The FIFA series is the most popular soccer videogame in the world. However, according to Metacritic, these are the past five FIFA’s ratings based on users’ reviews: 1.4/10, 1/10, 3.5/10, 3/10, 2.4/10.
Year after year, players repeatedly call out the franchise for being slow and repetitive and for lacking innovation. Every year, EA Sports, the developer of the FIFA games, adds new features and game modes to address these complaints, but always come short of expectations set by players. With the addition of “Rush” mode, new career mode features, and much more, this new game might give the impression of finally breaking the cycle. However, after further inspection, it becomes clear that while EA Sport FC 25 may look like a fresh entry, it feels more like a repackaging of previous installments with a few underwhelming modifications.
To begin, a positive that comes with the newest FIFA installment is the impressive graphics. The graphics display lifelike qualities such as realistic facial expressions and extreme details to small elements. However, the visual improvements don’t entirely compensate for the lack of meaningful gameplay progress. The introduction of new mechanics like “PlayStyle+,” which makes each soccer player’s movement and style of play unique, adds a layer of complexity, but feels hollow and doesn’t seem like a revolutionary change.
One of the biggest updates comes in the form of the revamped “Career” mode. The largest change is the noticeable increase in control the user is given compared to past Career modes. Players are able to adjust mechanics like the tactical vision and level of difficulty and can now manage a career in women’s leagues. Furthermore, the new “Live Start Points” feature lets players jump into real-world scenarios. This sounds innovative but ends up being more unnecessary than impactful. It’s meant to offer immersion, yet the majority of players find it tedious, and the constant pop-ups of useless social media feeds and bleak interface take away from what could have been a deeper managerial experience.
Additionally, the new “Rush” mode, a 5v5-style mini-game, is an unnecessary addition that almost feels like it was added just so EA could say they added something new. It also appears eerily similar to the Volta mode, a 3v3,4v4, or 5v5 street soccer mode, which was removed this year. While the “Rush” mode might be fun for a few matches, it quickly loses its appeal and feels out of place in a game focused on realism.
One feature that didn’t need to be fixed for this game was the passing and shooting mechanics. The revamped passing and shooting mechanics claim to offer more precision, but they ultimately come across as inconsistent. Furthermore, the new accuracy system sounds promising but fails to deliver consistently, leaving players frustrated rather than rewarded for skillful play.
For fans of Ultimate Team, the Division Rivals and the reward system changes make the grind feel as repetitive and rigorous as ever. Furthermore, the shift from progressing by wins to a points-based system makes Ultimate Team less satisfying for players.
Ultimately, while EA FC 25 might look better on the surface with its slightly improved graphics and minor features, it feels like more of the same. This game, like its previous installments, reinforces the idea that EA is just slightly adjusting an outdated formula rather than reinventing it.