FC 27 arrives after a year of things looking extremely rosy at the beginning of the game cycle and equally dull at the end. 

So, is it literally FC 26, as fans have been saying on social media based on the early trailers? While the visuals are similar indeed, this is thankfully not the case. With new game modes and many gameplay adjustments, EA Sports has done a lot of hard work to patch some of the biggest areas of concern from last year.

EA Sports has cooked this year, but you will need to dig deep to find the gems

On-pitch gameplay in FC 26 was extremely automated, with the defensive AI being so strong as to neutralize the skill gap between most players. Combine that with linear Attacking AI, things went from bad to worse as we went deeper into FC 26. 

When I compare FC 27 with my average FC experience last August, things are much better. When you first start playing the game, things will look very similar to FC 26. The UI has been given a fresh coat of paint, but it retains the same structure. Cameras and viewing angles operate in the same manner as last year, and several player places are identical. 

This is the most manually defensive FC title, and even outdoes newer FIFA titles like FIFA 22 and FIFA 23. While the Defensive AI is still part of the game, it has been nerfed significantly. For starters, I didn’t find the AI auto-tackling at any given moment. If you run your defender into the attacker, they will win the ball, but you are the one controlling the run. 

Naturally, players with Anticipate will be worth their weight in gold this year. If you can manually jockey and time your tackles, your defense will be significantly better than someone blindly relying on the AI to bail them out. 

Defenders also intercept the ball much better when you’re controlling them. Having Intercept does help, but the main priority is to control the defender yourself. Team Press and Second Man Press have also been nerfed.

You can still use them effectively, but only in short bursts. The scope for Team Press has been vastly reduced, and you can only use it on certain areas of the pitch. Moreover, you’ll again need to take control of the defender because they’re not going to win the ball on their own for you.

The offensive AI has been significantly reworked, too. Wingers no longer run on autopilot from one end of the field to the other. You can still trigger runs, and then pass them the ball. However, they will stop their runs if they don’t receive the ball within a few seconds.

Those overpowered wide runs happen very rarely, but then again, the wingbacks in your team don’t automatically block the channels. So, you’ll still have good variety in attack despite the nerf to wide runs. 

Centrally, the attackers make much better runs. They no longer run in a straight path like bots. They also tend to stick close to the last man without running offside. Furthermore, they also now make curved runs that allow them to remain onside. It’s a sea change from what we had last year. 

PlayStyles have been controversial ever since they were first introduced in FC 24. The developers claimed their impact would be lowered this year, and they delivered on that. Still, PlayStyles are better than stats for weaker cards. If you’re using an 82-rated striker, having Finesse Shot will have an outsized impact due to the poorer stats compared to having it on an elite player. This is a welcome change in my books, as it makes cards like [?]that might not have “meta” playstyles. 

We might finally see a wider change in the Ultimate Team meta. Since the AI runs on the wider players have been nerfed, narrow formations definitely seem like the way to go—a massive change after 12 months of endless 4-4-1-1s. That said, wide formations still work well if you know how to master your strategy. 

Corners have also been changed, and the new system runs the risk of being gamed. Systematically, you can now control the receiver and then cross the ball to him. While EA Sports has advertised this as something revolutionary, we could already do the same technique in previous years.

However, the new system is more streamlined for users, but that creates scope for some really “ratty” plays that can also be considered “meta” abusive. Earlier, mastering the player lock would have been required, which means that the average Joe won’t try to use it. That has now changed, and the upcoming days will tell if the new corner system becomes exploitative. 

Not much else has changed in terms of the on-pitch gameplay, and while the starting grind may feel more challenging than last year’s, the new systems will feel very rewarding once you master them. 

The Grounds is a nice addition, and the other modes also get nice facelifts

EA Sports promised more coins in Ultimate Team, and so far, they lived up to the promise, though it is impossible to tell what will happen after the first few seasons. The number of coins you get after completing PvP modes like Division Rivals is significantly higher than last year. This could mean we end up with more coins, but it could also lead to higher card prices. 

