EA Sports FC 27 distinguishes itself from its predecessor, EA Sports FC 26.
A Bold New Direction
While previous iterations of EA's football simulator typically offered minor refinements, FC 27 introduces more significant changes, which range from successful to insignificant, and occasionally detract from the overall experience.
The source review indicates that EA's new 'The Grounds' mode is a superficial imitation of similar open-world concepts. Ultimate Team shows objective improvements over FC 26, though it remains heavily focused on card collection. Career mode is considered the best it has been, despite new features occasionally introducing issues. Overall, the gameplay experience is more challenging but ultimately more rewarding.
The Grounds Mode: An Open-World Attempt
A significant new addition to the FC franchise is 'The Grounds,' an 'open-world' reinterpretation of the series' Clubs mode, allowing players to compete in stadium and street-based challenges with friends or other players.
The 'open-world' aspect of The Grounds is more akin to a third-person menu navigation system than a true free-roam experience. The concept of exploring three 'cultural hubs of football' is appealing, but these hubs are poorly rendered maps with unengaging NPCs, collectible targets, and PvP waiting areas.
While the game modes within The Grounds, such as traditional 11v11 matches, FIFA Street-style cage matches, and mini-games like Bucket Ball, are enjoyable, the 'open-world' element primarily introduces longer wait times due to on-foot travel and offers licensed clothing customization at an additional cost.
The source reviewer initially enjoyed creating a pro player and exploring The Grounds, but the novelty of this new mode quickly diminished after playing a few matches and completing basic tasks to unlock cosmetic items.
The Grounds could be enjoyable with a group of friends, and the effort to introduce something new is acknowledged. However, the mode ultimately feels more like an elaborate menu system for Clubs rather than a truly innovative experience.
Ultimate Team Enhancements
Upon entering Ultimate Team (FUT) in FC 27, players are met with a disorienting array of menus, cards, and checklists, a characteristic that has persisted in FUT for several years.
Despite the initial complexity, this year's FUT introduces several notable improvements.
A key improvement is the introduction of Streamlined Squad Building Challenges (SBCs). These challenges replace the traditional starting XI puzzle with a cumulative target score, where players exchange club members based on their value to reach the required score, eliminating concerns about formations or chemistry.
Traditional SBCs remain available, but Streamlined SBCs cater to players who prefer quicker rewards without the puzzle-solving aspect. The inclusion of both SBC types is appreciated, offering flexibility for different player preferences.
The Gallery is a minor but innocuous addition to FUT, functioning as a sticker book-style card-collection feature. It tracks players who have been part of a club and encourages curation into graded sets, yielding cosmetic rewards and Gallery Tokens that can be exchanged for special Hall of FUT players.
The Gallery's interface is as complex as other FUT sections, but it offers tangible player rewards for those who invest time in understanding it. The source reviewer expressed a desire for its availability on the FC 27 Web App for convenience.
Gameplay Refinements
Providing a definitive verdict on FC 27's gameplay is challenging due to ongoing mechanic adjustments, but the most significant changes primarily affect defending and set pieces.
Regarding defending, there is reduced AI assistance, requiring players to be more precise with tackles and quicker to switch players. Jockeying speed has increased for all players, balancing the 'Jockey PlayStyle' which was previously considered overpowered.
The source reviewer, who favors defending, welcomed these defensive adjustments, noting that the redesigned corner kick system also elevates the importance of defenders.
The new corner kick system introduces a longer pause before the ball enters the box and, crucially, provides manual control over player positioning. This shift transforms corners from luck-based events into skill-based opportunities.
For players primarily engaging in Competitive FUT, defending and corner kicks represent the most significant gameplay tweaks in FC 27.
Skilled dribblers also exhibit improved challenge-riding capabilities, though this tweak was less impactful in the source reviewer's experience, particularly outside of online FUT matches.
Career Mode: Realistic Transfers and Player Management
Following exploration of The Grounds and Ultimate Team, the source reviewer eagerly engaged with FC 27's updated Career mode, noting its popularity among players.
Significant changes in Career mode revolve around transfers. The previous 3D negotiation scenes have been replaced with a 2D interface, facilitating a much more extensive negotiation process in FC 27.
Previously, transfers involved a simple two-step process: offering a fee to the selling club and then negotiating personal terms, allowing players to acquire almost any desired talent with sufficient funds.
FC 27 introduces significantly more realistic transfer negotiations, which presents both advantages and disadvantages.
The new transfer system requires an initial inquiry to ascertain a club's willingness to sell. Players can also reject offers based on factors like tactical fit, club finances, form, rivalries, and long-term club philosophy, even if financial terms are met.
The source reviewer frequently encountered rejections, with many transfer targets unwilling to negotiate. Even when close to a signing, players were often poached by larger rival clubs.
Should negotiations proceed, new deal structures are available, including transfer installments, agent fees, and performance-based bonuses. However, the overall difficulty in signing players was a notable surprise.
While transfer negotiations can be adjusted from their default strict setting, the source reviewer ultimately appreciated the increased challenge. The difficulty in securing initial targets made eventual signings feel more rewarding.
A significant drawback in FC 27's Career mode is the demanding nature of players, whose attitudes can create considerable management challenges.
Under the new minutes system, players with 41% or higher stamina expect to play, leading to mass transfer requests if their expectations are not met. This is particularly problematic when simulating matches, as the AI prioritizes only high-stamina players.
The liberal transfer request system has been noted by others as a potential game-stopper in Career saves, creating a dynamic where players feel managed by their virtual squad rather than managing them.
Unexpected Events, such as abrupt retirements or urgent family leave, also return in FC 27, capable of disrupting the flow of a season.
While the managerial challenge is appreciated, Career mode in FC 27 can be particularly patience-testing, with frequent disruptions from injuries, player unrest, and unexpected events.
A positive addition to Career mode is Dynamic Overall, a system where player ratings fluctuate throughout the season based on form, morale, and fitness, impacting their transfer values.
The source reviewer observed a significant rating increase for a player in their save, reflecting the realistic, drastic changes in player values seen in real-world football.
Verdict
The redesigned transfer system significantly enhances the realism and difficulty of Career mode.
Streamlined SBCs and The Gallery make unlocking and showcasing special player cards in FUT more accessible.
The 'open-world' aspect of The Grounds is superficial, functioning more as a complex menu than an engaging environment.
Career mode, while feature-rich, is no longer an arcade-style experience, even with adjustable difficulty.
Accessibility
EA Sports FC 27 continues to provide extensive accessibility options, including settings for subtitles, button remapping, color blindness, player indicator size, and a High Contrast Mode for low-vision and cognitively disabled players.
These options are located in a dedicated Accessibility Settings tab. The game also offers six difficulty levels and supports 21 languages.
Score breakdown
Scored out of 10Price & Release Date
EA Sports FC 27
