tactics to an extent, but it was not easy. Now it is straightforward, and most players could pick it up and understand what to do. The new tactics system will take a few minutes to set up, but you can then create five custom tactical presets to flick between. You can also download tactical presets, which means if there is a notable tactic helping players succeed in the game, it will be easy for you to use too. The introduction of FC IQ is most likely to be of benefit in game modes like Ultimate Team and Manager Career where you can buy and sell players. In one-off matches, you are restricted by the players on the team you choose to play with, but there is a lot of freedom in the game modes that allow you to revamp your squad. It is a welcome addition, but not yet a perfect science. There could still be improvements and greater flexibility around set pieces. Overall, it makes the game feel different from its predecessor, even if the need for speed is still a predominant factor, which brings us on to the next point... One of the easiest ways to win in most versions of FIFA/EA Sports FC is by having fast players and slower players remain less influential in FC 25, particularly in Ultimate Team. Rodri is joint-highest-rated player in the game (91/100), but his pace rating is 'only' 66. In real life, it probably would not make sense to drop the Spaniard for a player with a lower rating with more pace, but in FC 25, a faster player in a similar role may bring more success in a game mode like Ultimate Team. On the plus side, the ball movement in FC 25 feels more realistic and a little less robotic and deflections are less predictable, as are opportunities to win a second ball. Each player feels unique too. The way Cole Palmer dribbles past an opponent is different to how Lionel Messi moves. The same is also true of passing and shooting. An outside-of-the-boot finish from Kylian Mbappe feels different from Kevin De Bruyne's. In FC 24, there was Volta, a mode where you play a five-vs-five match. But the goals were small and it was difficult to score and it felt like a training exercise. FC 25 has introduced Rush, which is similar, but the goals are bigger and you play on a normal pitch rather than a random and scenic five-a-side one. Rush also helps solve a common issue when playing Clubs, a mode that allows individual players to play as one player with a group of friends. It is still possible to play Clubs in the usual 11-a-side format, but the Rush game mode to Clubs means you can now play five-vs-five. The issue with the 11-a-side version is if three friends play Clubs, two will occupy one position each and the other will control the remaining nine players, which often leads to disagreements. The five-vs-five version makes that less of a factor. Rush also uses an AI goalkeeper, so you cannot create a 6ft 7in goalkeeper with the best attributes, making them hard to score against. If you have played Clubs before, you will know it can get frustrating controlling one player only to never get the ball. Rush means more involvement for each player and, theoretically, fewer disagreements... Rush is available to play in multiple game modes, including Ultimate Team. That means if you really enjoy playing five-a-side matches, rather than 11-a-side, it will be easier, cheaper and less time-consuming to focus on acquiring five high-value players, rather than 11. Rush also features blue cards. So if you make a rash challenge, the player will receive a temporary sin bin, rather than being eliminated from the rest of the game. Those scenic five-a-side pitches which you might expect to see in 'FIFA Street' are still present, as there is also a new three-vs-three feature, where you pick three players from a team and compete on a small pitch. The end result is lots of goals, passes off the wall and a focus on every second counting. The three-vs-three game mode gives lesser players a realistic chance to win when playing against those far better at the game. The chaos of playing a three-vs-three fixture levels the playing field, because it is essentially a simplified version of a regular match. Getting sacked in Manager Career is not fun, but in FC 25 there is a 'no sacking' option, which is excellent news for the bang-average managers among us. You can also make the board lenient or strict. The scouting system in manager mode is also different, allowing you to scout players for individual roles. There is also a greater focus on youth development and you can play youth fixtures. Sending a scout to a specific area to look for young players adds another dimension to your save beyond just playing or simulating games. It is possible to play as a women's team in career mode while in Manager Career for the first time. You can take charge of one of the Women's Super League teams and use an avatar of one of the 12 WSL managers. The development plan feature in manager career lets you retrain players to play in a certain role. So if you sign a midfielder you are hoping to deploy in a box-to-box role, but they are not a natural in that position, you can put them on a training plan to help them grow into it. However, the simulation logic still feels a little bit too random. You can have a strong team full of highly rated players, but when you simulate matches you could still lose or draw against a team with a much lower rating than yours. Drawing and losing lots of matches you have simulated that you might expect to win is an area that could be improved. A team of players all rated 85/100 should, in theory, be beating most teams they face if a match is a simulated, but that is not always the case. When reviewing a game like FC 25, which releases a new version every year, I always ask two key questions: are there notable changes and, if so, have they resulted in better gameplay? The changes in FC 25 make the game feel different from older versions, but they are not seismic. The new tactics system is fun and superior to before, but the core fundamentals of the game remain similar to FC 24. Overall, FC 25 is more realistic, there is more customisation and, most importantly, it is a more enjoyable experience (that is until I get ahead of myself, turn off that 'no sacking' rule and have to rethink my priorities once again).

