With the FIFA Football Association set to release their very own game, market leaders, EA, have a lot of work to do if they want to remain the champions of soccer video games. Announced by FUTZone on X (formally Twitter) in March of 2023, the race is on following a promised release date for this Winter.
As the continuation of the staple soccer game laces up its gloves, the onus falls on Electronic Arts to step up their game and offer something that goes beyond the usual copy and paste habits that the franchise has previously adhered to. With very few details surrounding FIFA 25, I can’t help but speculate on what the FIFA Football Association will bring to the previously repetitive franchise and – more importantly – what needs to be done to take the crown from the long-reigning champions.
FIFA 25 Needs to Bring Back a Career Story Mode
It was in FIFA 17 where EA first explored a story mode, nestled neatly into the career. The Journey put you in the studded boots of a young Alex Hunter, a seventeen-year-old boy, as he took his soccer career from trials to international caps. During which, we were treated to a heart-warming story where we meet some great characters, like the boy’s encouraging grandpa.
This surprisingly twisting and turning plot carried over to the following two games but, sadly, then disappeared into the ether when EA turned their attention to the Volta mode in FIFA 20.
Like the unique multiplayer mode we saw in Assassin’s Creed III, I can’t comprehend why this feature was ever dropped. Granted, there was only so far they could go following Alex Hunter but that’s not to say that they couldn’t have invented a new protagonist. It was deeply interesting to see a story mode intertwined with a soccer game and I can only live in hope that FIFA 25 will bring us another “soccer prodigy” saga.
FIFA 25 Should See the End of Mixed-Sex Teams (FUT)
While I’m all for equality, the mixing of sexes in the EA FC 23 Ultimate Team mode steps out of the bounds of realism and straight into the safe arms of woke culture. As a lifelong follower of the British game I’ve developed a knowledge surrounding the male players as the female counterparts’ games were rarely aired. The consequence of this was playing with a team full of players that I never previously knew existed but have a place on my team due to their statistics. I simply miss playing with players familiar to me. “But you can buy any player you want” I can almost hear you exclaim. While this is true, the chances of finding my favorite player in a pack have been cut down significantly.
There’s no conceivable reason why EA couldn’t have created a female ultimate team mode and kept the sexes separate, as is the case in real life. It was a bizarre move from the sports games giants and it would be nice if we could see separate modes going forward; it’s just not realistic.
No More Silly Bugs in FIFA 25, Please
It’s always frustrating when you pay $80 for a game for it to be riddled with bugs. What’s more frustrating is when that game remains unfixed months after release. Those of you that have played EA FC 24 will be familiar with the graphical glitches, the disappearance of scores and the replacement of objective images with a default FUT icon.
For such are a large studio, there are no excuses for how these oversights still remain in the game. Hopefully, FIFA will have enough respect for their customers to iron out any bugs in a hasty fashion.
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