Save for a brief period in which Pro Evolution Soccer looked like it might be starting to gain the upper hand over its bitter rival, EA’s FIFA franchise (now EA Sports FC) has had very little competition for the title of best football simulation series since its debut in the mid-nineties. That could all be about to change though with the launch of UFL: a free-to-play football game in which players assemble their own team.
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Developed by Strikerz inc and funded by footballing icon Cristiano Ronaldo, UFL gets an awful lot of things right, but is it the fabled FIFA killer (or EA FC killer) that football fans have been waiting for over the past few decades? The following guide will compare the two franchises in a number of key areas to determine whether UFL is better than EA FC 25, as well as where the former could look to improve in the months and years following its release.
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Gameplay Comparison
The controls for UFL are more or less the same as the ones for EA FC 25, and the graphics are equally impressive. However, there are a few key gameplay differences that really hold the former back. For starters, pass assist can sometimes have a hard time figuring out who the player is trying to pass to, which can often lead to turnovers in possession. Even if players are trying to pass to somebody right next to them and tap the button as gently as possible, the player they’re controlling will often try a ridiculous crossfield pass to a random player instead. Turning with the ball can feel awkward too, and pace and acceleration stats seem to be ignored a lot of the time.
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There’s also a weird quirk where players will continue their runs long after possession has changed hands. There’ll be times when players will try to pass the ball out to one of their wingers after regaining possession only to find that he’s miles offside because of a run they asked him to make thirty seconds earlier. This doesn’t happen anywhere near as often as some of the aforementioned issues, but it can be every bit as frustrating when it does. For these reasons and more, EA FC 25‘s gameplay is not only more realistic than UFC‘s but also a lot more fun.
Game Modes Comparison
As of the time of writing, UFL only really has one game mode, which is effectively just a stripped-back version of EA FC‘s Ultimate Team game mode. Players can play standalone local matches if they like, and there’s a basic training mode as well, but those hoping to find things like tournaments and manager modes will be left sorely disappointed, as there’s none of that here. Comparing the two games side by side, UFL offers a lot less variety than EA FC 25.
Licensing Comparison
There are only five licensed teams in UFL; these being AS Monaco, FC Porto, PSV Eindhoven, Besiktas, and Shakhtar Donetsk. There are 24 other teams made up of random players, but none of these resemble any real-world football teams when it comes to club names, kits, and stadiums. As mentioned above, UFL players will mainly be using the club that they’ve assembled rather than one of these pre-built teams, but for those who like their football games to have an air of authenticity about them, EA FC 25 is streets ahead of UFL when it comes to licensing.
Monetization Comparison
Although there are ways to earn small amounts of in-game currency just by playing the game, UFL is about as pay-to-win as they come. Rather than getting new players from packs or buying them from other players, UFL allows players to buy them using Credit Points, which can be purchased using real-world money. Players like Bellingham, Messi, and Ronaldo cost around 180 million CP, which works out to around $28 if players splash out on the most expensive CP pack. This may seem like a lot, but compared to the Ultimate Team mode in EA FC 25, building a team of the eleven best players in the world would be significantly cheaper in UFL.
The Final Verdict (Is UFL Better Than EA FC 25?)
As things stand, EA FC 25 is a better game than UFL in just about every measurable way. However, the competition is a lot closer than it has any right to be. For a newcomer to the genre, UFL gets a lot of things right, and with a couple of gameplay tweaks and a few more game modes, it could provide some serious competition to the EA FC franchise. It may already prove to be a better option for free-to-play players just by virtue of it actually being free to play, although given that players will probably need to spend money to build themselves a competitive team, those just looking for a solid football game rather than an Ultimate Team-style experience may well be better off with eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer.
- Released
- December 5, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Strikerz Inc
- Publisher(s)
- Strikerz Inc
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