However, the new additions to an already saturated Ultimate Team mode are pleasant. While modes like Champions, Division Rivals, and Live Events retain their importance, we now have more options when it comes to playing against the AI. You can now participate in offline Live Events to challenge AI teams of different levels and win unique rewards, which is great for players who are not as interested in PvP.

I have enjoyed The Grounds, despite the lack of players on the early release version. This seems like the best mode for casuals. You can go 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, or full 4v4 Rush. You can play together with other players, or you can opt for solo challenges. Furthermore, you can also check specific objectives from real-life footballers (they are the mentors) and complete them to win valuable resources and cosmetics. 

Unlike Ultimate Team, The Grounds does not feel grind-heavy. While there will be live content throughout the calendar, you can miss it and still keep up with what the mode has to offer. EA Sports has already revealed in their pitch notes that The Grounds will also have special promos. We will have to wait to find out more about these promos in the future, but having seasonal content in the mode certainly adds to the longevity. 

Monetization is exclusively cosmetics-based: To improve your player, you don’t really have to spend any money. Simply grinding out the various in-game events should be enough. However, you can get bundles for in-game credits to change the looks of your player character. The scope is endless when it comes to customization.

Pro Clubs has always been a great mode that should have gotten love from EA Sports much earlier. The Grounds is the perfect extension of the formula: if you want to take things more seriously, you can always switch to Pro Clubs. 

If you would like to enjoy things casually, you can just remain in The Grounds. However, you can use your virtual player character to participate in Pro Clubs, where you team up with like-minded players from the community to play in 11v11 matches. The switch between the two modes (FC Pro Clubs and The Grounds) is seamless, and I love the freedom on offer. It’s a perfect integration that makes The Grounds a wonderful addition to the FC franchise. 

Back when I started with FIFA 08, I spent hours with my brother taking Manchester United to the very top in Career Mode. It has been crying out for innovations ever since. This year, Career Mode definitely kept me invested. Over the years, the so-called “improvements” have felt like the bare minimum. 

Finally, we have a Career Mode that’s much more complex and features more elements that are relevant to modern-day football. For the first time in the franchise, we can complete transfer payments in installments; real-life clubs (and rival management games) have been doing this for decades. 

Player contracts also have modern clauses that are prevalent in how football finances work in reality. I am unsure as to why EA Sports didn’t think about including this in previous FC titles, but I guess it’s better late than never. 

Whether you’re playing Manager Career or Player Career, there will be random Black Swan events and surprise opportunities that could help you transfer a big superstar and improve your team overnight. This sense of unpredictability might make the save difficult (or easier), but it removes the linearity that made the mode feel boring and unalluring for me over the years. 

Furthermore, I am excited about the player challenges that we will be able to share with one another. If you are not satisfied with the live events that EA Sports brings, you can always create custom scenarios and challenge your buddies. This opens up a new avenue of co-op play for me, where you can test out your managerial tactics against your friends in Career Mode. 

Overall, FC 27 is easily the best FC title we have had since 2023. The general performance is vastly improved on consoles, with the UI no longer as laggy as it used to be. While you’ll surely get more FPS on a PC, the performance on my PS5 felt less chalky (hopefully, that doesn’t change anytime soon). 

The Grounds is a great inclusion, and I might finally enjoy playing Rush. It will provide players with an alternative if they’re burnt out with Ultimate Team. If offline play is your cup of tea, there are plenty of different challenges in Career Mode. You can make things more challenging with custom challenges that you can create on your own (and even try out creations of other players). 

Gameplay is the biggest area of improvement: FC 27 feels like a game of skill. If you’re fractionally late in player switching, you’ll get punished. If you’re just running back with your midfielders, you’ll get punished. Unless you decide to be brave and direct, you’ll concede many goals. 

In terms of difficulty, FC 27 is really at the top. Every mistake I have made against a player of my skill level was duly punished. While this might feel unfair to you at first, give it some time. If you have been contemplating whether you should buy the game, my answer is: yes, you should. 

However, FC 26 began on similarly bright notes, and then disappeared as EA Sports buffed the AI. This time, they have promised that changes to gameplay will be fewer so that players can take the time to learn the mechanics. If I were one of the developers, I would just leave the gameplay alone and focus on other elements like live service, mode management, and more.