FIFA’s brilliant collectible card game meets fantasy football combo - remains one of the jewels in the FIFA crown, not to mention the key reason that fans keep coming back months after release. All the same, it’s always required the kind of commitment you’d associate with a Hearthstone, Diablo III or Destiny - fail to put in regular hours and you won’t get all that far.

 

In fact by far the most common kind of goal I've conceded has been this - an opponent with a basic understanding of the dribbling skills stepping away from my ineffective attempts to "contain" and walking right through the center of my defense to slot it in the corner, unhindered. It makes a nice change from Aubameyang running onto chipped through-balls, but it often feels like a very frustrating way to concede.

 

Meanwhile, when it comes to defensive play itself, FIFA 16 players may find themselves a little lost. The developer's boasted of the game's enhanced defensive options, and while it's true that you're given more ways to contain, block the ball, and tackle, you need to be more aware of what each individual situation requires. Tapping the light tackle button when you're close to the player with the ball no longer results in a near guaranteed turnover in possession - there's a lot more emphasis on using all of the defensive tools at your disposal in order to close down attacks before they become dangerous.

 

The women's teams are noticeably slower-paced, which answers the question of why you can't take them against a men's side. Their smaller goalkeepers also give up rebounds where a male counterpart would scoop up the ball, so a player would be wise to follow her shot by switching to any player close in the neighborhood or, if on defense, whale on the clear button (B or circle) to get it out of town. It's a neat strategic consideration to keep in mind.

 

At preview, FIFA felt sharp. The passing was electric, with games moving at a great pace which kept you constantly on your toes. Rather than the end-to-end encounters of previous years, the battle was very much in the midfield, where players intercepted poor passing play with aggression. That said, passes zipped around the field, crosses flew in with a variety unseen in the series, with curl, whip and a sense that the wide man was aiming for a player in space rather than nonspecific areas of the penalty box.

 

This year's edition of FIFA introduces its usual handful of smart additions and gameplay tweaks, its most notable additions being the FIFA Ultimate Team Draft and women's teams. On the field, it plays much the same as last year, with perhaps a bit less emphasis on pace. Interceptions are way up, but that's countered by the fact that it's easy to keep the ball on your field while sprinting, which makes for a lot of breakneck counters - a FIFA staple. I'm not going to lie, it's a lot of fun, but Pro Evolution Soccer supporters have a point when they point to that sim's more nuanced and reserved pace as a positive.

 

No new iteration of FIFA is really "new", each game being more a bundle of tiny tweaks and additions rather than a wholesale overhaul. FIFA 16 is another step in this slow evolution. The two major additions this year are the addition of women’s national teams, and a new mode, FIFA Ultimate Team Draft (on which more later).