The $70 copy game that EA dared to sell and released to the market without having finished the game.
Image credit: Official cover art for EA SPORTS FC 25 (Electronic Arts).
Source: BusinessWire - EA SPORTS FC 25 Cover
Summary
- Name of the game: EA SPORTS FC 25
- Launch DateSeptember 27, 2024
- Developer: EA Sports
- Publisher: EA Sports
- Available platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
- Game genre: Sports
- Context of the game: EA SPORTS FC 25 is the second installment of the franchise after the split with FIFA. It promises improved gameplay, more realistic animations and new mechanics in traditional game modes such as Ultimate Team, Career Mode and Club Pro.
We are going to see everything related to the game and each mode, so this can be an extensive review. To start the game begins with a cinematic with the former player and manager Zinedine Zidane that really may or may not exist that you do not care, no more a welcome message that later you even forget or skip it. It's not bad, but I think it's a waste of resources for something that lasts a few seconds and you don't even remember it.
The menu is a copy and paste of EA FC24 literally, that is like when you copy the work of another classmate and he tells you to relax, he changes it so they do not see that it is the same and what he changes is the image. Well, that's EA Sports FC only that instead of being Haaland, now it's Bellingham.
Ultimate Team
The star mode of EA FC 25, and undoubtedly the one that keeps the company alive, is still Ultimate Team. It is the “big fish”, the mode that gets all the attention.
and in which EA places most of its resources, but which unfortunately has a long list of problems that, instead of being solved, have been maintained or even worsened over time.
The menu is practically a copy and paste from the previous game, with a less intuitive and more cumbersome interface than past installments. The introduction to the mode is exactly the same: lifeless, soulless, designed solely for the player to skip it as quickly as possible. For someone new, the illusion of creating a team from scratch should be exciting, but this excitement is diluted from the first few minutes.
As for the general concept of the mode, it still works through a progressive upgrade card system: bronze, silver, gold and special cards. The goal is clear: build an elite team, using only real players, real uniforms and official stadiums. It is not possible to design your own crest, uniform or stadium, which considerably limits the player's creativity.
Ultimate Team offers a number of modes designed for “variety”, although most share one characteristic: they are either stagnant in time or poorly designed.
- Squad BattlesYou face other users' templates, controlled by the AI. This mode, introduced in FIFA 18, has not received significant changes since then. Boring, repetitive, with mediocre rewards. Only useful for completing objectives.
- Division Rivals: Introduced in FIFA 19, it is an online division system where you win or move up through a point system. On EA FC 25, The maximum reward now requires 45 points per week (previously only 7 wins), which is equivalent to 15 wins per week. This requirement is completely unrealistic for the average player, making it a routine designed for players who are professionally dedicated to the game or have no other responsibilities. In addition, the Rivals system continues to reward those who play the most, not necessarily the best player, thanks to the controversial system of handicap that many users, including myself, have tested over and over again. This system is designed to keep the player in an emotional cycle: win, lose, get frustrated, exit the game, come back and repeat. This is how the game ensures that you keep coming back, even if you're not really enjoying yourself.
- FUT ChampionsCompetitive mode limited to the weekend. To gain access, you have to accumulate points in Rivals, play a qualifier, and only then enter the tournament. It is a complex, long and restrictive process, which only rewards the most addicted. The competitive environment is toxic, time-consuming and, combined with the handicap, it becomes a frustrating rather than a fun experience.
- FUT Draft: An obsolete and abandoned mode, both by EA and by the community. It offers a random high-level squad to compete in a sort of knockout. It costs 15,000 coins or FIFA Points to play, and the rewards for winning all four matches are negligible. It makes no sense at all to invest time (or coins) in this mode.
- Friendly MatchesDesigned to play with friends, against the AI or online without pressure. It has several interesting modes, but lacks attractive rewards, which makes it very little used, except when it is mandatory to complete certain objectives.
- RushThe only relatively fresh mode. It's a kind of online 5-a-side soccer that replaces VOLTA. Fun to play with friends, although slow to start games and with design problems such as the impossibility of repeating players in a squad. This causes many players to simply leave control on the table, affecting the experience of others. Despite being new, it has a lot of room for improvement.
Ultimate Team is not only about playing matches. It also has other features such as the SBC (Squad Creation Challenges) and the evolutions system.
- SBCsThey have become almost irrelevant in EA FC 25. With the advent of evolutions, SBCs have become meaningless, and the rewards they offer do not justify the effort or expense.
- EvolutionsOne of the most successful new features in EA FC 24, where you can upgrade cards by fulfilling requirements. But as expected, EA has now introduced micro transactions in this system for EA FC 25. Evolutions that were once free now require FIFA Points, and even custom card designs are sold for absurd amounts of coins or real money. Paying to change the color of a card seems like a mockery of the player.
