EA Sports FC 25: hands-on report

Authenticity and style are hallmarks of EA Sports FC’s take on the beautiful game, and there’s no denying that comes through in EA Sports FC 25, which is warming up for a September 27 launch (with early access from September 20 for those that pre-order the Ultimate Edition).

I had a chance to examine the studs of this latest footballing signing with some time on its pristine new pitch, testing its new tactical options and the enticingly fresh Rush 5v5 experience.

Polish and improvements across the presentation

The gloss expected of EA Sports FC is fully present, with some tweaks made to the TV-style presentation, as well as the style of its matches. The referee and player point-of-view camera for replays and stoppages is used more, offering an up close and personal first-person perspective on goals. The player walkouts have returned to pre-match cutscenes, too, and there are nice little extra in-game details like increased animation on the players’ shirts.

There are also some classic elements that have stayed. DualSense controller feedback is responsive enough to not feel overwhelming when reacting to fouls and shots, while its built-in speaker still captures referee whistles and the oh-so satisfying rustle of the ball hitting the net.

Further to that, many clubs keep some of their highlight chants, whether it’s Manchester City’s Blue Moon, I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles for West Ham (and yes, the actual bubbles floating around the pitch have returned, too) or Allez, Allez, Allez from the stands of Villa Park.

Meanwhile, the emphasis on statistics is as impressive as always, with on-pitch overlays popping up to show details such as shots taken in and around the box, and who are the most fatigued players. As before, they remain informative and – most importantly – unobtrusive to the action.

The gameplay and tactical flow feel good

One of the big things EA is highlighting in EA Sports FC 25 is FC IQ, which tackles the tactical and moment-to-moment elements of the game. Player Roles give each footballer a wider array of on and off the ball behavior, with proficiencies dictating how they act when placed in different positions. In short, it’s even more important to understand a player’s strengths. So you might well have an outstanding goal poacher, but putting them in a false 9 position will only minimize their efficacy.

Which means there’s a greater emphasis on tactical diversity. It’s even more important to ensure you’re harmoniously crafting tactics which suit your players and their familiarity with the Role you’ve given them, handily indicated with a detailed breakdown of each, and a + indicating a proficiency and ++ indicating them being world class.

So to stay on top of an ever changing match, tactical suggestions and pre-sets are now available to select during dead ball moments or pauses such as replays and celebrations. Players move around to their new positions in real time, with a zoomed-in ‘chalkboard’ preview available to see how your team’s shape is affected.

Making quickfire manual or suggested substitutions and tactics in the game is extremely easy, with my changes feeling noticeable both from a visual and gameplay perspective, and even the match commentators noting significant tweaks to my team. EA Sports FC 25 requires less reliance on defensive AI, meaning midfield transitions are even more important and mistakes are more punishable.

A squad of game modes, and more options for women’s football

Traditional game modes from Cup Finals to the match stipulation changing House Rules are all present, including the world dominating Ultimate Team and all-engrossing Player and Manager Career modes. The latter two are also now available for the women’s teams too, with the WSL, NWSL, D1 Féminine, Liga F and Frauen-Bundesliga all playable, as well as the women’s Champions League.

It’s an important and welcome addition to EA Sports FC, bringing valuable parity across all modes, with the level of detail afforded in the men’s league managers, financial models, player likeness and more being given to the women’s options. 

Running the Rush mode

Another big inclusion to EA Sports FC 25 is the 5v5 Rush experience, integrated across all core game modes, which I can see becoming a fan-favorite for those wanting a quick kickabout with a different level of pomp and flavor. Essentially professional five-a-side football with polished, neon green-hued presentation and even more energetic commentators, Rush is EA Sports FC, arcade style.

In Kick off, you pick a squad from your favorite side, dropped onto a smaller pitch and go for goals. To reflect these changes to the norm, you will be presented to a completely different kick off experience where all players race to the ball when it is launched from the side of the pitch. There are no red cards, those being replaced by a blue card that leads to 1 min off pitch punishment to the player. And offsides are also different, instead of being called starting from the halfway line, they are called from the new attacking third line. Aside from that you still have access to all of your skills and techniques from 11 a side. However, the gameplay is so fast, compact and intense that pulling them off is trickier… and thus more rewarding.

Replays are kept to goals rather than highlights, and everything moves at a pace which is refreshingly brisk and engaging. It’s reminiscent of playground ‘attack, attack, attack’ football where you can go solo instead of passing it around your team, but where’s the fun in that? Not to mention that constructing snappy and successful team moves across the smaller pitch dimensions is even more gratifying…      

With the option to play via Ultimate Team, Clubs, Kick Off and Career mode, the Rush experience could be an instant classic with some like-minded friends – but either way there’s even more in EA Sports FC 25’s locker that you’ll be able to unleash on the pitch when it all kicks off later this month on September 27.