A strategic blend of football that hits the crossbar

EA, under its gaming ecosystem with the EA Sports FC brand, has already brought changes to its existing games while also bringing new titles. While we have EA Sports FC Mobile and EA Sports FC Tactical, EA Sports FC Empires is another title that is now available for you to download and play. Combining football management with strategy mechanics, this unique blend of gameplay focuses on squad building, tactical decision-making, and infrastructure development. After trying and testing the game for a good number of hours, here’s my detailed review of what makes FC Empires stand out and whether it’s worth your time.

Good gameplay that drifts away from traditional management games

I enjoyed the way FC Empires blends football management with strategy elements. You’re not just building a team; you’re upgrading facilities, managing resources, and making smart tactical decisions. The chapter-based progression is a nice touch. For example, each chapter has a theme, which makes the objectives feel structured and clear. I found this system kept me hooked because there was always a sense of direction.

The progression seems to be really quick, which I enjoyed. You get a clear idea of what’s to be done, and what next to upgrade, and the quick boosts you get also improve the pace of the game. The upgrades are quick, it doesn’t waste much of your time during the initial levels, and the overall setup of this game is catered towards a faster progression.

Matches are a key highlight for me because it isn’t head scratchy or something like that. A little detail of the opponent team traveling by bus for your match is also a nice addition. Simple settings and you are ready. Winning matches isn’t just about your squad’s strength, it unlocks new areas, upgrades, and facilities. It’s satisfying to see my club grow, both in terms of fanbase and performance.

Surprisingly being a game from EA, Graphics isn’t it’s strongest suit

Let’s talk about graphics. Before diving in, I was quite surprised to find the game preset to 30 FPS. It caught me off guard, especially since I use the capable iQOO Neo 7 Pro with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. Thankfully, you can switch up to 60 FPS. While this isn’t a dealbreaker for me, I did feel the gameplay during match simulations could have been smoother.

In my opinion, the game’s design leans toward the weaker side. The icons and visuals feel outdated and could benefit from a modern refresh to elevate the overall experience. Implementing better visual elements would undoubtedly improve the presentation. The player pulls are the same old FC Mobile-type, not any improvements.

One surprising omission is the lack of cutscenes. These could have added more depth and engagement to the gameplay. Additionally, the small visual effects that appear when you tap on the screen don’t feel impactful enough to leave a lasting impression. They’re functional but lack the polish needed to stand out.

Decent UI spoiled by not-so-impressive sound effects

The menus are responsive and easy to navigate, so no real complaints there. The movement and small graphical details are decent enough, though nothing groundbreaking. However, the UI design felt uninspired, it looked like a mix of elements from various games, which might just be because I’ve played so many that everything starts to feel similar.

As for the music, it’s a total miss for me. It never managed to grab my attention or add to the experience. What’s even worse is the menu interaction sound effects, they were harsh and almost unbearable with earphones on. Honestly, this doesn’t feel like a polished EA product; the overall sound experience was far from pleasing.

Don’t bother with the worthless packs and IAPs

Thankfully, finding an ad-free EA game is rare, so that’s a positive here. However, the rest of the monetized content feels pretty worthless. The packs they offer might include some fancy cards, say that Beckham card in the store is tempting, but the overall experience doesn’t feel worth it. Well, progression is good enough if you are a free player so don’t scratch your head about it.

The lack of manual player control in matches is a big letdown, as it leans heavily on simulation. It’s more of a numbers game, just focus on upgrading your team’s OVR and trying your luck with scouts, and you’ll be good to go. Other packs, don’t bother with it, again, not worth your bucks.

FC Empires’ authenticity is its biggest positive

I have played some of its competitors, naming Soccer Manager and Top Eleven: Be A Football Manager, and even the premium title Football Manager, and based on the gameplay side, FC Empires is a notch down. It is a playful take on the football management side, but it needs a lot of work to catch the management side of things.

Still, FC Empires stands out primarily due to EA’s extensive licensing portfolio. The inclusion of authentic leagues, clubs, and official kits is a big win for us. While the game may lag behind in-depth management mechanics compared to FM or SM as the strategy seems to be quickly repetitive after a while, the visual and branding authenticity creates a more engaging environment for casuals.

Final Verdict

Concluding the review, I can say EA Sports FC Empires is a good attempt at merging strategy in football simulation. The game description was my taste because it mixed two of my favorite genres into one. The chapter-based progression system and engaging resource management mechanics are definitely what I liked about this title.

While the menus are smooth and the progression system works well, the outdated visuals, bland UI, and lackluster sound design take away from the overall experience. Monetization is another weak point, with overpriced packs that don’t deliver enough value to justify the cost.

Overall, FC Empires has its moments and could be a fun pick for casual players who enjoy strategy games, but it falls short of delivering the depth and polish expected from an EA title. With updates, sure, there is room for improvement.

What are your opinions on FC Empires and your review of it? Do let us know in the comments!

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