Team and stadium customization remains stagnant, with no significant changes from previous years. Everything feels the same, with no real improvements or new features. Added to this is the excess of cards in events, which is simply overwhelming: new cards or recycled versions from past years appear every week. The overexploitation of icons is another big problem; they used to be special, but now they are put in practically every event, which has caused them to totally lose their value. Having an icon no longer feels like an achievement, it's just like having any other card. Despite all this, there is one small positive detail that is worth noting and that is the ability to save repeated cards in the DCP storage. It is a useful feature that, although minimal, also mentions that now if the opponent gets out of a draw on some occasions it will count as a victory.
Ultimate Team is nothing more than a digital casino disguised as a competitive mode. It is designed to keep you psychologically hooked, to make you feel like you are
progressing, while emptying your wallet and exhausting your patience. The rewards are not proportional to the time or effort invested, and the game constantly manipulates the experience to maximize play time and expense.
Ultimate Team in EA FC 25 is more of the same: a worn-out, unfair, and increasingly monetized model. An environment that rewards addiction and punishes the player.
casual. With few positive changes and many questionable decisions, it feels like a game mode on autopilot, where innovation is minimal and monetization practices are increasingly aggressive.
DT Career Mode
The manager career mode remains one of the most beloved by the community and the second most played. This installment brings important and welcome changes, although there is still room for improvement.
One of the highlights is the new pre-start settings, which have been significantly improved. There are now more customization options such as training plans that allow you to balance player fitness and performance, although the “realistic” plan proves unrealistic as players burn out too quickly, even at the start of the season. You can also adjust board expectations, type of gameplay, weather effects, AI behavior, youth and veteran development, injury and suspension system, and transfer and recruitment policies. However, a big improvement would be to be able to modify these settings mid-career or at the start of a new season.
A very positive addition is the Live Starting Points mode, which allows you to start your career at any real moment of your favorite team's season, with updated statistics. This option gives the player the possibility to “rewrite” the history of a club, which is quite attractive.
Unfortunately, the new menu interface is a major setback. It is confusing, disorganized and too horizontal, which prevents you from seeing all the options at a glance. This makes navigation tedious and directly affects the experience, as you spend a lot of time managing your computer in this mode. If the menu is frustrating, much of the experience will be too.
As for the negotiations, the cinematics remain practically the same as in previous installments. The dialogues in press conferences have changed, but for the worse: they are more generic and limited to four repetitive options (encourage, downplay, console, teach humility). In addition, a new mood called “complacent” was introduced, which is quite confusing.
On the other hand, there were notable improvements in the youth progression system, they now look more in line with their age and can participate in youth tournaments for
accelerate their development. The overall player growth system was also improved, providing more detail and control.
In conclusion, the DT Career mode presents interesting advances, but also considerable setbacks. Due to the poor menu design and the poor gameplay, it has been the game I have spent the least time playing, despite its new features. It is surprising that they still don't include basic elements such as a cinematic or a tribute match at the moment of retirement.
Career Player Mode
This mode is fun at first, but becomes repetitive after a few seasons. Unlike DT mode, this path is much more linear and limited. The only significant variation occurs when you change teams; otherwise, the experience is pretty much the same throughout.
The personality mechanic where you can choose to be arrogant, humble, sounds interesting, but has no real impact on the development of your career. Similarly, the options to buy luxuries or invest in projects are superficial: there are no cinematics or visible consequences, just a message that you have acquired something like a mansion or private jet.
The menu suffers from the same problems as the DT mode, it is confusing, poorly structured and hinders the user experience. On the positive side, it is now possible to play with icons in this mode, which gives it an interesting twist. The Live Start Points system has also been incorporated, which adds dynamism when starting a race.
Despite these additions, the Career Player mode is still a very underutilized mode. There were no significant changes from the previous installment, and it is disappointing that there is still no special cinematic or match upon player retirement.
Pro Clubs
For me, Pro Clubs is the most fun online mode of the game and one to which they should clearly dedicate more resources. In this edition you can notice a good innovation
with the addition of Rush mode, now with a division system, which fits perfectly with the cooperative approach that defines Clubs Pro. I spent more time with it this time and the experience was quite positive. It offers many player customization options, although, as expected, it is not exempt from micro transactions. Even so, it does not present drastic changes compared to the previous version.
Playing with friends in a club is definitely the best way to enjoy it. I really like the stat progression system: although reaching the maximum level can take time, the process doesn't feel so tedious. Also, there is variety in the modes available, such as Club League, Rush and Casual, which allows you to alternate and keep the experience fresh.
Kickoff, Seasons, Tournaments and Friendlies Online
The Kickoff mode remains the same as ever, with no major new features. In fact, it now has fewer international teams available, which is a significant loss for those who enjoyed playing with diverse national teams.
The Seasons mode, one of the most entertaining to play online and where the handicap seems to affect the experience less, remains practically the same. The same happens with the Online Friendlies, which do not present relevant changes.
As for tournaments, the situation is no different. Although EA has the official rights to competitions such as the Champions League and the Europa League, it is not the only one.
League, these tournaments feel soulless. The setting is extremely generic and does not convey the excitement and atmosphere that characterize these tournaments.
real-life competitions. Every match, no matter the tournament, feels like part of the same standard experience, which takes away a lot of realism and immersion.
