Another new football season is upon us and that means another new football video game instalment, 'EA Sports FC 25' is ready to kick off.
EA Sports FC 25
The game formerly known as 'FIFA' - a name which with the 2023 edition after a rights dispute ended the 30-year collaboration - is back again to test patience, wear out control pads thumbs and infuriate just as much as the real beautiful game.
With no new 'FIFA' title in sight (yet) and Konami’s 'eFootball' lacking supporters, 'FC 25' is presented with an open goal when it comes to soccer titles, but is it still offering a Premier League experience?
The answer is a resounding yes. The EA team are not resting on their laurels and have introduced FC IQ.
FC IQ provides the player with total control over team and player mentalities. You can change your build-up style and defensive strategy and then give each individual player on your team instructions and in-game priorities.
You want Brennan Johnson to aggressively attack and press his fullback you can make him play that way. Once the whistle blows his AI will insist he makes attacking runs at the expense of providing cover for the fullback behind him.
The AI also makes the players in your team more intelligent and more realistic in the decisions they make during matches, of course for the more talented gamers nothing will replace the runs you trigger yourself.
All the expected and major game modes are on offer; Career Mode, Clubs, Kick-Off, Seasons and Ultimate Team - the EA Sports version of an interactive Panini sticker book with current soccer superstars and legends galore to unlock.
The major new mode is Rush, which lets the player enjoy a fast-paced five-a-side match. Rush replaces Volta street football. It's a very welcome addition and rewards those players who can pass at pace and have taken the time to learn the abundance of skill moves on offer. There is also the inclusion of a blue card, which is given after serious fouls, or two yellow cards, and results in the player leaving the field of play for one minute mirroring the sin bin rule enforced in five-a-side leagues all over the UK.
Rush mode truly comes into its own when playing co-op online or with friends and for many players will become the go-to gameplay option.
It is not the first time the franchise has provided five-a-side gameplay as veterans will remember the five-a-side indoor mode available on 'FIFA: Road to World Cup 98', an instalment considered to be a highpoint in the franchise's long history. But this time the development team have truly mastered the experience.
The graphics and animations are the best they've ever been and you now feel as though you are playing with different players depending on which team you select. Controlling Bayern Munich's Harry Kane is a completely different experience to trying to score with Manchester City's Erling Haaland and that replicates how the two strikers approach the game in real life, despite both being able to score dozens of goals each season.
Although many will complain the title feels the same each year, there is no doubt that 'EA Sports FC25' is the best recreation of the beautiful game there has ever been on a console and is simply a must purchase for every football fan.
'EA Sports FC 25' is out on PC, PS4/5, Switch and Xbox One/Series X
Rating (reviewed on Xbox Series X): 4.5 / 5
By Philip Hamilton
Tagged in Harry Kane