EA SPORTS FC 25

[FShas]

Yeah. Great value. I enjoy it a lot.
Can’t wait for 1.6 to drop. 🥳

Without derailing the thread, yes, me too! Almost as excited as I would be for the old pes games. AMS 2 feels like the old pes games where the developer focused relentlessly and singularly on improving the single player experience of the game.

This fifa feels that way but only in sim mode, and only half the time.
It's a diluted product, and you have no idea what it will turn into over the course of the gaming year, and so investing £60 into it doesnt feel a safe bet for me.

But, as I said, I totally agree with Jowson. Ordinarily FM and football games are good value for money. It just hasn't felt that way to me for a few years now.

 

[PRO_TOO]

Without derailing the thread, yes, me too! Almost as excited as I would be for the old pes games. AMS 2 feels like the old pes games where the developer focused relentlessly and singularly on improving the single player experience of the game.

This fifa feels that way but only in sim mode, and only half the time.
It's a diluted product, and you have no idea what it will turn into over the course of the gaming year, and so investing £60 into it doesnt feel a safe bet for me.

But, as I said, I totally agree with Jowson. Ordinarily FM and football games are good value for money. It just hasn't felt that way to me for a few years now.

That’s a good analogy! 👌
Well said!

FC25, in sim mode, with minor CPU behavior tweaks by @hatesince97, was again enjoyable last night.
An ingame content update was done.

Still I’m missing fouls a bit, even when the ref is set to strict.

 

[FShas]

That’s a good analogy! 👌
Well said!

FC25, in sim mode, with minor CPU behavior tweaks by @hatesince97, was again enjoyable last night.
An ingame content update was done.

Still I’m missing fouls a bit, even when the ref is set to strict.

It can be really enjoyable at times,I agree. And it's best team mate AI ever in fifa, maybe barring fifa's 15 and 16.

But I had a game last night around 11pm that was bizarrely fast and felt like I was playing on arcade setting.

If sim mode is something they lock off and continue to develop, I could definitely see a purchase next year...

 

[Chris Davies]

But I had a game last night around 11pm that was bizarrely fast and felt like I was playing on arcade setting.

Damn - thank you, considering this has been an issue for a long time, I was suspicious that it had magically been fixed so quickly after release!

I still feel like I'm going slightly mad and maybe it's just in my head when this happens, but the fact that a few people have now said this publicly (and not for the first time - people have said this for years at release time, but it seems more noticeable for me this time around)...

It's just unplayable for me personally when it speeds up the way it does. I wonder if the tactical AI settings can do something about this - but then, it feels like a base game-speed issue rather than teams just playing passes more quickly...

 

[Kopite1990]

Out of interest, is anyone struggling with consistent defending against AI?

I have some games where I can lock them out and limit their chances quite easily, but then other games are the complete opposite and I just seem to get carved open no matter what I do. I played two games last night and conceded 5 goals.

Need to have a closer look at it later.

 

[Emroth]

I have almost finished entire season and the last 10-15 matches I did not feel any random speeding up.
In the past I used to go to settings and flick sliders to custom and then back to simulation and I didn't feel any need to do it lately. That said - I'm still in league 2.

Can anyone tell me how to have a strong free kick? On manual, with timed finishing off, I didn't have a single strong shot on target. If I'm trying to go over the wall - I fail. If I'm trying to go around - it's very light and crappy shot.
Unless stats do matter that much and it's impossible to have a proper shot with league 2 players..

 

[HeWillKnockFourTimes]

I have almost finished entire season and the last 10-15 matches I did not feel any random speeding up.
In the past I used to go to settings and flick sliders to custom and then back to simulation and I didn't feel any need to do it lately. That said - I'm still in league 2.

Can anyone tell me how to have a strong free kick? On manual, with timed finishing off, I didn't have a single strong shot on target. If I'm trying to go over the wall - I fail. If I'm trying to go around - it's very light and crappy shot.
Unless stats do matter that much and it's impossible to have a proper shot with league 2 players..

Does the CPU make any effort to hold on to the ball? I found it a little too fast and maybe I'm awful at defending, but I was enjoying knocking the hall around slowly but every game I tried, it seemed like overly fast to attack. I was testing premier league though.

 

[Emroth]

Does the CPU make any effort to hold on to the ball?

Again - speaking purely from league 2 experience - yes, depending on a team. With tactical CPU sliders I have some teams putting pressure and attacking, while others playing more calm and at the back.

Ps.
If you are enjoying knocking the ball around - precision passes and lobs (R1+triangle/R1+circle) are just pure joy.
Haven't had that much fun passing the ball around and opening the defense in ages.

 

[Kopite1990]

Does the CPU make any effort to hold on to the ball? I found it a little too fast and maybe I'm awful at defending, but I was enjoying knocking the hall around slowly but every game I tried, it seemed like overly fast to attack. I was testing premier league though.

For what it is worth I am half way through my save with Standard Liege (average 3-3.5 star teams) and my experience is similar to @Emroth

 

[daikirai]

Out of interest, is anyone struggling with consistent defending against AI?

