It’s a great thing that Nintendo’s console is getting the full EA FC version again. Unfortunately, the new ‘open-world’ The Grounds mode is marred by stilted voice acting, barely-30FPS cutscenes and, worst of all, online requirements that make it basically unplayable here in SA. The local multiplayer and offline offering is still good, and if that’s the only reason you’re buying EA FC 27, it makes way more sense to stick to last year’s edition.

Ooof. I love FIF… err, EA Sports FC, but this is a tough one. Last year, the launch of the Switch 2 version of EA FC was a breath of fresh air. For years, the edition on Nintendo consoles felt like an afterthought and often lacked key updates or modes. Locally, it was also launched to quite a bit of fanfare and having the huge football-mad SA community start to see the hybrid console as a possible option to play EA FC was great. Early on, we had lots of opportunities for local multiplayer matches, and while direct comparisons to the PS or Xbox versions made the lower frame rate stand out, general gameplay was smooth and fun. This year, the same can probably be said about local multiplayer on EA FC 27. It’s no doubt fun to be able to sit on a couch with friends playing some football, and while the Joy-Con 2s are not the ideal controllers, being able to take a small console around and easily jump into a 2-player match is great. Sadly, that’s what we could do last year – and there just seems to be even less ‘new’ stuff than we expect for a yearly release in Switch 2 EA Sports 27.

The Grounds, Gah

So, let’s talk about ‘The Grounds’. EA describes the new mode as “the new social football playground where you can learn from mentors, meet up with friends, participate in small-sided matches, and more“. What this means in practice is that when the game opens up for the first time (after a first-person POV walking through Real Madrid’s dressing room and into a Champions League match), we’re greeted by Alex Hunter (yup, from FIFA 17). He introduces us to a new ‘open-worldish’ cityscape where (I guess) what we’d call the story mode now lives. If you’ve ever played any recent NBA 2K games, you may know what to expect… You can run around an open area – visit shops to purchase gear (eew) and level up your character by jumping into matches and mini-games. Along the way, you meet ‘real’ football players – Mbappe, Kelly, Dybala – who introduce you to the various matches/mini-games and completing tasks earns you rewards. Oh… and Pro Clubs is also now integrated somehow, too.

The Grounds (the shiny new mode) – well, I couldn’t test basically any of it.

Now, you may be wondering why I’m being so vague and probably not very helpful about this mode – and the truth is… I couldn’t really play it. All these modes have an online component – you need actual other real-world players to join you. I tried everything to even start a single mini-game or match; however, barring a few (like 4 matches) that I managed to find in a 1v1 section, I never found more than a single player online. Now, this isn’t all EA’s fault. Our local community that loves these games generally doesn’t own Switches. However, crossplay isn’t enabled. Now I don’t know who made that decision (again, it may not be EA), but to have a huge new mode and the only way to level up your character and some possibly fun mini-games all be online-only seems crazy to me. I couldn’t test basically any of it. Oh, and cutscenes feature serious frame drops and some of the most (obviously read) emotionless voice acting you’ll see in a game charging this much. I get it, they’re footballers, not voice actors – but it’s really jarring.

The Rest, eish

Unfortunately, the same applies to any other online modes. I spent ages staring at searching screens for Seasons, Ultimate Team online and online friendlies mode. Never found a single player. Now, of course, for the latter, if you know someone with the game and the system, you can sync up – but having that being the only way to play is super sad. Offline, thankfully, you still have the Player and updated Manager Modes. If this is how you’ve always played the game (I know this is how I spent countless hours growing up) – you’ll be glad to know that while there’s nothing remarkably groundbreaking – there is the comforting, recognisable gameplay to look forward to. Transfers work slightly differently; those repetitive cutscenes are a thing of the past. And while it could be argued that it looks less impressive (there’s now a single-screen phone conversation where negotiations take place) – I’m happy that it all happens more quickly.

There are so many options now that menus are complicated and cumbersome…

The player creator also seemed to be a lot more difficult to work out. I’m not sure if the way to edit features changed, but I definitely struggled to create anything near my likeness and I think it highlights a more general issue with pretty much all recent editions – menus are so complicated and cumbersome that I’m not sure how intuitive they would be for a new player. And as an experienced one, I always hate how long deciding everything takes.

Not all bad

On the positive side, Ultimate Team is probably still my favourite mode. One, because there are offline options and I was able to get matches in, earn coins and collect a pretty decent new team. Of course, I could only take on AI opponents, but I still have fun, and I’ve gotta admit that while I still wish there were no pay-to-win options, I do think that if, like me, you never spend any real money after buying the game, there’s still fun to be had.

Offline: there is still the comforting, recognisable gameplay to look forward to.

In terms of actual gameplay, I think it’s relatively positive too. Likely due to the massive competitive scene, it’s somewhat understandable that EA never makes groundbreaking changes in this department. It may not be to everyone’s taste, and I completely hear the argument that other developers actually make better football experiences, but there is again something comforting about how EA FC feels. As usual, EA advertised that there are some apparent changes to ball control, attacking and defending AI and a few other updates along the way, but when I played, the only things that I think will be noticeable jumping from 26 to 27 are slightly better attacking runs and more balanced corners. I’m happy with both those changes. I still think there’s too much of a jump between Professional and World Class, but that might be a small gripe in the grand scheme of things. In the 4 matches I did manage to play in 1v1 The Grounds gameplay I really noticed the lack of shooting assist for my very unskilled level 1 player. I think this is actually a good thing.

Final Whistle

Locally, I fear EA FC 27 will gain any traction. With no crossplay, a large section of the game (and most of the new additions) requires online play with other players, and currently the community is just too small. Lacking these features, there’s almost no reason to upgrade if you are normally a yearly adopter. And it bums me out that all the positive momentum from last year’s pretty good version seems to have ground to a halt with this new edition.

REVIEW CODE PROVIDED BY: NINTENDO

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