Game guides

FC25, officially known as EA Sports FC 25, is the latest installment in the long-running football simulation series developed by EA Sports. Released in 2024, it is the second game under the EA Sports FC branding, following the rebranding from the FIFA series.

The first FIFA game was released in 1993 and the game has continued to rise in popularity since then, with FIFA 12 becoming the fastest selling sports game of all time with over 3.2 million copies sold in its first week of release.

Microtransactions

Microtransactions in FC25 allow players to purchase in-game currency, known as FC Points, which can be used to buy packs of players or unlock players to use in the game, and acquire other in-game items. These transactions are optional but can enhance the gaming experience by providing quicker access to desirable content. 

The game includes various types of microtransactions:

• Currency Purchases: Buy FC Points to spend on packs of players and in-game items.
• Loot Boxes: Randomised packs of players to use in the game that can contain valuable players and items.
• Seasonal Offers: Limited-time packs and deals that coincide with in-game events.

Special Games

FC25 offers a variety of game modes to cater to different player preferences:

• Career Modes
  • Player Career: Create and manage your own player, guiding them through their career from rookie to superstar.
  • Manager Career: Take control of a football club as a manager, making strategic decisions, handling transfers, and leading the team to glory.

• Online Modes
  • Ultimate Team: Build your dream team by collecting player cards, competing in online matches, and participating in various challenges.
  • Clubs: Create a virtual pro and join a club with friends or other players online, competing in 11v11 matches.
  • Rush: A new 5v5 mode that offers a fast-paced, futsal-like experience, available across multiple game modes.

Good to know

FC25 games speed up the real-time of a football match to make each game more playable. Game times can be altered in the game settings, ranging from 8 minutes to 20 minutes.

For FC25, EA Sports introduced a new Playtime feature which lets you control and customise gaming experience. It can track how much time a player spends playing the game, how many matches they play per week, and how they use FC Points and packs in Ultimate Team. The feature is not automatically enabled, but you can visit the FC 25 website for more information on the feature and how to enable it. 

Call of Duty was first released in 2003 and focussed on historical warfare. Throughout the years, World War 2, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, modern day warfare and future warfare have all featured. The current release in the series is “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6”, which is set during Operation Desert Storm.

As of June 2022, Call of Duty has generated approximately 30 billion USD in lifetime revenues – owing to its status as one of the most popular FPS games of all time.

Microtransactions 

Microtransactions are a key feature of Call of Duty multiplayer. Via the in-game store, players can purchase cosmetic items that can change what their character looks like and customise the style of their weapons. Call of Duty have run partnerships with several big names over the years, from Terminator to Amazon Prime’s ‘The Boys”.

Players can also support their favourite esports teams by donning skins – cosmetic downloads that change the appearance of a character, weapon or other item – that the esports competitors would use. These items are purchased using Call of Duty Points, which can be purchased via the in-game store or online retailers. Prices range from £1.99 to a whopping £99.99.

Warzone 

Warzone is a free-to-play mode in Call of Duty that was first released in the height of Covid. Its popularity continued to grow and fast became one of the biggest battle royale games of all time. Warzone has several esports tournaments every year, where big names will compete with each other to win hundreds of thousands of dollars. The current mode, Warzone 2.0, pits you against 150 players and you must fight to be the last one alive. You can do this solo or team up with 3 squad-mates and fight to the end!

Good to know

Call of Duty is rated PEGI 18, meaning it is suitable only for adults due to its graphic violence, strong language, and mature themes. The game features realistic depictions of war, including blood, gore, and intense combat situations.

Consider alternative games with lower age ratings and less graphic content, such as “Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville” (PEGI 7) for younger gamers.

Roblox is an online platform and game creation system that allows users to play and create games. Its primary purpose is to provide a space where users can design their own games using Roblox Studio and share them with a global community.

Players can explore a wide variety of user-generated games, ranging from role-playing adventures to simulations and obstacle courses. Roblox also incorporates social features, enabling users to chat, make friends, and collaborate on game development.

Roblox, launched in 2006, was initially called DynaBlocks, but it evolved into a platform where users create and play games. Key features include avatar customisation, virtual currency (Robux), and Roblox Studio for game development. Roblox expanded to mobile and consoles between 2012 and 2015.

The platform saw significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, engaging millions of users. In 2022, Roblox rebranded to reflect its evolving identity, continuing to be a popular space for creativity and community interaction. Roblox has been downloaded 905 million times since 2016.

Microtransactions 

With Roblox being free to download, it makes money through the purchasable currency, Robux. Robux can be used to purchase cosmetic items, emotes, weapons (depending on the game) and loot boxes. Robux purchases can range from £4.99 to £199.99.

Players can also subscribe to Roblox Premium, which gives players access to monthly Roblux allowance, exclusive items, premium benefits (like exclusive levels, items, boosters), and discounts on in-game purchases. There are different tiers within Roblox Premium, becoming more expensive the higher the tier.

Good to know

A sizable number of scams relate to Roblox, largely revolving around automated messages promoting scam websites, scam games designed to appear to give out free Robux, and invalid Robux codes. In the Roblox community, there are people known as “beamers” who compromise Roblox accounts to steal and sell their items on black markets. They employ various techniques, such as creating phishing websites or ploys to acquire a victim’s login.

Roblox has also received substantial criticism for the presence of sexually explicit games and imagery within it, both through games and the chat function.

Fortnite is a free-to-play battle royale game, available on all major consoles, PC, and even Android/iPhone devices. Players compete against each other to try and be the final player, or team, left alive to secure a “Victory Royale”.