I have some games where I can lock them out and limit their chances quite easily, but then other games are the complete opposite and I just seem to get carved open no matter what I do. I played two games last night and conceded 5 goals.

Need to have a closer look at it later.

Yes, on occasion they gain super powers and start jelly legging the ball around to maintain possession/make whatever pass they wish, and shots.

 

[Mako88]

IMPORTANT TIP IF PLAYING ON PS5/XBOX & ON AN HDR SCREEN

EA have set the default HDR brightness to 100, which I believe looking at videos from older games is equivalent to 10,000 nits, lol. I think there *might* be a flagship Hisense that can achieve that, but pretty much no HDR TV is outputing that, lol.

So, if you have a 1,000 nit TV (Hisesne U7 range, for example, and I'm pretty sure a good few of the more affordable Samsungs and the likes) set that down to 10 (yes, TEN) or a notch or two either side. 20 if you have a 2,000 nit capable set, and so on. I'd also recommmend accessing the accessability options and messing with the Brightness and Contrast settings in there, as it can make a difference.

It will/should fix any lack of specular details and will present more texture/highlights to turf...especially the brighter turfs in some stadiums. Key for Career Mode where you can't adjust it pre-match.

What a ridiculous oversight from the part of the development team in charge of these things.

Also...

If you are like me and want to see nice contrasts/colour/highlights (and the ray traced ambient occlusion - look at how subtle and soft the lighting change is at the bottom left side of the pitch in the first half) then play a kick-off match in the Visit Mallorca Stadium, 7pm, and the darkest turf colour option. Beautiful to my eyes.

 

[Mako88]

L1 plus r stick I got working now.
R1 plus r stick not… so far. But I thank you.

The key for both to wait until you see them start the run then flick the stick. You do need to be quick once you see it though, as it will lock you out if you are too late.

Between that, and the precision passing mechanics, I have to say that it is tipping the balance yet further regard more plus points than weaknesses with the game, and enough to get me engaged enough with moment-to-moment play and not get *too* focussed on CPU opposition AI behaviours. Not a perfect state of affairs, admittedly, but those mechanics proving enough of a positive enough distraction when I play.

 

[HeWillKnockFourTimes]

Right, I had another go, this time with AFC Wimbledon in a preseason match against Ross County. Definitely felt slower and fun to play. Ended 6-2 to them, although it did feel like it was a little too much goals, and I was able to pass the ball around a lot, and they sat off me for a while. I was so relaxed, I made this terrible error being 1-0 up 🤣 ]

 

[Emroth]

Got my first penalty. Panic over. Really nice and organic foul too.
In general - I can't complain that I don't have enough free kicks. It seems to be ok to me (I do have hand balls enabled also, except penalties).
I really like physicality and collisions. Some of the animations when players collide are really well done, even if if doesn't end up to be a free kick.

 

[Kopite1990]

Yes, on occasion they gain super powers and start jelly legging the ball around to maintain possession/make whatever pass they wish, and shots.

Glad it’s not just me - Not sure what it is but some games the CPU can just glide past my defenders with little to no effort. Maybe I just need to get better at defending 🙃

 

[TyDog2021]

Got my first penalty. Panic over. Really nice and organic foul too.
In general - I can't complain that I don't have enough free kicks. It seems to be ok to me (I do have hand balls enabled also, except penalties).
I really like physicality and collisions. Some of the animations when players collide are really well done, even if if doesn't end up to be a free kick.

So tempted to get it bought seeing a lot more positive's compared to negatives this year plus gameplay mods will soon enough be getting released like the review mate

 

[Niksh0]

The selling point for me will be if they improve the headers and crosses. Those rocket headers just look to arcady for me and the crosses are going nowhere near the area you want to place the ball. But still it could be the first Fifa I buy as a PES player.

 

[Emroth]

Those rocket headers just look to arcady for me and the crosses are going nowhere near the area you want to place the ball

As for rocket headers - I can't really help as I'm on manual and don't see any rocket headers in my matches. If anything - it's hard for me to hit the header hard.

But the crosses are different story. I struggled at first like you and I just couldn't place them (manual wasn't helping).
There are three things that improved my crosses a hundred times
1. Reduce the power input - I noticed that at half the power crosses are much more accurate.
2. Strong driven crosses are savage - L1+R1 + cross.
3. Precision lob/cross - R1 + cross. I found that hitting precision cross into the path of my running striker works great too, even if they are slower and higher than a normal cross.

 

[Marlon Anthony]

Had a few PC issues this week so haven't been on it as much as I'd like but managed to get some games in tonight.

Been really enjoying FUMA on sim mode and WC this time around, whilst there's less pass correction this year compared to last, there's still through pass power correction which leads to a couple of frustrating moments. I get a moment where the playmaker is in enough space, body shape sorted and I've held down the through ball butting for what feels like 3 Missisipi seconds wanting to belt a nice weighty diagonal ball only for it to come out with as much force as a fart.

