The Best Annual Football Game Yet?
I have been playing the EA FC series (previously FIFA) since about 1994. Since the mid-2000s, it has become a stable purchase every year, mostly as Pro Evo couldn’t get the servers right and then eFootball came along and struggled.
It has proven to be an amazing place to meet new friends, forge great memories, and at the same time, frustrate and rage in equal measure. It’s a place where you can lose countless hours, just hoping for one more win, and then you will call it a night. It’s a game that is both hated and loved in equal measure. But strangely, EA SPORTS FC 26 is the first game in the franchise that I have fully reviewed. Let’s kick off.
Authentic vs. Competitive Gameplay
If you’ve played an EA FC game before, you know there are a lot of modes and a lot of things to do. But what have been the changes since last year and the release of the acclaimed EA FC 25? Well, there aren’t any new modes to speak of in terms of a new system like Rush or the Story mode, The Journey. Instead the focus has been on adapting and changing the existing modes, and adding new features along with, of course, the yearly gameplay changes.
The first thing to note out of the block is how you play the game offline and online with both Authentic and Competitive modes. Competitive mode is the one that us FIFA / EA FC fans are well used to, and will be used online and offline, taking in some fast-paced gameplay that can be used in Ultimate Team, Pro Clubs, and Seasons. Authentic mode is used for offline only, capable of delivering up a slower-paced and more unpredictable game of football. Here, weather affects the gameplay; for example, rain will dictate the length of the sliding tackle, wind speed needs to be accounted for when taking a corner, deflections from the goalkeeper can go anywhere, in turn causing chaos in the box. But defending is tight as is the midfield, so matches here are more like a game of chess, much more so than the arcade feel of the Competitive mode.
I liked having these two modes because when it comes to playing the career mode as a player and manager, it feels like a different experience, and that means you have to change up, and think about, how you play.
Career Mode and Managerial Mayhem
Let’s start with the offline modes, focusing on the career mode first. The manager mode has you taking a team from anywhere and playing it for life. In EA SPORTS FC 26 there are a few changes here and there, apart from the gameplay style mentioned above. There are random events that can happen that spice things up a bit, like final mistakes that strip your transfer budget, or players missing matches because of illness. It adds to the fun and the authentic nature promised.
I haven’t played with the career mode for a couple of years, I liked the short term scenarios on offer in Manager Live when you can take over a team to avoid relegation or manage Real Madrid to a treble. There are also kick-off modes, tournaments for both the women’s teams and men’s teams, and you can play offline as well. But for me, online is where the heart (both of the game, and of myself) lies and the place I always go back to.
Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs: Online Evolution
Much of that is through Ultimate Team. The major changes here are the live events and gauntlets that have been introduced, and these will happen throughout the season. Some of these will require you to change your squads around, mixing up tactics while offering different rewards. Even playing seasons will have little challenges as you go, like playing a game with a Team of the Week player and getting an extra bonus. Demotions are back as well for more challenge, and friendly comps are out.
Sadly, I am not sure about the Season Pass at all. Introduced mid-season last year, it offers extra rewards in UT, Clubs and Career for those who pay. Those rewards as the season goes on become too tempting for a leg up in the gameplay. You can pay for it with coins earnt and real money. It feels like another money grab from EA, and I worry about the direction it might be going in the future.
Pro Clubs has been the one mode that time has seemingly forgotten. But now, with EA SPORTS FC 26, we have a few changes that might well bring a smile to a lot of people. You can join more than one club at a time, which people have been asking for a while, and is definitely a move in the right direction. There is also a whole new system of levelling up and gaining experience points. Further, it also introduces Archetypes, where you pick your style. Do you want to be a magician or a target person? Time will tell how this new system works throughout the season.
Also, there are new cups and events to get involved in, which is very much appreciated. Other modes like Rush and Seasons feel like they always have done, and I like Rush, but there is no doubt that it can get a bit annoying.
Next-Gen Visuals and the Sound of the Stadium
Visually, EA FC has never been a slouch, and this year is no different. Animations are sharp and clear, however we do still have similar cutscenes and half-time scenes that have been used for a couple of years now; commentators looking awkward together, Alex Scott checking her mic and sound levels and lots of shots of flight cases in corridors, for some reason. But the character animations have had a tweak, and in the authentic mode really comes alive, especially with the weather.
One thing I feel does work better this year are the crowds, which at times are amazing and alive, rather than a stand full of similar-looking twins. Menus are nice and clean, and the whole UI is simple to navigate with some changes here and there. It also seems to load much quicker, which is always nice.
Audio design is excellent as always, with brilliant crowd effects, shouts, and crunches on and off the ball. That said, commentary needs a bit of a shake-up, especially as they haven’t fixed the Bruno Fernandes pronunciation. But a newbie in the franchise won’t know the difference and will just hear a professional job done by the team. Music and that EA FC 26 soundtrack is the usual new mix of tracks with ones you like and ones you won’t. One of my colleagues noted that as he got older, there were more and more tracks featured from artists he didn’t know. Personally, I’ve struggled with that since 2008.
A Contender for the Championship
So how does it feel this year with EA SPORTS FC 26? Well, there are new and subtle changes to Ultimate Team and Clubs, whilst the Authentic mode feels like a different experience and gives the career option a different lease of life. Some may wish to focus more on the gameplay tweaks and ball-related animations and tricks, but those things rarely bother me, and I think I’m safe to say that I’ll like EA FC until my fingers don’t work anymore.
Of course, EA FC 26 is frustrating at times, but there is nothing else that can beat it, and no competition that can deliver such a well crafted experience of football.
See you next year.
Important Links
The New Season Kicks Off – EA SPORTS FC 26 is PLAYABLE NOW – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-new-season-kicks-off-ea-sports-fc-26-is-playable-now/
EA SPORTS FC 26 Crowns a New Generation: Bellingham and Musiala are Your Cover Stars, September Release Date Confirmed – https://www.thexboxhub.com/ea-sports-fc-26-crowns-a-new-generation-bellingham-and-musiala-are-your-cover-stars-september-release-date-confirmed/
EA FC 26 Launch: A Week of Free Football Nostalgia – https://www.thexboxhub.com/ea-fc-26-launch-a-week-of-free-football-nostalgia/
EA SPORTS FC Team Of The Year Revealed As Mbappé And Bronze Crowned TOTY Captains – https://www.thexboxhub.com/ea-sports-fc-team-of-the-year-revealed-as-mbappe-and-bronze-crowned-toty-captains/
Buy the Standard Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/ea-sports-fc-26-standard-edition-xbox-one-xbox-series-xs/9MXZBTLG26VX/0010
Go big with the Ultimate Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/ea-sports-fc-26-ultimate-edition-xbox-one-xbox-series-xs/9NJNJTC600G0/0010
Looks just like a fully paid up advert for FC 26. No mention of the erratic servers or the abysmal gameplay. No mention of EA’s trademark instant tackle back system or your passes going in the opposite direction as intended. No mention of EA lying through their teeth saying that they will slow the power curve but put 100k packs in the UT store before the game has even been released officially. No mention of the disgraceful black market FUT coins sites that are being promoted by the influences and EA don’t do anything about it. One would think the source is from the inside. In whole this is a lazy review and I implore you all to ignore this review.
Thanks for your comment. Can assure you this is not a ‘fully paid up advert’.