FIFA 16

When all was said and done, I truly enjoyed what FIFA 16 brought to the table. Yes, my soccer knowledge is about as good as my knowledge of cricket or astrophysics for that matter, but the game was fun, enjoyable, and provided much more value than the price tag suggest. If FIFA 16 can turn a hardcore fan of hockey into a newly minted fan of football, then you know the game has something special to offer gamers, regardless of their previous experience with the franchise.

Without serious competition from Konami’s PES in the past few years (until now), and with Ultimate Team keeping players playing and paying all year round, there’s been no pressing motivation to ring the changes. Annual titles will always evolve gradually, but recent progress has felt glacial. FIFA 16 can be stubborn and stifling, but it feels gloriously new, and having to learn fresh strategies and nuances in a game series like this is an almost-forgotten pleasure.

In terms of licenses, general presentation, graphics and game modes, FIFA 16 is superb, as it always has been, but more importantly, gameplay has been improved in all sectors. There are still some animations and physical reactions that need to be adjusted, but overall you will find a game where you can practice high quality and realistic football. Unless you go up against the higher difficulty levels. If that's the case, get ready for a few hours of frustration.