The inevitable will inevitably come to pass, and EA Sports FC 26 is no exception. This year’s blockbuster football sim may have competition with the return of the Football Manager franchise, but it’s made some changes to try keep loyal fans onside. FC 26’s marketing has leaned heavily on the fact that the developers have heard player feedback and are going over the top to deliver fixes on nearly every major sticking point. It’s a bold undertaking, because as longtime fans will know, there are quite a few of those pesky sticking points.
Marketing aside, it’s a pleasure to report that FC 26 has actually delivered on its promise of a better game — even if some of the promised adjustments are more effective than others. The major change that impacts every area of gameplay is the introduction of two distinct gameplay modes: Authentic and Competitive. Both options can be applied to every type of match in FC 26, from Manager and Player Career modes to Kick Off, enabling players to tailor the flow of combat, as it were, to their liking.
Competitive gameplay is designed to feel more arcade-like, offering a fun, fast-paced experience reminiscent of Ultimate Team’s sweatiest matches. This makes it perfect for quick bouts with friends when a high scoring affair is in order, or a welcome reprieve from thinking about tactics for those who just want to dive into a football video game. Authentic mode, meanwhile, is for the purists; it feels more true to an actual football match by slowing the pace of gameplay down and adjusting the weightiness of play. Players will be a tad slower but more realistic in motion, resulting in more natural score lines and more believable encounters with the myriad opposing teams on offer. Authentic mode may require more brain power, but it’s actually the more lastingly enjoyable of the two modes. It makes this year’s entry feel like an actual football sim instead of a shallow quick fix of arcade action. Regardless, it’s great to have a choice here, and both modes serve a purpose depending on the mood.
Goalkeepers have long been a sore spot in FC and FIFA titles. Thankfully, FC 26 has delivered on its promised overhaul of their mechanics; each goalkeeper now plays and acts very distinctly, serving to distinguish the best of them from the rest of them. They’ll also respond more believably and reliably in-game, reducing the number of opposition-favouring rebounds and errors that have resulted in many broken controllers worldwide. About time on that one.
Elsewhere, the Career Mode options have been broadened and deepened to result in simulation action that actually feels tactical. It still lags behind the depth that Football Manager offers, but the introduction of live start points and dynamic events in Manager mode makes it feel like more of a living, breathing simulation as opposed to a paint-by-numbers affair. Non-player-controlled managers across the football leagues will now be sacked and hired depending on their performance, and their new teams will adopt their philosophies to result in a fun, dynamic sim that actually makes each Manager Career feel unique. Player Career, meanwhile, benefits from the introduction of an almost RPG-like approach to progression. Again, it’s not the deepest experience, but it gives FC players some welcome agency over the single player offering in this year’s iteration.
If this all sounds like a lot, fear not; the tutorials in each game mode have also received an overhaul that aims to quickly get players up to speed with the new additions. The pop-up tutorials are actually useful for the first time ever — both for understanding the new features and for educating first-time players on Career Mode’s basic mechanics. Additionally, while the changes do appear comprehensive at first, they do blend into the background pretty quickly, failing to disrupt the formula too much. Whether that’s a good or bad thing will depend on the player.
Ultimate Team is obviously still present as well, and as always, the less said about it, the better. Its questionable antics may have been marginally toned down, but it’s still effectively a barely-disguised slot machine that rewards a pay-to-win approach. That’s not to knock those who enjoy it; there is naturally always a lot of fun to be had with packing great players, and the gameplay is always fast, frenetic and entertaining at the very least.
All in all, FC 26 makes some changes that the development team deserves props for. It’s clear that feedback was heard and adopted, even if the end result is still undeniably an FC game — warts and all. However — even despite this — FC 26 is very, very fun. Its new modes offer some dynamism to matches, and the gameplay adjustments can be felt even if they can’t always be articulated. Whether this remains true throughout its life remains to be seen (balance patches are very common in this franchise), but for now it’s extremely addictive. The flaws may be glaringly obvious as always, but it remains a compelling football sim nonetheless.
