EA FC 25 review: Celtic and Rangers upgrades will have fans Rush-ing for more
It's that time of the year again when footie-mad gamers get their hands on the latest edition of EA Sports FC.
But anyone expecting a revolutionary overhaul will have to wait another year, at least. It's early days but initial impressions are that gameplay seems similar to FC24, with a few adjustments. Pace remains king, passing requires more precision and shooting seems a lot smoother.
There are a bunch of extra animations which makes the game feel that bit more realistic but the biggest new feature is without a doubt FC IQ, adding a completely new layer to managing your team's tactics.
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It's almost like EA have taken a leaf out of Football Manager 2024's book, giving you room to create your own tactics and playstyles. There's a greater emphasis on player roles, which will have a major impact on Ultimate Team as those unfamiliar with their positions lose their potency - just like real life.
For gamers who want their teams to adopt Angeball, there's also the easy option of copying tactics from world-class managers like Ange Postecoglou and Pep Guardiola.
As for Ultimate Team, Rush is a fun new small-sided game mode that allows you to team up with friends or strangers for a scrappy 5 vs 5 battle. It's almost a throwback to playing football after school; headless chickens running around in an adrenaline-filled six-minute match. Credit to EA for listening to community feedback on this one, especially as it's integrated throughout Career Mode to help improve youth prospects.
Speaking of which, the arrival of Women's Career Mode is also a timely and refreshing upgrade. There's also the addition of ICON Player Career Mode, allowing you to control some of the greatest names in football like David Beckham and Ronaldinho.
It's been a long time coming, but Celtic and Rangers face scans have finally arrived, making Old Firm games a much more authentic experience. Full pre-match intros are back too, along with some new exterior shots of Celtic Park and Ibrox in the build-up to kick-off. Sadly though, crowd chants have been neglected once again this year and Hoops fans will need to put up with You'll Never Walk Alone being belted out for the entire 90 minutes, a horrendously irritating glitch. Come on EA, sort it out so we can unmute our TVs!
Overall, there haven't been drastic changes to FC 25. Aspects of the gameplay have been fine-tuned but it's the additions of FC IQ and Rush that really justify forking out for this year's instalment.
Verdict: 4/5