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I've been playing football games since Pro Evolution Soccer 2 on PlayStation 1 and my preference was always to get something that closely resembles the real thing while offering plenty of fun at the same time. While early Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA games weren't the most realistic football simulations, things progressed quickly once we got newer, more powerful consoles and PCs.
In 2013, EA Sports released my favourite football video game of all time, FIFA 2014, featuring Barcelona's Leo Messi on the cover for the second consecutive year. I loved everything about FIFA 2014, including the engaging but realistic gameplay, the simplicity of menus, the amazing Career Mode, the best-in-class presentation and one of the greatest soundtracks to grace a sports game ever.
It was the start of FIFA's rise to stardom and the inevitable fall of Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer, which never recovered to this day.
Now, eleven years after my first FIFA game, I got to play the latest iteration of the game, which is now called EA Sports FC. I didn't enjoy EA Sports FC 25. In all honesty, it even made me install the barebones eFootball in search for some serious football simulation.
I completely get it that some people absolutely love what EA's franchise has become, with an increasing focus on the Ultimate Team and multiplayer modes, which leaves those who prefer single-player mode somewhat left out with only marginal updates to the Career Mode.
Even some of the new stuff that was introduced to the Career Mode made it feel more like a chore than actual engaging features that I'd expect from one of my favourite sports franchises ever.
But I'd argue that even with such small updates, I'd still play it daily if the actual gameplay on the pitch was feeling good. Unfortunately, it's not. I simply didn't enjoy playing this year's EA Sports FC since more than often, the game would feel too arcadey and unrealistic to the point where every match I played ended up with eight or nine goals shared between me and the AI.
In addition, most matches feel the same with the same AI tactics, similar goals conceded and scored and those moments where even second-tier teams turn into prime Barcelona, making little to no errors, making it impossible to take the ball away from them.
The AI of your players is also mostly inconsistent. Sometimes, the players would react adequately, running into empty spaces, and waiting for that through pass but just moments later you'll concede from shots your goalkeeper should be saving easily. But you'll forgive him since by the end of the match, he'll save shots that prime Manuel Neuer wouldn't be saving even if he had an extra pair of hands.
Credit where credit's due, EA Sports FC 25 does look and sound fantastic. This is one of the strongest aspects of the game and has been for quite a while when it comes to EA's franchise.
The player models look excellent, the stadiums are breathtaking, and the grass and the level of detail present on the pitch are extraordinary. The overall presentation is certainly one of EA Sports FC 25's features that makes eFootball look like a mobile game. And that's not an exaggeration.
But again, for me it's all about the gameplay experience and no matter how good EA's title looks, I'm still underwhelmed that this game seems to be targeting a different type of audience and I doubt that changes anytime soon. FUT is the ultimate golden goose so I understand why the publisher are pouring their resources there. It's just not something I'm into nowadays.
If only I could somehow combine eFootball's gameplay with EA Sports FC 25's selection of game modes and presentation. It would be the ultimate football game we desperately need.
The Good
Looks better than ever before- A wide selection of game modes
The Bad
The gameplay is too arcadey- AI is mostly inconsistent
- Goals galore in every match
