AFL 26 is here, and we’ve been digging in on launch day to see how it measures up. We were there in the dark times of the AFL 23 launch, but developer Big Ant Studios spent the next couple of years upgrading the game into something much more playable. With a more solid foundation to work from, have they kicked this release through the big sticks? Or is this out of bounds on the full?
FULL AFL 26 REVIEW: Review | AFL 26: ‘Climbing The Ladder’ (PlayStation 5)
Here’s the first five things we noticed playing AFL 26.
1. AFL 26 Is Playable!
It’s with a sigh of relief that I can say this is an objectively functional video game. While that should go without saying, the AFL 23 launch often bordered on unplayable. I experienced frequent crashes, visual glitches and borderline non-existent CPU opposition.
While there continues to be some of the jank you’d associate with a lower-budgeted niche sports game, this feels like a complete retail product.
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Now I should clarify that I’m playing on a PlayStation 5. I’ve seen reports that the Xbox version may be missing its day one patch, meaning certain features are missing. I can’t speak to this personally, but it sounds like an update to address this will release in the coming days.
2. Bigger Gameplay Changes Than I Expected
I really ramped up my time with AFL 23 after the announcement of this year’s installment. I’d played it throughout its lifespan and the game changed quite a bit along that journey. To that end, I was expecting AFL 26 to be a slight adjustment on where AFL 23 ended up.
My initial impression of the gameplay in AFL 26 is that it’s quite a big shift, and I’m coming to terms with having to break old habits. The movement is slower paced and there’s a lot more opportunity to plan out your next move. But my first takeaway was that the controls would feel like they’re fighting with my inputs. I often didn’t feel like what I was attempting was playing out on screen.
I have to imagine this is just me needing to adjust to the new game and understand the mechanics better. We’ll see where I land over the weekend. There are also plenty of settings to change how the controls work. One of them changes whether your input before you take possession should be acted upon, which is a significant variable. I’m keen to tinker with these further.
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I really like the new set shot mechanic, feeling immediately intuitive and producing what seem like realistic results. And while I like the intention behind the changes in marking, I’m struggling with it in practice. I was never a fan of the marking in AFL 23 and in this entry, I understand what I’m meant to be doing more. But I struggle to get my players into position as well as hitting the necessary timing. I’ll need to keep practicing to discover if it clicks better over time.
There’s other smaller additions, such as a reworked injury system, improved tactics and more prominent stamina impacts. I’m surprised with how different this feels at first, and I’m keen to get the hang of things.
3. AFL 26 Game Modes Are Much More Rewarding
Arguably, the most exciting additions to AFL 26 are the brand-new Player Career mode and the greatly expanded Management Career mode. Both offer a level of replayability that the previous game sorely lacked.
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In Player Career, you create your own player and guide their rise through the ranks, starting in the U18’s and hopefully leading them to personal glory. There’s quite a bit of depth to the player creation and you can choose whether you want to control only your player or the entire team. These modes don’t often appeal to me personally. My initial experience hasn’t changed my mind on that, but when you do pull off a play that helps your team, it’s a pretty satisfying feeling.
For me personally, I’m thrilled that the Management Career has been more fleshed out. The AFL 23 equivalent was a drag, feeling like a bunch of games loosely strung together with minimal consequences. AFL 26 gives far more control over the finances and scheduling as well as having clear objectives to target. Whether this actually has a noticeable impact on the gameplay remains to be seen, and this is likely where I’ll spend the bulk of my time during the review process.
4. Presentation Is A Mixed Bag
The look of the game is overall very similar to AFL 23, but there are small improvements here and there. There’s more information on-screen, so that you have a better sense of what’s happening. Some examples are the name of the goalkicker after a goal, objective updates and more detailed injury information.
The graphics are pretty similar, but there’s new cut-scenes and the broadcast graphics have all received a minor clean up. In fact, the old-school style of scoreboard feels like a nice bit of nostalgia given the hubbub over the TV graphics earlier this year.
Unfortunately, the commentary appears to be largely the same stiff offering we got last time. There’s some extra lines, but they’re already grating on me. If I hear “Whatever he’s suffering from, it’s not leather poisoning” one more time, it’s copping the mute button.
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5. I’m Going To Hate Playing As The Eagles
My beloved West Coast Eagles are rated at a lowly 82. This ranks them equal lowest in the competition and none of the players feel enjoyable to play as. This aspect might be the most authentic representation of AFL in the entire game.
We’ll be playing all weekend long as we work on our full review of AFL 26. If there’s anything you’d like to see in the review or you want to share your thoughts on it so far, leave us on a comment on our socials.
AFL 26 is now available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and Steam, with a Switch 2 release expected in the future.
