FIFA 13 review

EA Sports has an unenviable task. How do you improve upon a game franchise that gets praised every year by fans and critics for being the 'best yet' or the 'most realistic portrayal of a football game ever'? To some extent, you don't. You keep addressing the minor issues the previous versions faced and continue to satisfy the millions of fans that lap up your product every September. But once again EA has managed to create another fantastic football title through the addition of new elements and modes combined with the solid gameplay we've come to expect from the series. 

This is definitely a case of evolution instead of revolution, Regular players will recognise the game as the same FIFA they've known and loved for the past year, but there are enough added features to freshen things up a bit. The most notable is a new first-touch control system; passes are much harder to control this time around. My first encounter with the new system came early in a match when I threaded a beautifully weighted through-ball into my player’s feet for him to take in his stride and score an excellent goal. Only, he didn't take it in his stride at all. His touch was too heavy and the ball rolled harmlessly into the goalkeepers hands.

As frustrating it can get - and it can get very frustrating - the new system does make for a more realistic simulation of what would happen in real life. In a real game, players can't simply take 50-yard passes on the run with ease, a lot of the time they struggle to get the ball on the ground and moving again. FIFA 13 does a good job at reflecting that battle to tame the ball, and there are many different outcomes. Sometimes the ball will pop up off your foot onto your knee and out of play, provoking a sigh of irritation. Other times it can be headed down quickly and away from your opponent, ready for you to start another attack. It's all about mastering the system.

To ease the pain of harder ball control EA has made changes to the player impact system. Bigger players can use their physical advantages more effectively this year and blocking off smaller players is easier. You'll have to be careful not to get too physical though as the referee will blow the whistle for what he deems to be unnecessary force. I gave away a fair few penalties finding that one out.

Tactical defending makes a return but it's largely unchanged from last year. Holding down a button will stop your player from rushing in on an opponent and keep a healthy distance away to contain him instead. This helps in one of two ways; simply stopping a player making progress to your goal and holding him up increases the chances of your teammates getting back behind the ball to form a better defensive unit. Also, when rushing in on players it is likely they will just use a bit of skillful dribbling to get round you and after they do that it is very hard to catch them.

Speaking of dribbling, FIFA 13 has borrowed elements of FIFA Street this year. Holding down the left trigger will slow your player down so he has more control over the ball, you can then start flicking the right stick in various ways to pull off different skill moves as you attempt to create some space. It takes a while to get used to the different skills and the movement that triggers them but it is definitely worth it as it allows you to gain a vital advantage over the opposition when done right.

Getting away from defenders isn't the only challenge in FIFA 13. Opposing strikers now have a greater level of intelligence and they are a lot harder to tackle successfully. The runs they make are tougher to track as well, so one wrong decision could easily lead to a goal. My defence was cut open many times as several players made different runs towards my box and I struggled to keep up.

Stepping away from the on-pitch action there is an enhanced Manager Mode with plenty of depth to keep fans interested for a while. Transfer markets have been changed so that factors such as age and form will have an impact on player prices. Managers might even have to tell a potential player that he is central to future plans to make a deal happen. Go back on your promise of giving him first team football and his form and performances will dip.

You can finally take charge of international teams as well. Lesser-known teams will offer you a chance at the big stage at the start of your career and if you build up some momentum it won't be long until you're managing the giants of the game.

Skill Games have been added this year and you'll find that they will take up a lot more of your time than you expected. There are different sets of challenges for things like passing, shooting, crossing and more for you to attempt. These range from hitting targets that are in goals to crossing balls into buckets. It sounds trivial but bettering your score and unlocking a harder set of challenges becomes a very addictive task.

Another new inclusion is the excellent Matchday Experience. This takes players real-world form into consideration and alters their stats accordingly. So, Lionel Messi is improved thanks to the great start he has made to this season. And most of the Liverpool players, well, let's just say playing with them might have been made a touch more difficult. Commentary is also made to match up with what's happening in real life so expect lots of talk about how certain strikers are in or out form.

As usual there is a large selection of leagues and teams to choose from when picking who to play as. The Saudi Professional League has been added for the first time in FIFA history with 14 licensed teams, so fans can play as the likes of reigning champions Al-Shabab or last season's runners-up Al-Ahli. The King Fahd International Stadium has also been added to the list of real stadiums available to play in. Unfortunately Saudi Arabia hasn’t been added to the 46 playable national teams. 

So overall it's an improved game over last year, with minor tweaks and additions adding just enough to the experience to satisfy hardcore fans. While some may complain that not enough has been added to justify a years worth of development, they'd really just be nitpicking. FIFA 13 is a superb game that any football fan will gladly have in their collection for the next 12 months.