EA SPORTS FC™ 25
" Immersive sports simulation with smooth offline gameplay but plagued by bugs and scripting "
EA SPORTS FC™ 25 Review
EA SPORTS FC™ 25 presents a mixed experience for football gaming enthusiasts. While some players appreciate the improvements in Career Mode and offline play, many express frustration with the game's core mechanics and technical stability. Gameplay is frequently described as clunky, scripted, and unfair, with AI behavior and passing mechanics criticized for ruining immersion and challenge. The game struggles with frequent bugs, crashes, and connectivity issues, which significantly impact the user experience.
The Ultimate Team mode is widely condemned for its pay-to-win nature and aggressive monetization strategies, which alienate a large portion of the community. Graphics and presentation receive mixed reviews: some find them acceptable or slightly improved, while others call them outdated and lifeless. Overall, the game is seen as a disappointing iteration in the franchise, with many players advising to only purchase it on heavy discount or avoid it entirely due to technical flaws and perceived greed from the publisher.
Highlights
Career Mode is praised by some as the best iteration in recent years, offering a more enjoyable offline experience with new features and improved match simulation.
Gameplay mechanics in offline modes show smoother ball control and passing compared to previous titles.
Graphics receive some positive notes for stadium atmosphere and player models by a subset of players, though this is not universal.
Multiplayer with friends is highlighted as a fun and skill-based experience when it works well.
Criticisms
The game suffers from pervasive scripting and unfair AI behavior, making matches feel predetermined and frustrating for players seeking skill-based outcomes.
Technical issues are rampant, including crashes, freezes, controller recognition problems (especially with PS5 controllers), lag spikes, and slow UI responsiveness.
Ultimate Team mode is heavily criticized for pay-to-win mechanics, poor reward systems, and aggressive microtransactions.
Graphics and animations are often described as robotic, lifeless, or outdated, detracting from immersion.
Career Mode, while improved, has persistent bugs and lacks depth in some areas.
Overall, many players feel the game is overpriced given its issues and lack of innovation.
Pros
- • Career mode offers the best offline experience seen in recent franchise entries.
- • Gameplay mechanics feel smoother in offline modes compared to previous years.
- • Multiplayer with friends provides enjoyable and skill-based moments.
- • New career mode features add variety and enhance engagement.
- • Graphics and stadium atmosphere are immersive for some players.
- • Icon players bring nostalgic value to the gameplay experience.
- • Passing and ball control improvements noted by offline players.
Cons
- • Gameplay is heavily scripted, making outcomes feel predetermined and unfair.
- • Frequent bugs, crashes, and freezes severely disrupt gameplay.
- • Ultimate Team mode is pay-to-win with aggressive microtransactions.
- • AI behavior is inconsistent and often unrealistic, frustrating players.
- • Poor optimization causes lag spikes even on high-end hardware.
- • Controller support issues, especially with PS5 controllers, are common.
- • UI is slow and unresponsive, reducing overall user experience.
Rating Criteria
EA SPORTS FC™ 25 gives you more ways to win for the club. Team up with friends in your favourite modes with the new 5v5 Rush, and manage your club to victory as FC IQ delivers more tactical control than ever before.