I've played EA Sports FC 26 already and the gameplay is better – I do have one or two concerns though

I am a EA Sports FC addict and FIFA before it. There, I've admitted it.

As each year's game arrives, I head into Ultimate Team saying I won't become as absorbed as before, only to end up to playing at least an hour a day for the next 10 months.

But EA Sports FC 25 proved to be a challenge. I got better at the game for sure, to the extent where I can hold my own against Elite players (or at least, not lose 10-0), but that was through pure will power rather than enjoyment. It was a love-hate relationship.

That's because some of the gameplay in FC 25, for want of a better word, stank. It seemingly favoured those who can more rapidly press and twiddle buttons and thumbsticks the most, rather than the use of tactical knowhow and pitch craft. Oh, and defending – well, that was more skin to the rush and block mechanics of school football than the real thing.

I therefore approached EA Sports FC 26 with trepidation. For starters, I'd like a bit more of my life back, but would also appreciate a game that favours skill over constant pressure. And wouldn't it be great if EA nerfed unpunished tackles from behind that would normally be classed as GBH?

I've since played it for several hours, thanks to an earlier than early access copy provided by EA, and have to say that many things have improved. Just not all.

EA Sports FC 26: what's better?

I've been playing on PS5 and PS5 Pro (having each to hand) and while I know that pro players prefer to use PCs, I've always stuck to PlayStation for each iteration. My history and details are locked to that system.

It does mean that the experience isn't quite as smooth and fluid as on a high-end PC gaming rig, but I expect most FC 26 players will be in the same boat.

The first thing I realised during gameplay is that it seems much faster this time. Usually, switching between generations means you're going from a team of 99 rated stars back to an average of 84 and 85, and that can result in play feeling like your players are running through mud. You're so used to 99 speed for every player, that the plummet can be alarming,

However, this year that's changed. Even my earliest games, before I managed to get rare gold players throughout the team, felt more responsive and quicker. It was seemingly more easy to make the same runs and patterns as in the latter seasons of FC 25, while using the same tactics.

Sadly, finesse shots have been completely squashed, even from players with the play style, but I expect that to be tweaked back closer to previous games in future updates. The community will have its say, no doubt.

But the improvements to dribbling and movement are pronounced. Players really do feel more agile, even on PS5 and with lesser stats. Passing too feels enhanced, with team play rewarded more, I feel. Although I haven't yet experienced much benefit from EA's announced goalkeeper tweaks – they still flap like a freshly caught salmon.

I haven't yet had much of a chance to play through the multiple competitive modes in UT, nor the other single-player game types outside of EA Sports FC's most popular feature. But I appreciate extra content wherever I can find it. Especially if you don't have to pay extra.

EA Sports FC 26: initial concerns

So, I'm definitely a fan of some of the improvements on the pitch. But there are still some issues, I feel.

Toxic behaviour has always been a problem with the series, and even when there were only a few players with early review copies, that is set to continue. While annoying, goal celebrations are part and parcel of normal football and so I tolerate it in moderation. But after every goal in a 7-6 match? Come on.

However, quitting in the first half of a Rivals match just before a goal is about to go in, when the score is still 0-0 is purposefully rude. Last year, EA did change it so a similar "rage quit" would give you the win when drawing, but only when it's during the second half.

Oh, and in-game messaging has rarely been used for anything but abuse – even if it's a restricted, simple response. "Too easy" is too much when repeated over and again.

Still, even the toxicity of some players is a drop in the ocean in comparison with my next complaint – server crashes.

I was plagued by them in FC 25, with their daily occurrence often resulting in losses during tight UT Champs matches. I've already experienced a couple this time too. Of course, this was before the game is released, but it still irks massively. And it only seemed to happen to me when I was winning.

EA SPORTS FC 26 | Official Gameplay Deep Dive - YouTube

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I'll give EA the benefit of the doubt now, but it had better be sorted when the game really starts to flow.

And I also hope that something is done about my biggest in-game bugbears too. The constant press and rear tackling still seem far too easy to pull off. It can make a game feel more like a chore than fun, and although I appreciate that there's a modicum of skill required to pull both off successfully, it's to the detriment of the fast, "competitive gameplay" we've been promised.

Rant over.

EA Sports FC 26: initial conclusion

For all its faults though, my albeit brief experience with EA Sports FC 26 so far has already given me that itch again. I feel like I need to give Ultimate Team (and the other gameplay modes) more of my time to get a better feel for the latest outing.

It certainly seems to play better on the pitch (except when you face the rush and bombardment tactics of some), and I appreciate the extra competitions and challenges that await.

I also welcome the return of relegation in the Rivals mode, which allows players who've sneaked into higher divisions by the skin of their teeth to go back a few steps to play others on an even skill level.

And so I welcome the game once more, even with its flaws and devilments. And considering the series' long-standing track record, numerous title updates might arrive to ease the pain.

As Al Pacino said in The Godfather Part III: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!" Damn.