FC 26: PS5 Pro (Review)
Summary: A new simulation mode enters the pitch in FC 26, and with it the realistic play so many craved. Still, most of what's good in FC 25 is only slightly better.
4.1
Authentically Welcome
Unlike FC 25 where upgrades translated near exclusively to online play, FC 26 is all about celebrating the primarily offline player. Of which I am one.
Why? Arguably the single greatest value add of FC 26 lies in the introduction of ‘Authentic Gameplay,’ a true simulation option FIFA/FC series diehards and former Pro Evolution Soccer loyalists were desperately longing for decades and counting.
I can’t even begin to describe how different traditional (‘Competitive’) FC plays in comparison. Thankfully, FC 26 offers the option to play in either mode. Traditional is all about blazing speed, right stick moves and highlight goals, whereas Authentic Gameplay is a battle for every inch of the pitch and timed bursts.
If you’re an online Club or Ultimate Team supporter in favor of high scoring shootouts, FC 26 remains the game for you. These online modes do not allow for Authentic options, and everything else about FC 26 – including Rush introduced in FC 25 – will feel familiar. Manager/Player Career, however, are welcome Authentic Gameplay compatible.
FC 26 rosters are now absolutely insane, bursting with 20,000 players including the entire women’s field and their leagues. What they don’t oddly have are a comprehensive list of FIFA compliant international teams, one of the main draws for most players around the world wanting to challenge their buddies from another country or origin. It’s a very odd oversight, as almost all these players reside within some club or another, and can easily be binned inside a national team framework. I’m assuming this has to do with decoupling from the FIFA license in favor of higher profile regional league competitions (of which there are several gameplay options)…?
Authentic Gameplay, FC friends, is the real deal. Passing mechanics, player positioning, shot nuance, goalkeeper reaction, stamina/fatigue…all completely redone. If you enjoy the strategic side of soccer, Authentic is such a blast to play. Related and while I struggled in Competitive difficulty beyond Pro due to its arcade feel, I easily held my own in World Class in Authentic. Being a data scientist by trade, I was thrilled to see EA disclose the actual algorithm adjustments inherent in Authentic Gameplay. (If you know, you know.)
Call me biased, but everything running in Authentic Gameplay just plays better. Advancing the ball requires a great deal more patience and timing, as the CPU AI overtly deliberate in how players position themselves on both offense and defense. Gone are the silly over commits and through balls to oblivion. Ditto unfair lead lob passes that can somehow free up a striker amidst a sea of defenders.
Authentic Gameplay brazenly highlights discrepancies between highly skilled and average players, as passes no longer connect on a string. Spamming one touch won’t guarantee pace and space either. Players react logically to crosses and will seek out headers versus magically hitting them when surrounded by the masses. Height is clearly factored in here, also several aspects of gameplay physics as well. Be warned: the women’s game is a lot slower than the men’s in Authentic Gameplay mode.
I did encounter a hiccup in shorter lob passes not always going where intended, instead hitting someone in the head barely a few feet away. Also, interactions with goalkeepers can be spicy, in odd rebounds off hands and feet even with canned animations thankfully dead. Heck, I watched one beat a goalie near the post by going off the back of his foot and into the net. That will almost never happen…and never should. Except in my weekend leagues, where I’m to blame (being the ‘keeper).
Defense is massively improved, with jostling, tackling and ball possession matched to player skillset and physics. As stated, EA completely redid algorithms for defensive play interaction and it’s obvious from the first on-ball encounter and controller buzzing. In Authentic Gameplay, tired and overmatched teams will eventually bend and break down against much better opponents.
Career mode received a major boost in available archetypes up to 13. This allows micro-tuning every aspect of a created player to fit an actual player or desired play style. There’s also an abundance of new interaction choices within Career that impact player development, including a nifty feature to select your desired eventual Club team.
Presentation-wise, FC 26 is fantastic on the PS5 Pro. Everything looks, sounds and runs to pure perfection. I didn’t see significant advances in any of these from FC 25, although the play-by-play received an obvious upgrade. Player pronunciations are more proper, and announcers will highlight individual players by name based on in-game performance. There is now an option for extended intro’s as well, if you’re into the pomp and circumstance aspect inherent.
Similarly, augmented reality (akin to NHL 26) is no longer static, and reflects live situations. Kudos as well to the upgraded tutorial system with new visual aids on proper defensive zone placement, likewise when to burst on either end of the ball.
Card collectors will enjoy the increased fusion of skilled women’s players into Ultimate Team. And yes, women can play with men on the same side. There’s now a whole new slew of chase cards to pursue.
All in all, FC 26 advances upon FC 25 in every but incremental way. That is, in exception to a wonderfully long overdue Authentic Gameplay mode which changes the entire FC (formerly FIFA) experience. It’s the perfect mode to couch co-op against buddy, where good strategy can hold its own against higher skill if executed properly.
Final Thoughts
FC 26 boosts its rosters, presentation, and a number of things already solid in FC 25. The standout is a new Authentic Gameplay mode, which soccer enthusiasts will love to explore and maximize its simulation aspects.
About the Author
Paul Stuart A gamer for over 30 years with 400+ reviews across four sites literally spanning the globe, Paul Stuart has an unhealthy obsession with Assassins Creed, God of War, and all things Lord of the Rings.
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