EA SPORTS FC™ 25 Review: Possibly the most transformative year yet

After experiencing the nearly unchanged EA SPORTS FC™ 24—and, frankly, even before officially reviewing EA SPORTS FC™ 25—I was torn. After all, the double-edged sword of a reissued sports game is often seen by many as synonymous with a lack of ambition and innovation. Whether it’s the renamed “EA SPORTS FC” series or 2K’s “NBA 2K” franchise, they easily sell tens of millions of copies annually simply by tweaking player animations, adjusting player stats, and adding a few less-than-useful features. Perhaps the hardest hit, however, are us review editors, constantly poring over the same review guides, searching through the pages with a magnifying glass, searching for features barely noticeable during gameplay, and then summarizing them in a bland review. The process is both monotonous and agonizing.

But after actually getting my hands on this year’s EA SPORTS FC™ 25, I have to admit that it does, to some extent, break free from some of my stereotypes about annual sports games. While football games have evolved over the years, it’s hard to expect them to offer unique and innovative gameplay, but EA has clearly listened to many players’ suggestions and made some interesting additions to the existing gameplay. Coupled with the further integration of AI technology into the gameplay experience, this EA SPORTS FC™ 25 is likely to be the most significant change in the series in recent years, and the most worthwhile entry for players to try.

First and foremost, I should clarify that I’ve always primarily played the Player Career mode in the EA SPORTS FC series. However, for this year’s review, I’d like to begin by discussing the newly added “5v5 Rush” mode in the online Ultimate Team mode, which was heavily promoted during pre-launch promotions.

Simply put, “5v5 Rush” is, to some extent, a formal online version of the familiar street soccer gameplay. It allows four players to control their chosen players, plus an AI-controlled goalkeeper, to form a 5v5 online team and compete in a small-scale soccer match. Compared to traditional online gameplay, this mode features a smaller playing field, a faster pace, and greater emphasis on coordination and communication between players.

Before a match begins, you can select a qualified player from your pool and see the players selected by other players, allowing you to quickly adjust your team’s lineup. Once you’ve entered a match, the rules remain largely unchanged from a regular 11-on-11 game. However, a few changes, such as replacing red cards with blue cards, requiring penalized players to wait one minute off the field, a scrum for the first kickoff, no halftime break, and a seven-minute match duration, significantly enhance the excitement and pace of the game. Players can also communicate through signaling and voice chat, and the mode allows players to team up with friends. Overall, this gameplay offers both exciting and engaging gameplay, while also enhancing the social aspect of the game, making it a truly surprising innovation in online Ultimate Team modes in recent years.

Building on this foundation, the “5v5 RUSH” gameplay also, to some extent, connects the experience of the game’s other modes. For example, you can now experience playable youth training matches in Manager Career Mode. Its gameplay is almost identical to the online “5v5 RUSH,” allowing players to control their selected youth team and directly experience each player’s performance and strength on the field, ultimately providing a reliable reference for developing young players.

Furthermore, the biggest change to Manager Career Mode this year is the increased AI influence on match progress. While we’ve discussed AI extensively in the past two years, and the public remains cautious about its impact, EA actually began developing AI features in the game several years ago with FIFA 22. From HyperMotion, initially used to improve the fluidity and realism of character movements, to FC IQ, now featured in EA SPORTS FC™ 25 and designed to enhance player mobility on the field, returning players to the latest installments after several generations will clearly notice the AI players’ more realistic on-field adaptability compared to previous titles.

Specifically, in EA SPORTS FC™ 25’s Manager Mode, in addition to a variety of preset team tactics to help players fine-tune their team’s playing style, the game also offers up to 40 “Player Roles,” allowing players to fine-tune each player’s on-pitch reactions and responsibilities. These “Player Roles” govern the behavioral logic of AI players on the field, including the location, timing, and spacing of their offensive runs without the ball, as well as the timing, distance, and urgency of their defensive movements. Only by selecting a “Player Role” that aligns with the team’s tactics can the AI players truly unleash their full potential on the field.

Not only that, the manager career mode of “EA SPORTS FC™ 25” has also added many interesting changes: for example, you can directly affect the rhythm of the game in your manager career by changing the “game style” of the game, and customize the dynamic weather effects in the game; for example, after changing the board’s expectations, the game goals that players need to achieve will become more difficult.

Of course, if you’re too lazy to study tactics and just want to get down to business, the good news is that EA SPORTS FC™ 25’s player career mode has also undergone a major overhaul. In addition to the classic build-your-own-career mode, this game also introduces the ability to build the careers of women’s football players, real-life players, and legendary players for the first time in the series. You can freely embody your favorite current star and play through their entire career mode across various leagues, or you can play as four legendary men’s and women’s football players, including Andrea Pirlo and Kelly Smith, and return to the pitch at the peak of their careers.

It’s worth mentioning that this game’s Career Mode also features a new mechanic called “Origin Story.” Players can choose from three origin stories: “Great Expectations,” “Reaching the Top,” and “Striving for Glory” to begin their career. Different origin stories not only directly impact the player’s abilities and attributes, but also determine the stage at which they enter their career. If you don’t want to experience the lengthy initial stages of your career, this change should save you a lot of trouble developing your character.

Combining these changes, it’s clear that EA is aiming to achieve some gameplay innovation and breakthroughs in EA SPORTS FC™ 25. Whether it’s the further application of AI technology in the game or the addition and optimization of gameplay in different modes, these are rare developments in the series over the years.

But from another perspective, the huge amount of real money players pour into the series annually deserves a game quality that meets their expectations. EA SPORTS FC™ 25 has merely managed a resurgence from its slump. But after this recovery, whether it will continue to languish in a different position or fully recover is unclear.