> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thenaijanerds.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # FC 27 Review: Better gameplay makes up for a few frustrating changes - URL: https://www.thenaijanerds.com/fc-27-review/ - Published: 2026-10-09T15:23:22.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-10T09:39:37.000Z - Description: When Lamine Yamal gets going, he's simply unplayable in this game - Author: Isa Muhammad - Tags: Game Reviews, FC I had my doubts about whipping out $70 to pay for a new FC title that I assumed was going to be simply a squad update without any major changes to the gameplay itself. But I did. And after spending over 30 hours in FC 27 in less than a month since its launch, it's safe to say I was wrong. Or rather, my inner doubts were misplaced. FC 27 is the latest instalment in the iconic FC (formerly FIFA) football game franchise from Electronic Arts. There's quite a lot to talk about with this one, and I'm finding it hard to even pick a starting point, but let's get into the things I like about the game, shall we? ### The things I like There's a lot to like, but first of all, the gameplay. I haven't seen many reviews talking about the gameplay, although it's not like I've read a ton either. Just one, I believe. But a lot has improved here. **A promise kept?** I remember when EA released that FC 26 trailer showing how much they had listened to players and implemented plenty of feedback into the gameplay. Well, that didn't happen. At least not in the FC 26 game I bought and played. However, EA has kept that promise in FC 27, at least for the most of it. Whenever I look back at the best FIFA games I've played on console, FIFA 23 always tops my list, followed by FIFA 19\. FC 25 and FC 26 don't even make the list because I've gotten more enjoyment out of the 30 hours I've spent in FC 27 than the over 250 hours I spent in FC 26. So, here's my updated ranking of the best FC/FIFA games: FIFA 23 (1st), FIFA 19 (2nd) and FC 27 (3rd). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/58/c1583162-4fd3-4b9d-b1a7-e63fea63b59f/content/images/2026/10/Captured-by-The-Naija-Nerds---PS5--1-.jpg) **Captured by The Naija Nerds - PS5* In all my time with FC 26, I didn't score a free kick. Not once. The controls were messed up, and there was a ton about the game that simply didn't do it for me and I mostly just tolerated it. It hasn't even been a month since FC 27 came out, and I've scored about five free kicks so far, hehe. It's not because it's easy, but because it's actually possible when done right. In FC 26, even when I did everything right, the ball would just go sky-high. In the end, I stopped attempting to score direct free kicks in that game. So far, in my 30+ hours of playtime, I've played a ton of friendly matches, Ultimate Team, but mostly Manager Mode. If you're looking to understand how the new Grounds Mode works, I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere because I've only spent about 15 minutes there and played one 3v3 game. It was okay, I suppose, but it's not my jam. I still prefer the old Squad Battles to it. **Manager Mode revamp** I wasn't fortunate enough to play FIFA 14 on PC or console when it first came out, but I did play it on mobile. If I were ranking mobile FIFA titles alongside their console counterparts, FIFA 14 would take the crown. Why? Because the best thing about it for me back then was Manager Mode. I had grown up playing Master League in Pro Evolution Soccer, and FIFA 14 was the first game that introduced me to Manager Mode, a similar feature on a completely different title. It was such a game-changer for my young teenage self. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/58/c1583162-4fd3-4b9d-b1a7-e63fea63b59f/content/images/2026/10/1a12147db7566-screenshotUrl-1.jpg) **Captured by The Naija Nerds - PS5* I enjoyed Manager Mode in FIFA 23 and the later releases, but I got tired of them pretty quickly. I rarely felt the need to keep playing after completing one season. But then I read a review (can't recall which) that said EA had made plenty of changes to Manager Mode in FC, and I was sold. Whoever said reviews no longer convince people to buy stuff was wrong. I'm glad I decided to get it because Manager Mode in FC 27 is much better than what we've had over the past couple of years. I think it's the best Manager Mode since FIFA 23\. I make this claim because I didn't get a chance to play FIFA 20, 21 and 22, so I can't write about the experiences those games offered, only the ones I've had with the games I've played. It still looks and feels like the Manager Mode from previous FC games, but it looks different at the same time. In FC 27, there are no more cutscenes for transfer negotiations where you sit with the player and their agent to discuss terms. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/58/c1583162-4fd3-4b9d-b1a7-e63fea63b59f/content/images/2026/10/Captured-by-The-Naija-Nerds---PS5.jpg) **Captured by The Naija Nerds - PS5* The interface in Squad Hub now shows a close-up preview of each player, and the facial resemblance is spot on, as always with EA and its obsession with realism. It's a lot of small changes that are hard to explain to someone who hasn't played the game, but together, they make Manager Mode more enjoyable than it has been in years. **And the players themselves!