As a slightly more than casual football fan, EA’s annual football game has made me far more aware of the beautiful game than ever before, going back to FIFA 13 on PlayStation 3. Since then, I’ve only skipped two years of titles and have seen the series evolve from something basic and barebones into a wealth of features and game modes. Not everything has been positive, but EA Sports FC 26 looks to address some pain points from recent years.
The first thing I want to highlight in EA Sports FC 26 is gameplay. Improvements have been made through two presets: Authentic and Competitive. Authentic is the default for modes such as Play Career and Manager Career, and it focuses on a more realistic football experience. In practice, this means gameplay is slowed down, placing greater emphasis on strategy, immersion and realism.
In practice, the slower pace of gameplay was immediately noticeable. Inch-perfect passing, perfectly timed tackles and other elements were toned down, while... Read more