EA Sports FC 27 changes its defence: the AI now provides less assistance
We tried out the simulator for the most popular football game, which was released on 25 September. In short, FC 27 attempts to improve the gameplay, but it still suffers from the series’ long-standing flaws.
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The most significant new feature in EA Sports FC 27 – and this is good news – will involve relearning how to defend properly. Following FC 26, which was modified several times via patches and met with criticism from the community, Electronic Arts is attempting to put the ball – and, above all, the responsibility – back in the player’s hands. In competitive gameplay, the artificial intelligence intervenes less. The defensive line holds its position but does not automatically press the player with the ball. So it’s best not to try and be clever by waiting for your computer-controlled teammates to put the attackers under pressure. With the new ‘FIFA’, you need to choose your defender, read the pass and intervene at just the right moment. Just like in the old days.
To compensate for the reduction in assists, FC 27 improves interceptions, tackles and defensive positioning. After a well-executed interception, it is easier to retain possession, whilst tackles cover a larger area. Shoulder charges, on the other hand, have been toned down: it is no longer enough to chase down an attacker and press a button to magically win the ball back from behind. The system feels more technical, but also much more punishing. A single mistake can leave the goal wide open. It strikes us as a more technical and rewarding solution, but also a more challenging one.
During our playtest – we played for less than twenty hours – the game feels less precise, more physical and less arcade-like. Tactics take on greater importance. The new system allows you to adjust the team’s formation, roles and behaviour at different stages of the match.
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Not everything has improved: the goalkeepers are slow to react to low shots and are too vulnerable at the near post. The result is high-scoring matches, in which the greater defensive challenges are compounded by unreliable defenders.
The weighting of players’ attributes has also changed. PlayStyles – the special abilities that, in recent instalments, heavily influenced the effectiveness of shots on goal – now carry less weight. Traditional statistics are once again more significant: a striker with high finishing and power ratings can still score even without possessing the most suitable shooting style.
