EA Sports FC 25

When I visited EA in July to get an update on what would be offered in EA Sports FC 25, I was promised lots of updates and improved elements. While there is still the signature familiarity of the series, there are certainly some much-needed and welcome fresh features in this year's instalment.

The two concepts EA spent the most time on this year, Rush and FC IQ, are two successful examples of meaningful and positive innovation. Both are additions that make the game better, but these are held back by bugs and very slow menus, making for what really just feels like a souped-up FIFA title again. But anyway, let's start with what I think is the best thing in the whole game: Rush.

EA looked at the numbers and saw that Volta was no longer worth having and that what they wanted instead was a social gaming experience. This led to the birth of Rush, a five-on-five mode (where the goalie is computer controlled) on a smaller pitch, but with the same game mechanics as in the regular matches. Many were worried that this would be a Volta 2.0, but thankfully it's not, as instead of making this a separate game mode, it's been integrated into every game mode, whether it's Ultimate Team, Career Mode, or Clubs.

It's clearly more fun to play with friends, which is what it's designed for, but you can also drop in with strangers if you want to play online, however, it's worth expecting a lot of frustration as many players hog the ball, refuse to pass, or back down in defence. Since Rush doesn't have any fixed positions though, if you want to play as a fullback you're not locked into staying on the defensive wings and waiting patiently until the opposition comes to you. You can run around any way you want, leading to a very undulating experience that sees action taking place all over the pitch.

Matches are seven minutes long with time pausing every time the ball is not in play. To make it feel a bit more different from regular 11-on-11 matches, there are also some other little quirks in the rules, as instead of kick-offs at the start of the game, the ball is rolled in from the side and it's a sprint, a Rush, to get to the ball first. Essentially, think Rocket League but with a rolling ball. Yes, offside still exists, but this is now from the final third of the pitch instead of the centre line, and penalties are more similar to what is used in the American MLS, where the player runs with the ball from the centre line. Plus, if you make a really ugly tackle, you don't get a red card, you get a blue, which makes you sit on the side-lines for a minute and think about your sins. Without a doubt, Rush is the best thing EA has added to EA Sports FC, or FIFA for that matter, in years, it's the most fun part of this year's game, and I imagine this will be one of the most played modes overall. However, it is very important that EA keeps this updated so people don't get tired of it as lacks a ranked element.

The other big news is FC IQ, which is a system that controls how players behave when they don't have the ball. Each player now has a role, which for a central midfielder can be, for example, Box-to-Box or Playmaker. All the different roles result in different movement patterns for players, so a fullback with an attacking role will often run up the pitch, providing more support on attacking plays, but leaving empty space in defence. For experienced players, the difference will be noticeable compared to how previous games have worked, however, I think those who don't play every year will not notice this as much. It's somehow both a big addition and a barely noticeable addition depending on how much you focus on this particular thing.

There are three levels to how good a player is at each role. They can have a basic role, which means they can play said role but are not very good at it, then to add to this, all players have a Role+, which is the role they are comfortable in and where they perform best, and finally, there is also Roll++ and that is exclusive to the best players. For example, Jude Bellingham has a Playmaker++ as an attacking midfielder, where the extra plus sign gives better mobility and ability within this role. This is all in addition to the Playstyles that were added last year, with the difference being that Playstyles determine the player's behaviour with the ball while Roles do the same without the ball.

Both Rush and Roles are included in all game modes. In the long-forgotten Career Mode, Rush is used in youth activities, where every three months, you can play a youth tournament in this five-on-five mode, which allows you to both test your talents and give them a skill boost depending on how well you do in the three-match tournament. This is the first time that the Academy is playable, and thanks to what EA calls "Cranium Technology", these teens no longer look like 30-year-olds with beards and wrinkles, but like actual teenagers. Up to the age of 16, they will also grow in height and put on some weight, and their final, adult appearance comes when they are called up to a senior team. Oh, and the scouting system has also been expanded so that it is now possible to scout in 160 different countries.

A great new addition to the Career Mode is that it is now possible to both play and manage women's football. Five different leagues, plus the Champions League, are available and managing a women's team is a completely different experience as the economics are unique. The money available for transfers is much smaller, but at the same time the salaries are also structured in a different manner to men's football. It's possible to jump between women's football and men's football in the same career, so if you want to try and switch Jonas Eidevall from coaching the Arsenal women's team to the men's team, you can.

You can also play as one of a select few iconic players in Career Mode, potentially starting with David Beckham at your local club if you feel like it. Unfortunately this is not as interesting as it sounds. What does sound much interesting has yet to be implemented yet, with this being a scenario setup like the F1 Manager games, where using real in-season points tallies, you can try your hand at a collection of specific scenarios. Perhaps a team has sacked its manager, leaving you to take over and try and save the season or prevent relegation. Alternatively, maybe someone has scored three goals in the same match, and your job is to repeat that impressive task. Unfortunately, this feature isn't available yet.

In Ultimate Team, most things remain the same. There is also Rush integration, where you get to choose one of your players and pair up with four others. To keep things feeling fresh, the player requirements change periodically, for example, sometimes you're only allowed to use players with a max of 79 in total attributes, and other times players can't have higher speed than a certain score. This is where I'll be spending most of my time in this year's game, with no pressure to win games, playing fun and fast football, frustrated by players who never pass the ball or who are always offside.

EA has promised that there will be more Evolutions this year, which was last year's big hit. Here, you can take one of your players and upgrade them in certain characteristics, and it makes team building more varied and more fun to build a team from a certain theme, like a whole team of players from your home country.

Jumping over to the online Clubs mode, where you're supposed to gather a bunch of friends or strangers to form a club and compete in a mode that's not too different from last year. The big differences are mostly cosmetic. Cranium Technology has improved the way customised players look and you can tinker for a long time to get the perfect player. Gameplay-wise, at this point the big thing is that it is now possible to be relegated out of your division again, so if you play badly and lose too much, you will eventually be forced to play in a relegation match against a club in a similar position. The loser moves down a tier while the winner remains.

On the pitch, FC IQ has obviously helped to improve the atmosphere, but there has also been a fine-tuning of the passing game since last year. It now feels more realistic than before and you can't hit passes after a 180-degree turn to a player you can't even see. Passes as such have an increased risk of ending up with opposing players instead, but that also applies to ordinary passes. The precision from the player's side has to be better than before, and players with better passing skills have a better chance of hitting those crucial passes, just as it should be.

EA Sports FC 25 is a better game than FC 24 was in many areas and metrics, where much has been improved, and the addition of Rush is absolutely a highlight. However, I can't turn a blind eye to the technical problems. The game has more bugs than I can remember, the menus feel very sluggish, and I've also seen people get completely black screens when they enter matches in certain game modes. These are things that ruin the gaming experience in what is otherwise a good football game.