Gameplay
Undoubtedly, the most questionable thing about EA FC 25 is its gameplay. It is so poor and incomplete that it has required multiple updates to correct basic bugs, which has made it difficult to
that gives the feeling that the game was released without being finished. Of all the soccer titles developed by EA, this one takes the prize for worst gameplay. I thought they couldn't top FIFA 21's gameplay disaster, but they did.
Each mode presents different gameplay, but not in a good way: there are matches that clearly feel manipulated, constant bugs, unrealistic simulations and statistics that do not reflect the player's actual performance at all.
They tried to innovate by adding two elements. First, the “roles”, where it is indicated with a (+) or (++) symbol if a player dominates or is world class in a certain position. This was supposed to affect AI decision making, but in practice no impact is noticeable. When I first saw it, I thought: “They don't know what to make up anymore”.
The second big change was the tactics system. I never had a problem with the tactic system in previous games, but this time they tried to innovate without knowing if
would work. After many hours of gameplay, I can say that this new approach is appalling. Instead of bringing more strategic options, it hinders gameplay, making the AI clumsy, slow and unnatural. This generated widespread backlash in the community, with good reason.
Although some updates have improved certain areas, the tactical system is still a disaster. Defending correctly became an absurd challenge: it is easier to defend with midfielders than with defenders, and forwards press better than defenders, even if they have worse stats. Moreover, goals are still being scored that are totally unrealistic or physically impossible.
In online mode, it is unfeasible to get your fullbacks to go forward, because the counter attacks always end in goals, which does not reflect real soccer at all, where attacking fullbacks are key. This forces all players to use the same lineups over and over again in order to compete.
In short, EA FC 25 delivers a frustrating, unfair and disappointing gaming experience, loaded with bugs that severely affect immersion and enjoyment.
Graphics and Visual Design
Graphically, the game presents a noticeable improvement. The modeling of players and stadiums has been refined, offering more natural lighting and more realistic facial animations. Compared to EA FC 24, there is an evident leap in terms of textures and expressions, which improves immersion. In addition, additional visual details have been incorporated that, although sometimes unnoticed during gameplay, add to the overall realism of the game.
Sound and Music
The soundtrack has improved considerably. It now has a more varied selection of songs with licenses from well-known artists, making the experience in the menus much more enjoyable than in the previous installment, where barely a single song stood out.
In the commentary section, especially for Latin America, a renovation with greater dynamism is noticeable. However, in modes such as Rush, there should be more language options for the commentators and not only be limited to English. As for the sound environment in the stadiums, it has been improved and is now more immersive.
Difficulty and Accessibility
The game offers different difficulty levels, suitable for both beginners and advanced players. However, the difference between playing on high difficulty such as “Legend” and lower ones is not always significantly noticeable. On the other hand, improved accessibility options have been incorporated, such as color adjustments, text size and control assistance, which is a positive development.
Technical Aspects
Performance on next-generation consoles such as PS5 and Xbox X/S Series is stable, with steady 60 fps and relatively fast load times. However, on previous generation consoles, loading can feel sluggish.
One of the most criticized points are the bugs and technical errors. They are constant, varied and, in many cases, unacceptable. From unexpected shutdowns, screens
The format is not respected in tournaments such as the Champions League, where the format is not respected despite having the official license. Serious visual glitches have also been reported, such as balls going through players' bodies. Most frustratingly, updates that correct errors often introduce new bugs, which is evidence of a worrying lack of polish. There are even massive compilations of these bugs circulating on the internet.
Value for money
With a launch price of $70 USD, the game promises many hours of content, but not necessarily quality. Much of the experience becomes repetitive depending on the mode you play. While it is presented as a new release, the changes are minimal compared to the previous version. Considering its life cycle is only a year before being replaced, this game feels more like a template update than a new title.
In addition, it usually drops in price by half in just a few months. From my point of view, it is not worth more than $30 USD. Releasing it at full price in such an incomplete state, uninnovative and riddled with technical bugs, is simply a bad investment.
Trophies / Achievements
- Platinum obtained: No
- Percentage of trophies: 62%.
- Estimated time: +100 hours
- Platinum difficulty: A 6, it practically has a trophy in pro clubs that makes it a challenge and unless you have very good friends in this mode, getting it with random people is almost impossible, in addition to the amount of hours you must invest in all its modes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, EA SPORTS FC 25 represents a significant disappointment, showing a worrying lack of innovation with respect to previous installments. Instead of offering substantial improvements, the game seems to have taken steps backwards, becoming a product that, despite repeating past formulas, does so in a less polished and more limited way. Surprisingly, EA manages to worsen an already worn-out formula through ill-advised changes and a gameplay that does not meet the community's expectations.
This title continues to be successfully marketed, not because of its own merits, but because of external factors:
- A system strongly focused on card-type modes such as Ultimate Team, which generates addiction and profitability for the company.
- The absence of real competition in the soccer video game market, which forces true fans of the sport to purchase this game, despite its obvious shortcomings.
In short, EA SPORTS FC 25 not only lacks advances, but reflects an industry where conformism and lack of alternatives end up benefiting those who innovate the least.
My final rating for EA Sports FC 25 is:
1.8/5
