EA Sports FC 27 Review

I find myself in a weird place with EA Sports FC 27. On one hand, worthwhile strategic elements have finally been added that reflect real-world tactics in a concise, intuitive way. On the other hand, the promised improvements to the behavior and pathing of computer-controlled players on the field still ring hollow, carrying over many of the same issues the series has had for over a decade. Couple this with the dreaded introduction of open-world elements via The Grounds, and the result is yet another year where nearly positive change is balanced out by a negative one.Ever since NBA 2K14 introduced MyPark, which eventually evolved into The Neighborhood in NBA 2K18 and The City in NBA 2K21, I figured it was only a matter of time before EA brought a similar open world full of activities to its other sports franchises. While The Grounds isn’t without merit, it often feels like EA is trying to solve a problem that didn’t really exist.

After hours of exploring The Grounds, it’s clear FC 27 didn’t need to have an open-world environment to deliver a more communal online mode. I don’t need to run through a visually saturated, low-resolution city populated by lifeless NPCs just to find a game mode to start up when simple menus devoted to the same function can do that in a more efficient manner. Sure, it works well as an active lobby for matchmaking and makes it easier to find other players and move between activities, but between the framerate drops and unnatural character animations, nothing is immersiveness enough about this hub to justify its existence.

The issues above are only compounded by the myriad of unskippable cutscenes and NBA 2K15-level voice acting that make up The Grounds. The irony is that I was initially excited by the new hub world because it brings back one of my favorite FIFA characters from The Journey story mode: Alex Hunter, who first appeared in FIFA 17 and FIFA 18, once again voiced by Adetomiwa Edun. That enthusiasm disappeared quickly once Hunter began speaking, as his delivery feels noticeably more rigid and detached than it did during his original story.

Edun’s performance nearly a decade ago was passionate and natural, whereas The Grounds’ version of Hunter sounds like he would rather be anywhere else. Things get even more painful when Kylian Mbappe appears shortly afterward, delivering his lines with such a stiff, mechanical cadence that it was clear he read them directly from the script all in one take. I honestly found myself grateful that my created character doesn’t speak to avoid adding even more uncomfortable interactions.

The frustration is only compounded by the constant connection issues and errors that still plague the multiplayer community. From disconnects to server lag, I got kicked from or had to leave more games than I can count in my first full week with FC 27. At one point, I even had a match where my opponent had a goal kick, but instead of kicking the ball, his keeper started floating up the pitch with it. This didn’t end until the poor player was sent back to his home planet like Poochie in The Simpsons. After a few hilarious, confusing seconds, the netminder was able to take his place back between the posts, but I was given a corner kick as a result.

I also played every new minigame, from Mario Kart-like Balloon Ball to Football Tennis. While I had some fun, it wasn’t enough to buck the notion that these elements belong in FIFA Street more than they do FC 27. Combine that with the fact that progression in The Ground is tied to coins and XP that can also be purchased with real money, and it only compounds my worry that the series keeps moving away from the beautiful game I know and love to further push microtransactions.

When it comes to gameplay, FC 27’s expanded Tactics system and its effect on gameplay is easily the best addition, wonderfully complementing the playstyles and roles introduced over the past few years by improving strategy, movement, passing, and crossing in numerous ways. Now more than ever, you have more control over how teams behave in different phases of play, going beyond basic formations and instructions by explaining the purpose, strengths, and weaknesses of different tactical approaches.

This becomes particularly useful when building around individual player attributes. As a Manchester United fan, I found that a deeper defensive approach worked especially well for Noussair Mazraoui, whose patient style lets him maintain his position and disrupt attacks without constantly stepping out of shape, while a short-passing buildup gives him chances to use his technical ability without abandoning that defensive structure.

That flexibility became even more apparent when I switched formations on the fly mid-match while playing against Crystal Palace – I found that they were leaving space along the wings, so I moved into a 4-2-2-2, letting Bruno Fernandes operate between the lines and thread passes to a striker such as Benjamin Sesko, creating opportunities for quick combinations and finishes through the middle. Alternatively, when I faced Manchester City, they controlled the wings more successfully. To counter this, I switched to a 4-2-3-1 wide formation, moving Fernandes more centrally so he dictated play and combined with holding midfielders such as Kobbie Mainoo through quick one-two passes.

