I feel this strange pattern of cognitive dissonance every year I boot up EA's powerhouse futbol franchise. The first few matches always play differently, as if the promised changes are working. After a few hours with Online, My Player, and Manager mode, the reality of the situation sets in. EA Sports FC 25 does a decent job implementing small improvements but fails to deliver on its big promises.

Know your role

The intricate new role system is the first noticeable change in EA Sports FC 25 worthy of praise. When I started to customize tactics, I was skeptical about how in-depth they could be, but there really are a lot of different strategies to employ that are true to real life.

In one game, I beat my opponent 8-3 by using a wide approach with two strikers, even though the team usually only uses a false nine. After the loss, my opponent switched to a custom 3-4-1-2 counter-press, completely dominating me with pressure while I was on offense and a stout back line that dominated the defensive box whenever I got near.

This ability to adjust tactics in such an in-depth manner according to each roster really makes for some interesting chess matches. Customizing and changing player roles also makes these adjustments even more interesting.

Instead of the old work rate system, players can now be given different roles in which their play pattern changes their focus. By moving Garnacho from the wing to a striker and assigning him a role as a shadow striker, I can have him scoop up rebounds while on attack.

Artificial (less) intelligence

Unfortunately, the AI is still lacking regarding realistic responsiveness and action in EA Sports FC 25. Input errors when completing basic passes still occur frequently, and computer-controlled defenders are useless.

FC IQ and roles promised to fix many of these issues by giving off-the-ball characters more personality and a more realistic approach to situations, but it is clear that Pace still dominates the meta. You can park the bus as much as you want, but if Mbappe runs it up the wing, few players can do anything to stop him from advancing into the 18-yard box.

Other common mistakes, like goalkeepers failing to make saves or punching it away instead of catching it, are back again. As such, you'll want to be prepared for the usual gameplay frustrations in EA Sports FC 25.

Career Mode was another area in which EA Sports FC 25 made significant promises about changing the overall experience. While there are some small improvements, the mode is exactly the same, if not worse.

My Player still leans into its poor excuse for role-playing mechanics with its Personality Points System, offering boosts and improvements in the form of spa experiences or luxury vehicles for your player. The storylines across My Career are also the usual text bubble-style interaction, removing any attempt at creating ambiance.

It may seem like a trivial complaint, but NBA 2K25's career taught me the importance of immersion. Even though it has plenty of low-effort cinematics and text-bubble interactions, walking into and participating in warm-ups as my player and other minor elements made it feel like I was on a journey.

While menus are also more streamlined in EA Sports FC 25, most of the mode is copied and pasted. The starting/substitute/reserves bar still goes down between matches regardless of your form, and training is still ridiculously easy to farm skill points in after getting three good grades, thanks to the simulation feature.

Thankfully, objectives for staying on or transferring to a new club don't seem nearly as ridiculous as last year. The addition of a female career and a five versus five rush mode are bright spots that add some much needed variety, but otherwise, Career Mode once again falls flat.

We talking about tactics?

Thanks to the tactics I mentioned earlier, Manager Mode is a bit more enjoyable this time around. If you know the game well, you can imitate your favorite managers' styles with your tweaks and rosters.

I loved replicating Sir Alex Ferguson's 4-4-2 formation that focused on wide midfielders. Instead of playing the occasional mid-block, I experimented with a higher line that pressed, though it backfired more often than not against fast teams.

Regarding Ultimate Team, I've never been a big fan of the microtransaction-focused mode, and EA Sports FC 25 is the same. In the three hours I played it, pay-to-win teams still dominated games, and the experience wasn't enjoyable.

When I switched to Rush Ultimate Team, the games felt more competitive, and it is a considerable step up from Volta. I highly recommend going in with friends, as the solo queue will once again result in playing with ball-hog skill move spammers, who are a chore to play with because they’ll never pass the ball.

Like many sports franchises that release yearly iterations, EA Sports FC 25 is going to be much like the game you remember from last year. While FC IQ and roles do a good job of making tactics feel varied and exciting, there are many adjustments and improvements that need to be made to AI before things feel balanced. When slide comes to tackle, not too much has changed this year.

This review is based on an Xbox code provided by the publisher. EA Sports FC 25 is available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 27, 2024.