It has been about a month since the highly anticipated release of FC25.
You might be wondering, “Wait a minute… a new football game on console? Is it extremely realistic? Does it feature all the newly updated teams and players? And does it have the rights to use real players’ names?”
Well, you are absolutely correct—all of that is true. However, there is one important detail to note.
Yes, the game is newly released, but it has existed for decades; only the name has changed.
“Oh… back in my days, we called this game FIFA!”
Bingo! That’s the game—the one that has created lasting memories for millions of people around the world for nearly three decades. Today, it’s clear that it remains one of the most beloved games in the community.
Now for those of you who may not know what FIFA is, and what this newly changed name FC is…. Let me explain.
For those who may not know what FIFA is or what the newly changed name, FC, means, let me explain.
FIFA stands for “Fédération Internationale de Football Association,” which is French for “International Federation of Football Association.” Founded in 1904, it is the organization that governs football (soccer) and oversees every aspect of the sport. FIFA implemented fair refereeing, introduced new technologies, and organized international competitions.
FIFA is particularly well-known for two things: the FIFA World Cup, which occurs every four years, and the FIFA video game series. The first FIFA game was developed by the major gaming company EA Sports, which recognized the potential for creating a football game for consoles in 1993. They collaborated with FIFA to obtain the rights to use the real names of players and teams, which allowed players to experience the FIFA World Cup in the game.
Over the years, two key changes occurred with the FIFA video games. First, the title included a number indicating the year of the previous season. Second, the game’s popularity soared due to its continual innovations. Each year, new features were added, and there were significant advancements in graphics and realism.
However, this all changed in 2023. FIFA and EA Sports had a disagreement, leading to the end of their partnership. EA recognized that the game could not be abandoned, so they decided to rebrand it. The game was renamed FC 24, with “FC” standing for “Football Club,” emphasising the ability for players around the world to create their own teams and customise their rosters.
Now, a year later, we have FC 25. But is it really worth your money? Let’s review and compare it to previous FIFA titles.
The period from FIFA 10 to FIFA 20 saw significant changes in the game. New features like career mode and player career mode gained popularity, alongside FUT Draft, which allows players to build their teams by selecting from four players for each position. Additionally, the “Build a Team” feature enables players to earn and collect players before assembling their lineups to compete against others online worldwide. For offline play, all you need is two or more controllers to enjoy the game with friends.
FC 25 is quite similar in many respects. It incorporates all the features mentioned above, with a few updates and improvements. You can play with real-life teams, including all the recent transfers from last summer, but what’s new in this version?
Firstly, there’s the new UEFA Champions League format, reflecting the changes we’ve seen this season. The game also introduces icon career modes, allowing players to experience the careers of their favourite football legends, such as Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Additionally, new celebrations have been added, including Jude Bellingham’s famous “Belligoal celebration,” as he features on this year’s FC 25 Standard cover. Personally, I really like the Limited Edition Cover as well.
They removed Futsal and introduced FC Rush, and they’ve managed to incorporate AI into the gameplay, making it more challenging to dribble past players and score goals. However, I believe it’s not worth spending money on a game that will be re-released next year. While having an older version means you miss out on new teams, you can simply update FIFA 20 with new squads, although it may take hours or days; it works well and is free! For the icon career mode, mods available on the internet can be downloaded. While these third-party mods may not be free, they still offer great value compared to buying a new copy of the game.
Some fans argue that FC 25 is the most realistic football game ever made, and while I agree that it is indeed realistic, the number of glitches players encounter is quite high. In conclusion, I think FC 25 is a great game to consider, especially if you don’t own any FIFA games or if you are using an extremely outdated version prior to FIFA 15.
What I respect the most about EA is that they’ve made this game available for the PlayStation 4! They’ve catered to a generation of players, and it makes me happy to see EA still supporting players using a PS4. That’s all I have to say about FC 25. Let’s see what improvements might come next year!