Separating tactical instructions for possession and defensive phases adds another useful layer, while Player Roles give individual players more specific responsibilities within a formation. Instead of simply placing someone in a position and expecting them to behave a certain way, I could build their role around the specific contribution I wanted from them. For example, if I move into a 4-2-3-1 wide and place Benjamin Šeško on the right side, I can adjust his role depending on the circumstances. As an inside forward, he can cut inward to create shooting opportunities or provide another passing option for Fernandes, while a wider role allows him to stretch the defense and open space through the middle.That same flexibility can be useful defensively, particularly when protecting a lead. If an opponent repeatedly targets his side of the pitch, giving Šeško more defensive responsibility lets him drop back and support the right back, providing another way to protect that flank without abandoning the attacking structure.

What makes the system particularly valuable is that it teaches the strategy behind soccer formations without overwhelming players with unnecessary information. FC 27 does a good job explaining why different shapes work, which players suit them, and how to adjust them against different opponents, making the tactical aspect of the sport approachable while still leaving experienced players plenty of room to experiment.

This is emphasized even more with revamped passing, which now focuses more on manual controls for grounded and lobbed passing, giving more control over where to place the ball and take advantage of the new curved runs. These movements mirror the real-life game smoothly, as the dynamic movement lets a player burst forward into a curved supporting run around defenders rather than a rigid straight line.

While great in theory, these movements can sometimes feel like they work against FC 27’s own computer-controlled behavior. Pathing and defensive logic can still break down on higher difficulties, allowing a carefully constructed gameplan to be undermined by a CPU defender refusing to challenge for a 50/50 ball or making an inexplicable movement. Passing will still occasionally produce similarly frustrating results when a ball aimed toward an open teammate on the right is instead sent toward a covered player in the middle.

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To confirm it wasn’t just my mind playing tricks on me, I loaded the skill trainer and was about to see firsthand where I was aiming, thanks to the visual aids it provides. It was beyond frustrating to see how many times I’d set up to pass the ball wide right, left, or center to open space, only for the directional bar on the Skill Trainer to snap back toward the nearest defender in the complete opposite direction of where the reticle should be aiming. Revamped defense had similar linger issues, as defensive backs were still getting fooled or pulled off their spot by opposing runners on counterattacks, resulting in far too many uneven counterattack goals. The series is over 30 annual entries deep at this point, yet it still can’t get vital features like passing down pat.

That said, I was impressed with the improvements to crossing and corner kicks. Both systems produce more convincing positioning battles and give the player greater control inside the box. I scored several successful headers with Harry Maguire from corners during my time with the game, which stood out because I could count on one hand the number of corner routines and headed goals I had scored in previous EA Sports FC entries.

Ultimate Team makes player upgrades much more flexible in FC 27, adding an option to choose between different paths at key stages instead of being locked into a predictable progression. I preferred being able to tailor a player’s PlayStyles and stats to better suit my preferred style of play, and the move toward smaller promo campaigns and a three-PlayStyle+ limit also helps keep special cards from becoming outdated too quickly. While the overall Ultimate Team gameplay and economy balance isn’t drastically different, there are some noticeable issues that clash with some of the revamped systems, specifically for manual goalkeeping and defending.

Manual goalkeeper movement is less responsive than in previous testing builds, especially when reacting to crosses and corners, making a hard position even less attractive to want to play. The move to manual skill from automated defending is great in theory, but defenders are easily exploited by pace-heavy attackers if a single player switch is mistimed. I like that matches yield more coins and higher baseline Season Points (SP), but the value improvement is offset by adjustments to base discard values for lower- and mid-tier gold, silver, and bronze cards that make them less valuable and eliminate helpful trading metas like the Bronze Pack Method.

Career Mode has also received several meaningful upgrades, especially in the transfer market. I felt much more involved, as the process now features staged negotiations, installments, performance bonuses, bidding wars, and rival clubs attempting to hijack deals. My attempt to sign Manu Koné for Manchester United highlighted this perfectly, as he ultimately chose Manchester City despite me agreeing to both the fee and contract.

Player development is also more dynamic in FC 27, with form, fitness, and morale affecting ratings throughout the season, while rivalries, origin stories, starting scenarios, and icon players like Gareth Bale add more variety to Player Career. Unexpected events add further depth through financial penalties, dressing-room conflicts, disciplinary issues, and training-ground incidents, while press conferences now carry greater consequences for morale and squad relationships.

I also appreciated that CPU-controlled clubs finally manage finances and recruitment around their tactical needs, making Career Mode substantially deeper overall. Despite these additions, menus are still slow, animations are recycled each season, and a lot of progression is still tied to the dreadful investment system introduced in EA Sports FC 24.