As sure as the sun rises in the morning and the moon rises at night, EA Sports releases their yearly iteration of the most popular football game ever, EA FC 27. The game formerly known as FIFA has returned and asks us to part with our hard-earned cash. Every year, we tell ourselves that this will be the one that changes everything. And every year, we find ourselves wanting a little more.
So, does EA Sports FC 27 justify its existence, or could we all have saved ourselves a few quid and stuck with last year’s game? .
Kick Off
As you’d expect, FC 27 looks fantastic. The presentation remains one of EA’s biggest strengths, with detailed player models, convincing stadiums, and everything you’d want to capture a big match feel.
The gameplay is also slightly improved. EA has focused on more fluid movement, improved attacking awareness and greater control over defending. When everything clicks, matches feel satisfying, with passing combinations opening up space and well-timed tackles rewarding a bit of actual footballing intelligence.
That last point is important. Football is supposed to be about creating chances, reading the opposition and occasionally producing a moment of brilliance. FC 27 can deliver those moments, and there is genuine satisfaction to be found in building an attack rather than sprinting down the wing and cutting in for a sweaty finish.
That said, it isn’t perfect. There will inevitably be occasions when a defender appears to forget what the hell he is doing, or a pass will end up going completely wrong. But that is football sometimes.
Grounds For Optimism
One of the more interesting additions is The Grounds, a social football space that brings smaller-sided matches, 1v1 encounters and Clubs together in a more informal setting.
It is a welcome change of pace from the usual menu-hopping and competitive grind. There is something appealing about having a place to try new things, play with friends and enjoy football without every match feeling like a cup final. If EA continues to develop the mode with regular updates, it could become one of the game’s biggest selling points. That’s a big “if” though.
There is a fear that The Grounds becomes another feature that sounds great but loses its appeal after a few weeks. It is important that EA give it regular updates and new additions to stop it becoming stale, but I am cautiously optimistic that this could be a real boost and help kick the FC franchise up the backside it needs to make it feel different. That’s if they resist the urge to monetise it.
Career Mode
Career Mode fans will be pleased to see some welcome improvements. The revamped transfer market introduces more active club bidding, more realistic player valuations and additional negotiation options.
These changes could make managing a club feel more engaging. Negotiations actually feel like it’s a challenge and makes building your squad more consequential. It really helps to let yourself feel properly immersed in the game.
The introduction of custom scenarios and community-created Manager Live challenges gives it a bit of a shakeup.
These improvements are a nice touch, but EA really need to do something to make the single-player experience more engaging.
Here We Go Again
And then we have Ultimate Team.
The new FUT Gallery gives players another way to collect and showcase items, while streamlined Squad Building Challenges and additional single-player events offer more ways to engage with the mode.
There is no denying that Ultimate Team is hugely popular. I just don’t get it. It’s an obvious cash grab and pay-to-win, really. But who am I to judge? I just hate to see microtransactions built into games, but that’s just the way of the world now.
You can spend hours grinding for the players you want, or you can lash in your credit card details to get the players you want. For a full-price game, released year after year with no major improvements, it seems a little off.
EA has made some useful changes, but I would love to see them rewarding players for their time rather than encouraging them to spend their way towards a better team. Not every football fan wants their hobby to feel like managing a second mortgage.
Rinse and Repeat
My biggest issue is whether FC 27 genuinely feels different enough from its predecessor. This is a common theme. I have said it previously.
The improvements are encouraging, but familiar modes, incremental gameplay changes and the inevitable live-service updates make it difficult to shake the feeling that we are buying another season rather than an entirely new football experience. It really could have been a DLC.
There is also the question of longevity. The first few weeks are always exciting, when everyone is learning the game. But once players learn the tricks and how to constantly beat your defence, it can get repetitive. The real test is whether EA can address the inevitable balancing issues as the season progresses.
Final Whistle
EA Sports FC 27 is again the best football game on the market. There is no question about that. The gameplay improvements, The Grounds and the enhanced Career Mode systems are great additions.
But having said that, the same frustrations remain. Ultimate Team’s monetisation, the risk of repetitive gameplay and the lack of a truly ground-breaking improvement prevent this from being an easy recommendation for everyone.
If you didn’t pick up FC 26, FC 27 is for you. If you already own FC 26, I would be inclined to wait for a discount unless the new features particularly appeal to you.
EA has a monopoly on the football market at the moment, which doesn’t really make truly innovative features important. I long for the yearly head-to-head between the Pro Evo and FIFA franchises.
For now, FC 27 has earned the benefit of the doubt. It’s a great game. But I have seen it before. It is not a guaranteed title-winning season, but there are enough positives to suggest that EA might finally be moving in the right direction.