The latest EA FC 25 gameplay refresh features groundbreaking updates that the EA FC 25 community has been screaming out for, and it has created the best EA Sports FC gameplay experience to date.

Since 's release last year, has come under fire for its FC 25 gameplay, with the latest instalment receiving some of the for an EA Sports title. Despite a copious amount of large updates being made, the game just never seemed to improve, and with the new football game releasing at the end of last year, for the first time in a long time, EA Sports FC's spot at the top of the football gaming scene didn't seem so secure.

But, with the now live in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team, EA has released a huge , improving some huge gameplay aspects that the community has been asking for since its release. The update featured over 50 gameplay changes, and our first impressions are that, for once, the update seems to have made a big difference in-game – and it's for the better.

From slicker attacking moves to smarter defensive AI, EA FC 25 is now in the best state it's ever been in – in fact, this could be the best gameplay we've had so far in the EA Sports FC era. This is our EA FC 25 gameplay refresh review.

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One factor of EA FC 25 gameplay that I've found horrible since day one was the passing. Yes, it may have been more realistic to have slower and less accurate passing, but at the end of the day, you want a video game to be fun, and the slow, bouncy passing was not fun. In the patch notes, EA claimed that they wanted to reward intelligent and quick-thinking passing plays, and from my first taste of EA FC 25 following the update, that is exactly the case.

I could easily zip the ball around with quick first-time passes way more accurately than before, resulting in some very slick and satisfying passing moves in-game. For the first time, it didn't feel like I needed all my players to be equipped with passing PlayStyles to complete simple commands, and overall, it made the game so much more fun to play.

But, at the same time, one of the standout players I used post-update was Pedri, with the Spaniard running the show with his Tiki Taka PlayStyle Plus. The passing in EA FC 25 now feels how it should do – every player can complete simple quick passes, while the players with passing PlayStyles and better stats can complete the more ambitious passes more often.

Despite passing being so poor prior to the update, first-time lofted through passes were one of the most meta ways to score goals. However, it got to a point where players were able to make impossible passes to break through on goal, and it became a bit unfair. EA claimed that the latest update would significantly reduce the effectiveness of first-time lofted through passes, but this hasn't been the case.

Top of the patch notes, which I can only assume was because it's the most important to EA, was how the update has stopped defenders from catching up to players with pace. Too often, a defender with 60 pace was catching up to players with pace in the mid-90s, but this has been completely patched.

Now, players like Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe are quick again, and with no defenders able to catch them, it makes them even more overpowered than before – though this is how it should be. Rapid and Quick Step PlayStyles are now some of the most important in the game – if you have these on your wingers, you will rarely get caught.

And, after being , it seems that speed boosts are back – with the difference in pace now much bigger than before, it's easy to speed away from your opponents. Another PlayStyle I found extremely effective was Techincal, which goes hand-in-hand with the pace improvements.

EA aimed to improve the offensive positioning and attacking support that the AI offered, and the attacking AI feels much smarter following the update, with my forwards making better runs and also monitoring the defensive line more regularly to ensure they stay onside. A hope, or fear, depending on how often you used them, was that the Finesse Shot PlayStyle would be nerfed in the latest Title Update, but EA has made a great change, and rather than nerfing the PlayStyle, they have just improved finesse shots in general.

Now, you don't need to have the PlayStyle to have a chance of scoring finesse shots, especially in the box. But, having the luxury of a Finesse Shot PlayStyle just improves the likelihood of scoring, just how PlayStyles should work.

Defending-wise, EA loosened how strong the defensive AI was when it came to interceptions, which has once again made the game more fun for the attacker, but the biggest defensive difference I've felt was that if you have a defender with the Anticipate PlayStyle, no one is beating you one-on-one. In the hours I've played following the update, I can't remember my William Saliba being beaten in a one-on-one situation, and that's because Anticipate has retaken its thrown as the best defensive PlayStyle in the game.

This comes from an update on tacklebacks, or bouncebacks, as it's known in the FC community, with EA ensuring that players with the Anticipate PlayStyle will tackle the ball towards a teammate, rather than into the opposition which could see the ball bounce back to the attacker.

I also felt a big improvement in goalkeepers. EA claimed that 'keeper's will get better when defending the near post, but I found that in one-on-one situations, goalkeepers were much stronger when rushing off their line and smothering the ball.

I also dived into Rush to see if these gameplay updates had made much of a difference to the 5-a-side mode, but in all honesty, it felt exactly the same. I don't mind this though, as I was a big fan of Rush anyway – the only difference, and a positive one, is that passing feels better.

Overall, EA has turned EA FC 25 into the game we all expected and wanted it to be following the latest gameplay refresh, with the publisher listening to the community feedback to finally ensure an enjoyable gameplay experience. The improvement in passing and the AI were the biggest differences I noticed, and it's drawn me right back in ahead of what looks set to be a great TOTY promo.