EA Sports FC 25

The new features introduced in this edition of EA Sports FC 25, first and foremost the Rush mode and FC IQ technology, breathe life into the title and forcefully push it in a new direction. Issues are not missing, especially in the AI and online challenges, but even so, the game is a must-have title for fans of the saga.

In short, EA Sports FC 25 is a very complete proposition, both for those who have been playing the EA saga for years and for those who are entering the vast world of the saga for the first time. Are you ready to take the leap onto the playing field?

EA Sports FC 25 builds on the great technological innovations of last year's edition and takes them a little further, making football more realistic and tactical. And you have much more and better control over it all. However, the game doesn't offer any major innovations to convince you that this is the edition you need to pick up.

On the whole, I like the changes to this year's game; FC IQ and the player roles fit into the game well - with the exception of a few lapses - and it simply feels good in your hands. I also really like the new Rush mode, much better than the overly cool Volta, which never really kept me hooked for more than few minutes.

Succeeding where last year's edition fell short, EA Sports FC 25 debuts without loud changes, but with a substantial number of updates that touch almost all of its countless game modes. The improvements made to Career Mode and Clubs were essential, while we were slightly disappointed with Rush and the overall lack of significant changes to Ultimate Team. However, what makes the game bright — and perhaps the most crucial aspect of a football game — is the slow, balanced gameplay with astonishing tactical depth that the Canadian studio managed to deliver this year.

FC 25 is the first genuinely good FC game in years. A complete tactical overhaul underpins the game’s quality, with sweeping and much-needed changes to Career Mode backing it up, unfortunately, somewhat at the expense of Clubs and Ultimate Team.

EA Sports FC 25 continues along the same path as its predecessor, but with a slightly faster and more decisive pace. The new focus on tactics could be the first step toward a more ambitious vision for the future of the series. Overall, this installment proves to be content-rich, relying on the usual winning features while introducing a new 5v5 mode that adds just the right touch to enhance the overall package.

If FC 24 had shaken up some things a bit along with its name, starting with the gameplay, FC 25 has not taken this path at all. The considerable contribution this year is called Rush, a new way of playing 5 against 5 quite well integrated into all game modes alongside the classic 11-a-side football. Because even if the title integrates FC IQ, a new tactical and positioning system for AI players very interesting in Career and Clubs mode for budding managers, the gameplay hardly changes one iota compared to last season. Haters of the last opus may therefore move on, except for lovers of Kings League and Ligue 1. The latter will be able to rejoice to see many players from the French championship modeled unlike last year. Cocorico!

EA Sports FC 25 is the most complete football game in the series, but is it worth the €80 price tag? If you already own FC 24, you won’t miss much. For fans of Rush and Ultimate Team, it might be wise to wait for a price drop.

EA Sports FC 25 is a better game than FC 24 was in many areas and metrics, where much has been improved, and the addition of Rush is absolutely a highlight. However, I can't turn a blind eye to the technical problems. The game has more bugs than I can remember, the menus feel very sluggish, and I've also seen people get completely black screens when they enter matches in certain game modes. These are things that ruin the gaming experience in what is otherwise a good football game.

EA FC 25 still plays a fine game of football in all of its online and offline modes, but it's fairly hard to get excited about any of it this year. The new depth to tactics, and ability to switch them up on-the-fly, are welcome additions. However, Rush feels a bit flat and forced, whilst the rest of the modes on offer are overwhelmingly familiar. We can see what EA was going for, and it's worked in some respects, but the focus on Rush, and a lack of big changes elsewhere, make for a bit of an uninspired year in the land of football/soccer.

While FC IQ has elevated the on-pitch experience somewhat, off the pitch FC 25 hasn't really changed at al since last yearl. It's all a bit stagnant, in truth. If EA Sports FC 25 were a football stadium, it'd be Old Trafford - a once majestic beast that’s now in need of some serious work.

EA Sports FC 25 takes a useful step forward in simulating real football, with a new tactics system and smarter AI, but the improvements aren’t quite as effective as they could be.

EA Sports FC 25 delivers a few bright spots, like the fun and refreshing Rush mode, but stagnating gameplay and incremental improvements leave it feeling like EA continues to play it too safe.