EA FC 25 review: "Highly playable, yet naggingly familiar"

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy. Can an annual sports game improve year on year, yet receive a lower score? The first entry of the post-FIFA era delivered innovation across the board, as EA sought to reboot with a bang, and our FC 24 review certainly reflects this. FC 25 - perhaps inevitably - edges the series forward in a more subtle manner. This could easily have been called FC 24 2. Or FC 24 II. FC 24 2-3-2-1-2 might have been pushing things. You catch the drift, though: It's highly playable, yet naggingly familiar. The pillars of football can't much be meddled with - passing, dribbling, shooting, swearing as Erling Haaland smashes a hat-trick past your back four - and FC 24 already covered these well. It'd be a nonsense to overhaul those fundamentals, so instead this successor looks to refine and refresh subtly. Passes from awkward angles are less effective. The AI commits a few more fouls. Keepers feel different due to new goalie-specific PlayStyles. Some punch rather than catch crosses, while rebound outcomes from saves feel more varied, occasionally gifting you a lovely tap-in. Realistically, though, you're not buying a new football game based on keeper behaviors. FC 25's main on-pitch focus is therefore under the hood, with EA choosing to refine the way tactics work. Player instructions operate within a wider team-focussed framework, with last year's brilliant addition of PlayStyles enhanced by a new feature called Player Roles. Using Jude Bellingham at CAM feels markedly different to Jamal Musiala, because the former functions best as a roaming Playmaker, while the latter's preference is the Shadow Striker role, hanging off your frontman. As such, a simple 4-3-1-2 becomes much more nuanced, and fluid, with these roles determining off-the-ball runs and general positioning sense. Further enhancements occur mid-match. Nuggets of tactical advice pop up on your HUD, with changes to your personalized presets simply actioned. Tapping down on the D-pad brings up three options to switch to, such as Tiki Taka 4-2-3-1 or Counter Attack 5-4-1. These are separate from your tactical focus (Defending, Attacking, Default), accessed with a right tap. Overall, this new system is a dream for tactical obsessives like me, who've spent years embracing similar strategic freedom in Football Manager. I'm not convinced those who want to sweat their way through Ultimate Team with pace merchants are going to be as fussed, but that's no reason to criticize a depth-enhancing feature. Ironically, FC 25's best addition doesn't require much tactical thought at all. Rush is a five-a-side match type available across all modes, and a thrill to play in each. It replaces the FIFA Street-inspired Volta mode, featuring matches in a bespoke Nike-sponsored stadium on a pitch around one third of the real size. Controls, skill moves, and shooting exactly mirror the 11-a-side version. But innovations within bring immersion - traditional kick-offs being replaced with a full-on ball chase, and receiving blue cards rather than red ones, securing a one-minute sin-bin stint. This new goal bonanza is best indulged via Ultimate Team, and is the highlight of this year's card-collecting fantasy fest. You choose an individual card from your club, and that player is dropped into an eight-human match where only the keepers are AI-controlled. You can choose to play with friends, but the chaos of random teammates and opponents is actually more addictive, as you gradually suss who's playing where, and adapt to teammate tendencies. I've been hooked on deploying my Jamie Carragher Heroes card, mopping up attacks before feeding greedy, goal-hungry strangers. Sadly the commentary is dreadful, but more often than not you're having too much fun to care. Otherwise Ultimate Team is what you're used to with assorted quality-of-life improvements. Pack openings are neatly revised, with a quick glimpse of the highest-rated player's silhouette providing an initial tease. (I got quite excited about recognising Matteo Guendouzi's hair, only to balk at his 80 rating.) The new duplicates folder, enabling untradable cards to be dropped into Squad Building Challenges (SBCs), is a godsend, although hardly rocket science. And FC 24's god-awful teal design for upgraded Evolution items can finally be waved farewell - now you get to customize card shapes, colors, and even sound and visual effects. Bebe, you're a firework. Such granular improvements pop up throughout FC 25. Full match intros with line-up screens and team close-ups return, but can be toggled on on off before kick-off by holding a button. Replays now offer a means to build your own highlights package, and splendid photo mode. Season Pass XP is earned across the game, unlocking rewards throughout - although Season 1 demonstrates a heavy focus on Ultimate Team. Player profiles within team screens are far more easy to digest. It all counts. Those open-minded enough to eschew Ultimate Team for Season Mode are in for the most pleasant surprise of all. Once FIFA's marquee mode, it has had to hover in the background during the rise and rise of FUT, yet FC 25 introduces a suite of new features to form a strong alternative. Women's teams are a vital inclusion, and job offers can see you switch back and forth between male and female sides as the years progress. Rush is cleverly integrated to cover youth tournaments, offering a chance to test out your wonderkids, and new 'Cranium' tech - where AI converts real-life photos into in-game likenesses - means even players in lower leagues look somewhat like their real selves. The pick of these Season Mode upgrades is the sim gameplay option. Matches play out at an enjoyably cerebral pace, affording you time to unpick a defense or line up a long-range Exocet, while realistic weather effects see wind change ball trajectories on crosses or clearances. It's still unmistakably FC - I'd hoped the feel might be more like classic Pro Evo - but such a relief from the breathlessness of FUT. As a purist, I'd love to see this become the default way to play FC 26. The fact it often ends in narrow 1-1 draws already tells me it won't be. There is a contradiction in that FC 25's best bits are the full-on chaos of Rush and the pared-down pace of a simulation-oriented career. But this has always been a series of consistent inconsistency, where a walkout pack opening or 25-yard equalizer convinces you it's the best sports game going - only for an opponent's last-minute victory to have you launching your controller across the room. You love it, then hate it. You tear into it on social media, then buy it anyway. You swear you'll never play it again on Friday, then binge an entire weekend league on Saturday. Such is the joy, and madness, and brilliance, and fury of FIFA. Sorry, FC 24 2. Sorry, FC 25. It might get on your wick, but we both know you'll still be playing it endlessly from now until next August.

