Finally, a worthy upgrade

EA Sports FC 27Rating 45Developer EA SportsPublisher Electronic ArtsPlatform PC PS4 PS5 XOne XbS Switch Switch 2Every year I have the same problem reviewing EA Sports FC EA releases a new football game tells us everything has changed renames existing features and expects us to forget we bought almost the same game 12 months ago FC 27 doesnrsquot entirely escape that problem This is still very much an incremental update rather than some revolutionary reinvention of virtual football The annoying thing is that this time EA has actually done enough to make the argument workFC 27 is easily the best football game EA has produced so far More importantly it is probably the first FC in a while where I would actually recommend upgrading from the previous version especially if this is the game you spend hundreds of hours playing every year The biggest improvements fortunately are where they matter most on the pitchFootball feels better Players move with more purpose attacking runs are smarter and matches seem less like you are fighting against some invisible predetermined sequence of eventsDefending has also changed significantly The game expects you to do more of the work yourself rather than allowing the AI to constantly rescue you Initially this can be mildly infuriating especially if years of FIFA and FC have trained you to rely on AI defenders while you chase someone around with a midfielderOnce you get used to it though it is brilliant The same applies to conceding a stupid goal because you dragged your centreback halfway across the pitch There is nobody else to blame though naturally I still recommend blaming the controllerIt isnrsquot perfect AI defenders can occasionally behave like they have purchased tickets to the match rather than being paid to participate in it particularly around corners Attacking players can also suddenly alter their runs just as you make a pass resulting in the ball travelling harmlessly towards somewhere nobody happens to be These moments are frustrating but overall playing football in FC 27 is goldI played the Xbox version and the game handled exceptionally well Everything felt responsive and smooth and the improved movement is particularly noticeable when you start stringing passes together or changing direction during attackDeals can take time clubs can consider offers rival teams can interfere and bidding wars can happen This means you actually need to plan transfers rather than discovering on deadline day that you need a striker and buying one 20 minutes before the window closesPlayer ratings are also more dynamic changing based on things like form fitness and morale It makes managing a team considerably more interesting because a highrated player isnrsquot automatically your best option forever Then there is Ultimate Team Ultimate Team remains Ultimate Team If you love collecting players building squads and opening packs there is plenty here for you Squad Building Challenges are easier to work with progression has been refined and the new Gallery allows collectors to hoard footballers like extremely expensive Pokemon cardsThe biggest new attraction is The Grounds which expands Clubs into a more social experience You create a player improve their attributes and wander around a small hub where you can participate in different football activities including smaller 1v1 2v2 and 3v3 games alongside the larger Clubs experience There are different player archetypes minigames progression systems and customisation options It feels a little like EA looked over at NBA 2Krsquos homework but thankfully didnrsquot copy every answerI actually like The Grounds The smaller games are perfect when you donrsquot have enough time for something more involved and tying everything together makes Clubs feel much less buried than beforeGraphically however EA still manages to confuse me During matches FC 27 can look spectacular Stadiums lighting animation and presentation combine beautifully and from the normal gameplay camera it can occasionally look frighteningly close to a television broadcast Then the camera zooms into somebodyrsquos face Some players look excellentOthers look like someone tried to reconstruct them after receiving a description over a bad phone connection The funniest example is Kylian Mbappe one of the faces of FC 27 who somehow looks odd in the actual game You would think the person plastered all over your football game would receive particular attention Fortunately you spend most of your time actually playing football rather than staring closely at Mbappersquos face