I just wish manual meant pure manual, what's the point in calling it that if you don't have the total control and agency you expect?

Other than that, it's been brilliant to have more control over where the ball goes, one of the problems on assisted is you want to pass into space or just off of a player instead of direct to feet, the game will try to force the pass into a players lap when it's not appropriate. On manual I feel like I have the ownership of where I put it. The ability to tap the pass button and the ball barely rolls an inch is great and gives me even finer control on those little triangle passes instead of it flying out like a rocket. I can finally move the ball about based on feel of the controller for the first time since maybe FIFA 20 from what I can remember.

My second bugbear are is the team mate movement but that's hardly a reveleation. I feel like when I'm attacking, the rest of my team doesn't mvoe forward with me and I end up running past my own players. Yes I can trigger player runs when I'm holding up the ball but I'm talking in general, team mates just don't flow forward (or backwards when defending) as much as I like.

Other than that, had some brilliant games and some well earned goals tonight, it's great to be back to that FIFA feeling of seemingly seeing different unique situations per match.

 

[Emroth]

I just wish manual meant pure manual, what's the point in calling it that if you don't have the total control and agency you expect?

Man - you really need to add some precision passes to the mix.
When it's crowded and tight, or you are a good distance away from your player and you see a specific gap, but you know that the pass will never be that precise - they are just brilliant in these moments!

 

[Mako88]

Got my first penalty. Panic over. Really nice and organic foul too.
In general - I can't complain that I don't have enough free kicks. It seems to be ok to me (I do have hand balls enabled also, except penalties).
I really like physicality and collisions. Some of the animations when players collide are really well done, even if if doesn't end up to be a free kick.

Free-kick 'generation' is a bit like eFootball. The more tighter, trickier you try to be with dribbling and turns, the more you draw fouls.

 

[Mako88]

Man - you really need to add some precision passes to the mix.
When it's crowded and tight, or you are a good distance away from your player and you see a specific gap, but you know that the pass will never be that precise - they are just brilliant in these moments!

Agree!

I don't play full manual but the mechanics that allow me to play passes manually, coupled with the manual run mechanic, has this game hit a sweet spot for me. It's like eFootball 2021 sensation days for me just now, regards gameplay.

Other opinions available regards eFootball 2021, and recent footy games in general, but it was the most satisfied I had been with a football game in moons, and this game is coming very close already to simply achieving 'satisfactiion with engagment' every time I switch it on.

 

[Dr Force]

I’m playing as Villa in career mode and the crazy speed on Sim mode has gone.

 

[Jowson]

Man - you really need to add some precision passes to the mix.
When it's crowded and tight, or you are a good distance away from your player and you see a specific gap, but you know that the pass will never be that precise - they are just brilliant in these moments!

I'm going to try this and looking forward to giving it a go as I'm already a FUMA player. But hear me out, isn't this a bit like... easy in a way? Or is it hard to pull off? Is it a crosshair that literally shows you where the ball is going to go?

 

[PRO_TOO]

Man - you really need to add some precision passes to the mix.
When it's crowded and tight, or you are a good distance away from your player and you see a specific gap, but you know that the pass will never be that precise - they are just brilliant in these moments!

You mean the arc passing… with a circle where the ball will end? That’s so off to me. Reminds me of fifa trainer aids or a racing game with a racing line… 😬

 

[Mako88]

You can turn all indicators off.

I definitely need the guide for those passes, personally. At least for the moment.

My recommendation would be to NOT turn off indicators for runs and those manual passes until you get a proper feel for them. Get used to how they work, and take it from there.

 

[PRO_TOO]

You can turn all indicators off.

I definitely need the guide for those passes, personally. At least for the moment.

My recommendation would be to NOT turn off indicators for runs and those manual passes until you get a proper feel for them. Get used to how they work, and take it from there.

My dream scenerio would be to have no indicators at all and just rely on my button and stick inputs. No player makers, no arc, no free kick or corner arc, no power meter, no forward run indicators… nothing!!

 

[Mako88]

My dream scenerio would be to have no indicators at all and just rely on my button and stick inputs. No player makers, no arc, no free kick or corner arc, no power meter, no forward run indicators… nothing!!

You can turn off every indicator in the game.

 

[PRO_TOO]

You can turn off every indicator in the game.

Well… nope. 😉

There is a mod though: https://evoweb.uk/threads/ea-sports-fc-25.98824/post-4102337

 

[Emroth]

I'm going to try this and looking forward to giving it a go as I'm already a FUMA player. But hear me out, isn't this a bit like... easy in a way? Or is it hard to pull off? Is it a crosshair that literally shows you where the ball is going to go?

Im finding it nothing but satisfying.
It takes time to pick the spot and together with animation required to pull it off - there is a risk these passes can be interrupted by pressing AI (like advanced through ball on PES).
Also - they seem to be nicely influenced by stats, coz less skilled players will have bigger "aiming" circle and the ball can go anywhere in this area.
At least in lower divisions it adds nice variety to the gameplay without feeling Overpowered.