EA Sports FC 25 review - taking graceful advantage of open gaming goal

PC, PS4/5 (version tested), Switch and Xbox One/Series X While there are no spectacular advances on last year's game, new refinements provide a vivid glimpse of what it's like to be a genius on the field It's been a year since EA, having abandoned its Fifa licence, brought us EA Sports FC, the most awkwardly named sports game franchise since Peter Shilton's Handball Maradona. Sales were apparently 5% down after the switch to the catchy new moniker, but profits were up thanks to the cash-raking power of Ultimate Team, EA's controversial, financially voracious take on a Panini sticker album. Now we're on to the follow-up and with Konami's eFootball still underperforming and no new Fifa title on the immediate horizon, it's another open goal for team EA Sports. Fortunately for us, the developer is not taking its dominance for granted: there are genuinely intriguing new features here. Last year it was all about the advanced HyperMotion2 animation tech, this year it's FC IQ, which looks to enhance the strategic side of the game by giving you intricate control over team and player mentalities. Here, you can tweak your build-up style and defensive approach, then go in and change the priorities of each individual player. Want Saka to play in an aggressively attacking rather than balanced role at Arsenal? You can make that change. Then, when you start a match his AI will be yelling at him to make forward runs at the expense of providing defensive support. It's a fun option for Claudio Ranieri types, but a bit much if you're just after a kickabout. All the familiar gameplay varieties are here, from Manager and Player Careers to Seasons, Tournaments and Clubs, where you get to play as a single constant player in a team side. The major new mode is Rush, a fast-paced five-a-side runabout, which replaces the showy street football extravaganza, Volta. It's end-to-end stuff, requiring extreme focus and snappy passing, and those who've bothered to learn skill moves such as feints and step-overs will have a huge advantage. Naturally Ultimate Team is back too, allowing you to build your dream side with random purchasable packs of players; there are some minor cosmetic and tactical changes, and the Rush mode has been added to play options, but it's mostly addictive business as usual. On pitch, a generally overhauled animation and graphics engine gives us a lovely, expressive and thoughtful football experience. Players move with grace and fluidity, there is extraordinary dynamism and variety in how they react to the ball, how it richochets off unwary limbs or slips under the spell of a skilled receiver. The pace is slower than the rocket-propelled days of Pro Evolution Soccer, but it ignites in key moments when your team is surging up the field. Playing with my sons, we enjoyed how different each side feels and how the contrasts really come out in the action - how distinct it is attacking with Juventus rather than Real Madrid. I'm not certain if it has ever felt this pronounced before. The most beautiful stuff happens when you control the big star players. A few minutes with Manchester City and you really feel Foden's explosive acceleration; you jostle for position with Haaland and you rocket beautifully directed volleys as De Bruyne. For all its showy TV-style presentation and over-enthusiastic commentary, the moments EA Sports FC 25 gets closest to the authentic experience is when you're playing well as Jamal Musiala or Aitana Bonmatí and you get the briefest glimpse of what it must feel like to be a genius. Those luminous seconds are truly up there with pulling off the most elaborate special moves in Street Fighter, or the most skilfully timed roll, parry and strike maneuvers in Dark Souls. The visual detail comes with a cost, however. I've seen some very noticeable graphical glitches, including lines of Hud text piling up on each other and multiple player limbs disturbingly combining during goalmouth scrambles like a Cronenberg-directed body horror movie. The first-person camera, which occasionally puts you into the boots of a particular player or even the ref, is a total loose cannon. I didn't particularly want to peer down the shirt, and then inside the shoulder socket, of Brentford corner-taker Bryan Mbeumo, but there it was. EA Sports FC 25 is perhaps not the major structural leap forward that its predecessor was - it is, to use the classic phrase, an evolution not a revolution. To get the most out of its major new technical features, you'll need to really dig down into the depths of the pre-match menu systems - and that's not for everybody. Meanwhile, Ultimate Teams is as problematic as ever with its carefully greased compulsion loop of in-game purchases and micro-improvements to your fantasy squad. However, if you love playing with up-to-date teams, stats, and visual flourishes, and perhaps skipped the previous edition, you'll get months of pleasure out of this feature-packed footie fiesta. EA Sports FC 25 shoots for the top corner, and most of the time it scores.