Fortnite Battle Royale released as a free-to-play mode in 2017. Since then, the game has achieved global fame, securing deals with Marvel, Disney, a variety of other video game characters and even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and YouTuber, Mr Beast. In 2019, Fortnite set a world record as the first battle royale to gain 250 million registered players. As of 2024, Fortnite has approximately 650 million registered players. On average, 1.1 million users play Fortnite each day.

Fortnite Modes 

Fortnite has a number of modes. The standard game mode being Battle Royale. This includes solos, duos, trios and quads. This allows you to play and communicate with other people on your team. Fortnite now has a “discover” page, which displays a whole host of game modes created by members of the Fortnite community. These game modes are developed in “creative mode”. Anybody has access to this, and you can create anything you want within the game’s limits.  

Fortnite also has a competitive mode. Here, anybody can try and compete with players around the world to progress through several divisions to eventually compete for large sums of money. Fortnite has several tournaments (or Cups) within the game, some being hosted every week. There are requirements for each tournament, so it takes a lot of already honed skills to compete. 

Microtransactions

V-Bucks is the in-game currency in Fortnite and can be purchased using real money directly in the game’s store, or online/in-person retailers. V-Bucks can also be earned through the Battle Pass. This currency can be used to purchase characters, weapon skins, vehicle skins and much more. However, these do not affect gameplay in any way and are purely aesthetic. 1000 V-Bucks costs £6.99 while players can buy up to 13,500 V-Bucks which costs £69.99.

Battle Passes or Season Passes are standard in most multiplayer games, but their popularity soared during Fortnite’s early stages. The Battle Pass still exists in Fortnite today and can be purchased using 950 V-Bucks. If the player earns all rewards in the Battle Pass, they will get 1500 V-Bucks in return. However, this requires the player to complete several challenges and commit several hours to playing the game, as the Battle Pass has an expiration until the rewards are “lost forever”.  

Fortnite has also introduced a monthly subscription called “Fortnite Crew”. At £9.99 a month, this gives the user 1000 V-Bucks every month, a skin to use in-game and access to each new Battle Pass. The Fortnite store also has a plethora of cosmetic items to customise your Fortnite experience, from backpacks to pink weapons and multicoloured vehicles.

Good to know

More than 60% of Fortnite players are between 18 and 24 years old. Although many younger users lie about their age to get access to Fortnite. This can be concerning as the open voice and text chat feature expose children to inappropriate language and behavior from other players if not properly monitored.

Grand Theft Auto first arrived in the late 1990s. GTA V is the most recent title, initially released in 2013 for Xbox 360 and PS4. Since then, the game has been re-released for next generation consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series S/X) with better graphics and smoother gameplay. GTA VI is scheduled for release in Autumn 2025.

Rated PEGI 18, Grand Theft Auto V is an open-world, free roam video game. Players can play as set characters in the single-player campaign or create their own character to play online. Campaign and online multiplayer both contain strong adult themes and missions generally centre around criminal activity. GTA Online is incredibly popular due its freedom of choice, ability to play with friends and complete missions together. Experiences from vehicle races, death matches, heists and casino visits are all part of the online game mode.

Microtransactions 

Microtransactions appear throughout GTA Online. Known as ‘shark cards’ these allow players to add funds to their character’s account. For example, spending £59.99 will give you access to the “Megalodon Shark Cash Card” which will give you $10m in-game. This money can be spent on upgrading vehicles, weapons, owning businesses, strip clubs and casino gambling. The Diamond Casino gives players a real-life experience of a casino. Players are presented with a free spin on a roulette wheel every 24 hours, where they can win in-game currency or in-game prizes, like a brand new car. You also have access to casino games: slot machines, roulette, blackjack, poker and many more.

Good to know

The game frequently shows characters using drugs and alcohol, and often shows characters using substances without facing realistic consequences. This lack of negative outcomes can encourage risky behavior, as young players might not fully understand the real-life risks associated with substance use, and may desensitise young people to the real-life consequences.

Minecraft is an endless survival game in which you can craft and build almost anything. With infinite options, creatures to interact with, and ways to play, Minecraft continues to be one of the most popular games of all time.

Minecraft first launched in 2011 and was purchased by Microsoft in 2014 for $2.5bn. Since then, there have been several installments into the Minecraft universe. Minecraft: Story Mode, Minecraft Dungeons and recently released Minecraft Legends. Each version of these games moves away from the traditional survival game but still has several elements that enable it to have the Minecraft title.

Microtransactions 

Minecraft offers various microtransactions, primarily through the Minecraft Marketplace.

1. Minecoins: The in-game currency used to buy items in the Marketplace. Players can purchase Minecoins with real money.
2. Skins: Custom appearances for your character. These can range from simple outfits to elaborate costumes.
3. Texture Packs: These change the appearance of the game’s blocks and items, giving the game a new look and feel.
4. Worlds: Pre-built worlds created by other players or developers. These can include adventure maps, mini-games, and themed environments.
5. Mash-Up Packs: Bundles that include skins, texture packs, and worlds, often themed around popular franchises or concepts.
6. Add-Ons: Modifications that change gameplay mechanics, add new items, or alter the game environment.

It’s worth noting that all of the above microtransactions are optional and primarily cosmetic, meaning they do not affect gameplay or offer any game advancements.

Good to know

Minecraft encourages problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. It can help develop skills in areas like maths, engineering, and computer science. In 2016, Minecraft: Education Edition was launched and is commonly used in schools to teach various subjects through interactive lessons, making lessons more engaging.