EA Sports FC 27 Review: Tactical Innovation Undermined by Persistent CPU Flaws

EA Sports FC 27 has landed, and a comprehensive review paints the title as a game caught between two competing directions. Praising its expanded Tactics system, revamped passing and crossing, and a substantially deeper Career Mode, the assessment also flags persistent CPU pathing problems, recurring technical instability, and an open-world hub called The Grounds that critics argue solves a problem that never existed. Published by IGN after a full week of play, the review concludes that meaningful innovation is repeatedly undercut by long-standing issues, leaving the soccer itself enjoyable while the series struggles to find the right balance between ambition and a core game that simply works.

At the heart of the criticism is the tension between what the game delivers and what it promises. The reviewer notes that worthwhile strategic elements have finally been added to reflect real-world tactics in a concise, intuitive way, yet the long-awaited improvements to the behavior and pathing of computer-controlled players still “ring hollow,” carrying over many of the same problems the series has faced for over a decade. Couple that with the introduction of open-world elements via The Grounds, and the result is yet another year where nearly positive change is balanced out by a negative one.

A Tactical System That Finally Makes Sense

When it comes to gameplay, FC 27’s expanded Tactics system is described as the standout addition, complementing the playstyles and roles introduced over recent years by improving strategy, movement, passing, and crossing. Players now have more control over how teams behave across different phases of play, going beyond basic formations and instructions to understand the purpose, strengths, and weaknesses of different tactical approaches. This flexibility proves particularly useful when building around individual player attributes, with the reviewer citing Noussair Mazraoui’s patient style and the ability to switch formations mid-match to exploit space along the wings.

“FC 27 does a good job explaining why different shapes work, which players suit them, and how to adjust them against different opponents, making the tactical aspect of the sport approachable while still leaving experienced players plenty of room to experiment.”

Reviewer, IGN

What makes the system valuable, the assessment argues, is that it teaches the strategy behind soccer formations without overwhelming players with unnecessary information. This is reinforced by revamped passing, which now emphasizes manual controls for grounded and lobbed passes, giving players greater control over ball placement and taking advantage of new curved runs. Yet, while excellent in theory, these movements can feel like they work against the game’s own computer-controlled behavior, with pathing and defensive logic still breaking down on higher difficulties.

The Grounds: An Open World That Never Needed to Exist

After hours of exploring The Grounds, the reviewer concluded that FC 27 did not need an open-world environment to deliver a more communal online mode. “I don’t need to run through a visually saturated, low-resolution city populated by lifeless NPCs just to find a game mode to start up when simple menus devoted to the same function can do that in a more efficient manner,” the critic wrote. While the hub works well as an active matchmaking lobby, the framerate drops and unnatural character animations leave nothing immersive enough to justify its existence.

The frustration is compounded by unskippable cutscenes and voice acting the reviewer compares to NBA 2K15-level quality. The enthusiasm initially sparked by the hub — which brings back Alex Hunter, a beloved character from The Journey story mode — evaporated quickly once Hunter began speaking, with his delivery feeling noticeably more rigid and detached than in his original appearances. As the accompanying screenshots show, the hub’s visual polish simply does not match the ambition of its concept.

Technical Instability and Career Mode Progress

The frustration is only compounded by the constant connection issues and errors that still plague the multiplayer community. From disconnects to server lag, the reviewer was kicked from or forced to leave more games than they could count in their first full week, with one match featuring a bizarre glitch where an opponent’s goalkeeper floated up the pitch with the ball before being sent back to his home planet. The reviewer even used the skill trainer to confirm the passing bugs were real, watching the directional bar snap back toward the nearest defender in the opposite direction of the intended aim.

On the brighter side, Ultimate Team makes player upgrades much more flexible, adding options to choose between different paths at key stages, while Career Mode has received meaningful upgrades, especially in the transfer market, which now features staged negotiations, installments, bidding wars, and rival clubs attempting to hijack deals. Player development is also more dynamic, with form, fitness, and morale affecting ratings throughout the season, and CPU-controlled clubs finally manage finances and recruitment around their tactical needs.

Looking Ahead

Ultimately, EA Sports FC 27 is a game caught between two competing directions. The revamped passing and crossing, deeper Career Mode systems, and greater emphasis on strategy give players more meaningful control and reflect the improvements hoped for to build on the series’ strongest foundations. At the same time, those improvements are repeatedly undermined by inconsistent CPU behavior, lingering defensive issues, technical problems, slow menus, and an open-world hub disconnected from what players actually want from their virtual soccer experience. As the series moves past 30 annual entries, the verdict is clear: while the soccer itself is enjoyable, EA Sports is still searching for the right balance between innovation and making the core game work the way it should.