After any Premier league game, you’ll see a bunch of stats, including interceptions, assists, shots on and off target. They’re all important, but one which FIFA hasn’t managed to replicate thus far, as bee the balance of play across each third. Finally, with tweaks to the controls and the new ‘pass with purpose’ feature, the midfield finally gets its moment to shine. The polish in the animations department has helped a lot with this, and FIFA 16 also introduces adjustments to sliding tackles as well.

 

They now feature more ferocity, but the range of animations means that your tackles are also more calculated and intelligent. Not every aggressive tackle instantly results in you collecting an opponent’s kneecaps - and therefore a yellow card. It means you can unleash a slide tackle with more confidence now, but naturally you’ll still think twice when inside the box. Swing Step lets you, switch direction quickly when heading towards your own goal to stop after running and letting the other team take advantage of accidental games created gaps.

 

The speed of passing can also be controlled so if you tap the Right Trigger while passing it will be passed faster. This was an excellent new feature was that little bit of extra control the game needed. Seeing those extra commands surround your player is a little off-putting at first, but used sparingly - maybe in a few friendlies before you really get stuck in - and it's a useful way to learn about some of the new aspects of the game. In response to all this there are offensive tools to make the midfield an even fight, if an asymmetrical one.

 

No-touch dribbling adds another layer to the game’s skill system, enabling players to duck and feint over the ball, looking to send defenders the wrong way. This is pretty but so far, for me, not hugely effective; I rarely had enough space in-field to dance over the ball, and on the wings I went for reliable old step-overs. But more integral is the new precision passing system, which effectively introduces a hard, pinged pass that can be pulled off by holding R1 (RB). It’s clearly been designed as a foil to the stickier, interception-prone midfield, and it comes with an element of risk and skill.

 

Lesser players are more likely to fumble these stinging passes, and judging angles, ability and distance adds a new dimension to the basics of FIFA’s play. The word "negative" probably is a bit strong, although the passing does need work. Inconsistency in passing does contribute to the game in some parts - in terms of realism - however it can become pretty annoying when simple passes turn ugly too often.

 

Draft works by giving you a random selection of the world’s top footballers, giving most gamers a rare opportunity to control the likes of Lionel Messi in Ultimate Team. After a formation is selected, a captain is chosen (normally a superstar attacker - Alexis Sanchez and Neymar commonly popped up for me). The rest of the team then slots into place with a choice of five players in each position.

 

It levels the playing field immensely. 99% of players will have a 5-star rated team, which makes encounters much more enjoyable and ‘fair’ (i.e. not dependent on your ability to sink real-life money into Ultimate Team). Of course, Chemistry is a vital factor in your selections and thus performance.