Today, we're providing an unbiased answer to your question: "Is FIFA 25 worth buying?" We'll cover all the features and innovations to help you form your own opinion.
Rush Mode
Let's start with Rush Mode — one of the main advertising hooks EA is using to attract players.
This mode has been integrated into Career, Ultimate Team, and Pro Clubs. Before release, I was skeptical about this addition, but after testing it, I realized it's not as bad as I initially thought. However, there's one significant issue — your teammates and opponents.
No matter how well you play individually, carrying your team alone in this mode is incredibly difficult. You need teammates who help in defense, allowing you to pass effectively and rely on teamwork.
If your teammates are weak, you won't accomplish much. Conversely, even if you're not playing well, three skilled teammates will likely carry you to victory.
Verdict: Rush Mode is enjoyable with friends when you can establish teamwork and select ideal players for both attack and defense. However, I didn't enjoy the solo experience, though the gameplay differs significantly from "Volta." For me, "Volta" was a complete failure — all animations were borrowed from standard FIFA, with identical shots, passes, and dribbling mechanics.
In summary, Rush Mode is worth trying, but it's not the main reason to purchase the game.
Ultimate Team
Now let's discuss Ultimate Team — the mode that keeps the game alive for many players while others believe it has ruined the experience.
Some argue that because developers focus primarily on this mode, other aspects of the game suffer. This is true.
However, after playing 15 career modes with clubs from the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, and Bundesliga, you may want to play online with others, and there's no better place than Ultimate Team. Online friendly matches simply don't offer the same atmosphere and gameplay experience.
There aren't many new features here: Rush Mode is now available in every mode. Player development has changed. EA claimed they wanted to make it more universal, but in reality, they've added restrictions on both the lower and upper limits.
The new enhancement released yesterday allows you to increase acceleration and sprint speed, but only up to a maximum of 78.
This means if your player's standard rating is 77, you can only upgrade it by +1. How they'll develop this system further remains unclear.
Regarding rewards, there's much to praise: Squad Battles, Divisions, and Weekend League are now incredibly rewarding.
The rewards have never been this generous.
Now in Squad Battles, you only need to play 12 matches plus two against special teams.
Weekend League requires just 15 games. However, they increased the number of Division Rivals matches needed for enhanced rewards to 15, which some players won't appreciate.
Manager, Player, and Legend Career Modes
The career mode in FC25 has significantly improved. You can now customize your career however you want: transfer bans, disabling dismissals, reducing board expectations — all these options make your career unique and more engaging.
Now you can disable dismissals with a single click.
Additionally, the design has been slightly modified, with added news and social media features. These are small details, but they enhance the experience.
You can also configure scouts: player scanning now takes less time. When playing your fifth or sixth career, you already know who players like De Bruyne or Haaland are and don't need scouts. This simply saves time.
The player career also has innovations, including the legend career. Currently, four icons are available to choose from, with others promised to be added in the coming months, according to EA.
Skill development now requires training specific abilities, such as free kicks, rather than any random skills as before.
However, there's a downside: the legend career essentially doesn't differ from the standard one. You'll be slightly more experienced, but this doesn't change the storyline — the cutscenes are identical, and you'll still be treated as an "unknown" player, just like any newcomer.
Pro Clubs
Regarding Pro Clubs, the promised innovations are practically non-existent. The only change is the massive number of offers in the store available for FIFA Points.
Skill points remain the same and are spent according to the old schemes. Traits have been slightly modified, but this is a minor change.
Gameplay
Now for the most important aspect — gameplay. FIFA has two types of gameplay: one for matches against AI or with friends at home, and another for more competitive scenarios like high divisions, elite ranks, and Weekend League. The game has changed significantly. Don't believe those who claim the gameplay is exactly the same as last year. This is absolutely not true.
Passing, off-ball runs, and the amount of space in midfield have all been radically altered.
Dribbling has become more challenging but more interesting. Shots have become more universal, and traits now play a more significant role.
New skill moves and animations for shots, passes, and dribbling add realism.
However, like last year, there are still issues with refereeing and AI in Ultimate Team mode. AI on "Ultimate" difficulty has become too predictable, reacting to button presses before animations occur, making the game more challenging.
Defensive changes are also noticeable. Defending has become more difficult, especially against highly skilled players.
Defenders no longer automatically push opponents off the ball as they used to, and competing for possession has become more realistic.
More attention must be paid to positioning and timing tackles. This adds gameplay depth but also increases demands on players.
If you previously relied on simple mechanical defending, now you need real tactics and the ability to anticipate your opponent's actions.
The game's pace has also changed. It feels slower now, but this isn't a negative — it's actually a positive for those who enjoy building combinations.
There's more space for maneuvers in midfield, creating opportunities for creative actions and more deliberate attack building. This contrasts with previous versions, where the game sometimes felt like a simple sprint toward the goal. Now you have to control the ball longer and make more conscious decisions.
Playing against artificial intelligence has become more sophisticated. At higher difficulty levels, AI behaves more intelligently, choosing more effective paths to the goal and sometimes surprising with unconventional decisions.
However, there are still situations where AI acts inappropriately, especially in defense. But overall, playing against the computer has become more interesting and less predictable.
Regarding visuals, significant improvements are evident. New player animations, especially during goal celebrations, make the game more vibrant. Players' faces have become more realistic, particularly for football stars.
Stadiums look amazing, and during matches, there's a genuine football atmosphere, especially if you have a good sound system. Crowd dynamics and fan reactions to moments and goals have become more natural.
But there are drawbacks. The main one is balance in online modes, especially Ultimate Team. As usual, in the first weeks after release, the most active players or those who have invested significant money dominate thanks to superior squads. This can deter new players who don't want to spend real money on team improvements.
There are also server issues, typical for the first days after release. Sometimes the game might disconnect you from a match, wasting all your efforts.
Conclusion
Overall, FIFA (now FC25) remains true to itself. The game continues to evolve and offers new mechanics that make the process more diverse and engaging.
However, the core formula on which the franchise is built remains the same — familiar football with exciting moments, dynamic gameplay, and the wonderful atmosphere of stadiums.
Is FC25 worth buying? If you're a fan of football simulators, definitely yes. Especially if you enjoy online modes such as Ultimate Team or Career Mode. For those who play career mode or prefer offline modes, it might be worth waiting for discounts or patches that improve game stability.
But even now, the game offers a rich set of possibilities for all types of players — from casual gamers to professionals.
So decide for yourself. Personally, I'm thrilled with the new iteration and am confident I'll spend dozens more hours in its various modes.