** Kylian Mbappe is the face of the game this year, but when you play with Spain or FC Barcelona, Lamine Yamal is described by the commentators as "the greatest talent in football today". I laughed the first time I heard that because praise like that usually goes to the player on the cover, but I digress. As for the players themselves, there's a massive improvement in how much key players affect a team's overall performance. Yamal, from what I've seen so far, is truly the best player in FC 27 (sorry, Olise). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/58/c1583162-4fd3-4b9d-b1a7-e63fea63b59f/content/images/2026/10/EA-FC-27-Mbappe.jpg) I came to this conclusion because whenever I buy a new FC game, one of the things I look forward to more than anything else is playing the UCL tournament on Legendary difficulty and attempting to win it without restarting or replaying any match. If I lose or get knocked out while using a particular team, I just start all over with a different team. I tried many times with many teams in FIFA 23 before eventually winning with Paris Saint-Germain. I think I won with Man City in FC 25 and then Real Madrid in FC 26, but those victories came after several failures. In FC 27, my first attempt was with Bayern Munich, and I got knocked out in the group stages. That was another moment when I realised how different the gameplay feels this year. My second attempt was with FC Barcelona. Even though they didn't win all their group games, they made it to the UCL final against Arsenal, where we lost to the Gunners on penalties. Quite frankly, FCB would have won if I hadn't played around during the last couple of minutes when I had the lead. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/58/c1583162-4fd3-4b9d-b1a7-e63fea63b59f/content/images/2026/10/lamine-yamal-fc27-manager-mode-1.jpg) **Captured by The Naija Nerds - PS5* Yamal is for Barca what I hoped Olise would be for Bayern throughout my UCL campaign in FC27\. Admittedly, though, I enjoyed using Olise in FC 26 more than I do here. Yamal also wasn't as good in FC 26 as he is here. Players like Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi only make that Barca team even better. I've been playing with them in Manager Mode, and I haven't felt the need to sign anyone because the team is just so effective. When Yamal gets going, he's simply unplayable in FC 27\. It's his pace, dribbling and ability to hold on to the ball without losing possession that make him so dangerous. I'm still pretty early into it and looking forward to starting another UCL campaign with PSG, perhaps, or giving Bayern another chance. There are plenty more things I like about the game, and it'll be hard to list them all. But for now, let's move on to the stuff I don't like. ### The things I didn't like They've made corners dreadful. In previous FIFA games, taking corners was simple: I crossed the ball, directed my header, and either tapped it in or missed. This time, they've made corners a bit more realistic. I guess that adds to the need for more realism among many players, but for those who just want a simple gaming experience, there should be an option to turn it off and let corners work as they always have. Right now, both scoring from a corner and defending one are a pain, so I just end up taking short corners most of the time. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/58/c1583162-4fd3-4b9d-b1a7-e63fea63b59f/content/images/2026/10/Captured-by-The-Naija-Nerds---PS5--2-.jpg) **Captured by The Naija Nerds - PS5* The difficulty spike still exists! Have you ever set a match or competition to Legendary difficulty and noticed that, at the start of certain matches, the AI team suddenly moves as though you're playing with Competitor Mode turned on? That's a difficulty spike that often occurs in the game. It's been there for years, and it still is, especially when playing against smaller teams. I'm currently playing Manager Mode with Barcelona on Ultimate difficulty. Even though I sometimes struggle to beat bigger teams like Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in LaLiga, annoyingly I end up losing to weaker teams like Elche or Deportivo. In some of those matches, it feels as though my players have been nerfed, only for them to suddenly become stronger in the next game. Not cool, EA. ### **Verdict** I didn't talk about Ultimate Team much in this review because, for a lot of people, it sits outside the standard gameplay experience available to them, especially if they're not PlayStation Plus subscribers. But I have been playing UT, and while there aren't a ton of events just yet, the gameplay and squad building have been fun so far. Still, Manager Mode is what I've been playing a ton lately. So far, I've enjoyed my time with FC 27\. I've experienced my fair share of rage and excitement with EA's FC games, and I'm happy to say that with the right team, a good gameplay strategy and a key player or two to rely on when everything else fails, you'll experience mostly excitement with FC 27.