Top News

Over a decade of being an avid FIFA gamer forced me to delay my EA Sports FC 26 review by at least a couple of months post-release. Playing EA Sports' flagship football franchise over the years has taught me many things, most notably how to control my anger and frustration, but a recurring lesson is how quick the game can change in just a short period of time - and it's happened once again.

The latest iteration in this storied sports extravaganza hit store shelves worldwide on September 26, but there were many players, me included, who pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition and could therefore play the game a week early. Like the countless FIFA/EA FC games preceding it, I had promised close friends and family I wouldn't be getting the new one, and to no one's surprise, I again would go back on my word and download it on my PS5 ready for launch day. In the end, I'm glad I did.

EA is renowned for many things, most recently its shock $55 billion acquisition by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

But when it comes to EA FC, gamers know to expect a dreaded game-changing patch that acts almost like the Neuralyzer device from Will Smith's Men In Black: all the memories you had of what works, or how the game plays, would disappear in a flash.

It happened again this year, and has once again completely changed my experience. Before the update, I was in love with everything EA FC 26. Now, however, a few of the changes have left a bitter taste in my mouth.

EA Sports continues to fly the flag for sports simulation games that look and sound, for lack of a better word, real. Graphics are never a criticism of the franchise, and it isn't this time around either.

Just one look at the player models, or the stadiums, and the insane sound design, transports me back to when I'd go to St Mary's Stadium to watch Southampton as a kid.

And then there's the gameplay. Like I said previously, when the game first came out, I was totally enamoured with how the game played.

It was fast, fluid, responsive and purely a good time. Plus, with how difficult defending is this year, and the constant abuse of gamebreaking mechanics like goals from kick-off, close-quarters dribbling in the box, and low-driven shots, forget the age-old tale of attack versus defence: it was attack versus attack, with each game a chaos-filled battle as players raced to reach double figures in goals scored.

To put this into perspective, I've played just over 100 games on Ultimate Team alone, and I am yet to have a 0-0 draw (but there's been plenty of 7-7s, 8-8s and even at one point a 13-11 win, yes...really!)

Post-patch, however, it felt quite different. The game is much slower and more unresponsive than it was on day one, and as such, I've found myself playing it less because simply I haven't been enjoying it as much, and that's the most disappointing thing.

Like other EA FC games, you have your four core modes: Kick Off, Ultimate Team, Career Mode and Pro Clubs.

I've dabbled in the latter already, and EA has done a great job in making the Pro Clubs experience feel fresh and innovative.

The development team has completely transformed the way you upgrade your player, and in a change I have been wanting for years, your pro finally has their own Ultimate Team-esque card which looks super cool, and shows off all the stats, like pace, strength, and shooting, that you've boosted.

Ultimate Team, meanwhile, is your typical Ultimate Team experience. Build up your club, buy players, compete online in Rivals, Rush or the ridiculously sweaty Weekend League, and you can play against the computer in Squad Battles, as well as new challenges like Gauntlets and special tournaments to earn yourself different player items and so much more.

There's a lot to do, a whole heap of rewards you can grind towards, and plenty of packs to open through Squad Building Challenges (SBCs), the money-hungry Season Pass, or by purchasing them individually with your in-game currency.

Career Mode is still a great standalone experience to enjoy in the aftermath of an exhausting Ultimate Team session, while Kick Off is there for when a few friends or family members come over and you want a casual game or two.

On the whole, EA Sports FC 26 is a great gaming experience. It has everything you could possibly need from a football video game.

Gameplay is still fun, despite being a shadow of what it was at launch, there's so much stuff to grind towards in both Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs, and it's incredibly pretty and immersive. Whether this dramatically changes in another two months remains to be seen.

VERDICT: 4/5 STARS