The latest release, "FIFA 15" is a ridiculously addictive game, a sublime sinkhole of time that will lead to friendships being forged online while relationships offline are strained to their breaking point. Indeed, I found only two major flaws. One, Martin Tyler does the bulk of the commentating. I know, he’s the dean of football commentating and blah, blah, blah. It was a safe, if uninspired choice. I will remain hopeful that one day EA Sports will come to its senses and have Ray Hudson wax poetic about my sweet, sweet moves. I can hear him already: "Oh my lord, what a ball! What a pass! He is magisterial!" (Checks another item off the bucket list.) 

 

I could sit here for five minutes and write some inane segue about FIFA and how it’s a way of life and much more than a game, but you know what? That’s just not my style. My style - just like on the FIFA pitch - is just to hoof it up the pitch and get my head on it, so I’m going to emulate that successful age-old football tactic in this here review. I’m effectively going to punt the game up in the air, pick it apart at its seams and see what happens. Not literally, of course.

 

So here we are, another year, another FIFA, and after a few months of hearing EA Sports hail its upcoming FIFA as the greatest yet, and the biggest in terms of innovation, guess what? It’s not. In fact, it’s almost stagnated a little, and aside from the gameplay, which feels quite different in many respects - and not all for good reasons - it’s still the same FIFA. The FIFA series has long reveled in its own pomp and circumstance. Awash in league licenses and Ultimate Team micro-transaction money, its self-belief was arguably greater than its on-the-pitch accomplishments. That being said, EA Canada deserves recognition for continually working on the series, adding to an ever-growing and vital list of game modes and chipping away at its gameplay to-do list. FIFA 15 is the big pay-off you've been waiting for. It isn't perfect, but it's a quality title that finally aligns many of EA's ambitions with firm results. Make no mistake - this is a golazo.

 

All sports gamers have experienced it. You’re playing a game, and your parents begin to watch thinking they are witnessing a real-life sporting event. After a few loud button presses and some not-so-realistic close up sequences, your parents realize that it’s just a video game. Such is the dilemma of the modern sports sim. Sports titles continue to inch eerily closer to their real-life counterparts, but there always seems to be something that reminds players this is just a video game, even when it’s difficult to determine exactly what that is. 

 

Once the final whistle is blown, that’s what FIFA 15 does best: it makes you feel like a star. Goalkeepers may appear more skillful, but spectacular goals are frequent enough to make you believe that you’re incredible at defeating them. Tactical options have just the right amount of depth to allow you to change the course of a game and call yourself a genius for doing so, but not so much that you’re at risk of confusing yourself. Ultimate Team still requires you to grind (or pay real cash) to put together a top team, but loaning in great players lets you perform magic instantly.

 

Such an approach might not have an enormous amount of depth, but that’s not so much of an issue for a series that sees one core release every year. If you’re looking for football that is exciting, exaggerated, and immensely entertaining, FIFA 15 is the game to get.

 

EA Sports’ FIFA is one of the best-selling sports video game franchise in the world, and I think they’ve got another winner here with their latest release. It looks great and feels more authentic than ever before. There are plenty of modes available and Ultimate Team will keep you busy even when you’re away from your Xbox. If you already have FIFA 14, you won't be disappointed getting the latest version.