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| FIFA 16 returns on Xbox, PlayStation and PC platforms |
FIFA 16 burst onto the scene with a hail of publicity aided by high-profile tweets from a number of the game's top stars.
And boy, it's good to have it back.
It's hard to know why I, and millions of other football fans across the world, get so excited about the release of a new game that is, let's face it, basically the same thing year on year.
But we do and FIFA is back with it's usual raft of tweaks designed to keep the game moving forward as well as the usual staple of fan favourites.
FIFA 16 Ultimate Team, career and manager mode, online pro clubs, challenges and team of the week features are all back for more. There is a brand new FIFA Trainer guide to help newbies learn the ropes, but it is also useful for experienced players looking to take their skills to the next level.
The first, and probably most impressive, thing you notice is the graphics. This is always the area where FIFA has wiped the floor with Pro Evo and built its reputation as the No.1 football game on the planet.
Gradual improvement has been replaced by a huge leap forward and advanced face-mapping technology really bares fruit in the 2016 version of the franchise.
The star players do genuinely look like their real-life counterparts now and are, frankly, a work of art.
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| FIFA 16 continues to deliver the same quality footballing experience |
The hugely popular - and massively lucrative - Ultimate Team has had a few tweaks but it is still guaranteed to deliver plenty of controller-slamming moments.
EA Sports have worked hard on improving the all-round gameplay and it's paying off as the game gradually becomes tougher.
For example, the first two goals I conceded on Ultimate Team were down to me assuming my player (I'm blaming you, Phil Jagielka) would simply hoover up the ball that was coming towards him and I'd be able to launch a swift counter-attack.
In fact he carried on running in a straight line, the ball went past him and the forward was through on goal. Twice. In the same game. Welcome to FIFA 16.
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| FIFA 16 is out now |
It's a steep learning curve and the reduced level of AI involved when controlling a player means the days of lazy defending - and attacking - are long gone. I lost count of the number of penalties I gave away early on by assuming that charging at the man with the ball would mean I would simply come away with it.
That isn't to say the general level of AI has decreased. Far from it. Across all other areas of the game the computer has become smarter and will make moves to cut off your attacks by holding their position or closing down space in a much-more realistic manner.
FIFA 16 feels like more of a chess match and has moved closer to the real thing in that sense. The art of goalscoring has become harder to perfect and hitting the back of the net feels more precious. Goals change games and if you give one away, a quick change in tactics from the opposition can mean you're in big trouble. And all of that is very much a good thing.
There will be those who complain because you can no longer breeze past defenders and rely solely on pace. I am certainly not one of them. It's more about the skill of the player picking the right pass, the right touch, shot or cross at the right time.
I was never a fan of the FIFAs where speed was king. Obviously it is still a useful tool but the playing field has been levelled and it's the small margins which now win games.
And it's that which will provide the edge-of-the-sofa tension and smashed controllers across the globe for another 12 months.
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