{"id":915985,"date":"2026-10-04T16:20:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T16:20:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/915985\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T16:20:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T16:20:17","slug":"ive-played-every-fifa-game-since-2000-heres-my-verdict-on-ea-sports-fc-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/915985\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve played every FIFA game since 2000 \u2014 here\u2019s my verdict on EA Sports FC 27"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another year, another installment in EA Sports’ long-running FC series (a.k.a the franchise formerly known as FIFA). For football fans (or soccer<\/a> supporters if you really must), diving into the latest version of the world\u2019s best-selling sports simulator is an annual tradition.<\/p>\n

EA Sports FC 27\u2019s pre-launch marketing promised a series shake-up thanks to its new open-world mode, The Grounds (think NBA<\/a> 2K\u2019s The City but for football), alongside the usual tweaks, fresh features and upgrades to FC\u2019s staple offerings like Career Mode and Ultimate Team.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve been playing FC\/FIFA annually for pretty much my entire life \u2014 as a long-suffering Newcastle United fan, it\u2019s often been the only way to see my team actually win on the pitch \u2014 and after spending some time with EA Sports FC 27 on PS5 Pro<\/a>, here\u2019s my verdict on this year\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

The goodThe Grounds is the closest to FIFA Street we\u2019ll get<\/p>\n

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\"EA\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: EA Sports)<\/p>\n

Much to my disappointment, we may never get another full FIFA Street title. But at least we now have The Grounds. This open-world hub offers the chance to partake in small-sided games (1v1, 2v2 and 3v3) and mini-games, such as a soccer-themed spin on basketball. While not a mode anybody is likely to play for the whole season, it\u2019s a great way to blow off some steam after a crushing UT defeat. However, the open-world aspects feel rather superfluous thanks to bland environments. I would even prefer its novel kickabout modes were accessed via a series of menus. Still, it\u2019s a worthwhile inclusion, and the closest approximation of the retired FIFA Street subseries we\u2019re likely to get anytime soon.<\/p>\n

Career mode transfers feel more authentic<\/p>\n

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\"EA\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: EA Sports)<\/p>\n

The big upgrade to Career mode in FC 27 comes to the transfer market, and while it\u2019s still not a perfect recreation of the real-life window, it\u2019s definitely a step in the right direction. You now have a wealth of options to structure deals, including paying\/receiving a percentage of the fee in installments, inserting a buy-back clause, or adding favorable bonus payments. It all serves to make transfers feel just a little more authentic. Granted, in my experience so far, other clubs seem reluctant to accept deals that aren\u2019t just a single lump sum paid upfront.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Crossing and corners have been reworked<\/p>\n

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\"EA\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: EA Sports)<\/p>\n

Last year, EA Sports FC 26<\/a> introduced two gameplay presets: Competitive, designed for online play, and Authentic, for offline modes. This excellent upgrade has been retained, with FC 27 making smaller gameplay refinements. These are largely felt in the new corner mechanic \u2014 you set the corner taker\u2019s aim\/power and then control a player trying to meet the ball in the box \u2014 and crossing has also been altered, with less generous auto-targeting. You’ve got to earn those headers. These additions give you more control, which is appreciated.<\/p>\n

The badUltimate Team (still) wants your money<\/p>\n

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\"EA\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: EA Sports)<\/p>\n

In basically any FC write-up, it\u2019s almost customary for the author to grumble a bit about Ultimate Team, the series most-played and most cash-hungry mode. FC 27\u2019s new feature is The Gallery, letting you proudly display your virtual player cards and unlock new rewards. But the bones of UT are largely unchanged. It\u2019s a mode ruled by pay-to-win systems that reward those willing to fork over additional cash on pricey microtransactions, and that seemingly won\u2019t ever change.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

Goalkeepers have forgotten how to save<\/p>\n

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\"EA\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: EA Sports)<\/p>\n

Blaming the goalkeeper when you concede is an age-old FIFA\/FC tradition. After all, in a standard match, it\u2019s the sole position you don\u2019t control. But even with the caveat that many “goalkeeper blunders” are more the fault of poor defensive play, in FC 27, goalkeepers seem particularly susceptible to producing howlers. Keepers will often parry the ball rather than catch it, or tip it around the posts, leading to a simple tap-in for the on-rushing opposition. Of course, a keeper palming the ball back into danger isn\u2019t exactly rare in real-life soccer, but the frequency of this occurrence in FC 27 has had me cursing out my keeper more than usual.<\/p>\n

The uglyMenus remain an eyesore<\/p>\n

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\"EA\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: EA Sports)<\/p>\n

For years now, I\u2019ve booted up each new FC with my fingers crossed that the UI and menus will be overhauled. Every year, I\u2019m left disappointed. It\u2019s no exaggeration to say the menu system is atrocious. Menus are sluggish, prone to glitching, a nightmare of negative space, and often demand multiple clicks to perform actions that should be done in one. In a sports game where tabbing through menus and submenus is something you do a lot, it\u2019s ludicrous how the situation hasn\u2019t been earmarked for major improvement. I can only hope that when EA Sports FC 28 rolls around, this is one compliment that is finally resolved.<\/p>\n

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\"Google\n<\/p>\n

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