Current versions of FIFA use a limited stock of core animations to represent a wide range of different actions. There was no unique through-ball animation, for instance, with the game using the animation for a more generic pass. But FIFA 14 makes no such compromise. There’s so much variety, and though it doesn’t directly impact how you play, it makes what you do look so much more realistic and visually appealing. Now when you hit a cross-field pass, the player will open up their body and really dig under the ball. It feels like you're making that type of pass. And this extends to most actions on the pitch, whether that's playing a cheeky through-ball with the outside of the boot or dinking a low pass out wide. While watching back a goal I scored in slow motion, I spotted the player gently rolling his foot over the ball, taking it away from the defender. This wasn't down to anything I did – it's all automated, a product of context – but it made the match feel much less mechanical and more attractive to play and watch. This isn't the first time a football game has attempted to capture the magic of the stadium experience, but FIFA 14 PS4 and FIFA 14 Xbox One is the first where I've genuinely felt the presence of a 12th man.

 

It's often said that people play football games all year round, but I played Ultimate Team in FIFA 13 pretty much until FIFA 14 arrived for review. EA introduces regular new tournaments that coax you into trying new players and team concepts, while special packs are released for sale during happy hour events and the contents of packs are refreshed with upgraded Team of the Week players, nicknamed 'in-forms', throughout the year that follows the game's release. They're rare to come by in packs and expensive on the transfer market, but even if I can't have the card myself, I can still enjoy the likes of IF Aubameyang vicariously through YouTube videos.

 

What this all adds up to is a game that looks and feels more like a real game of football than ever before. AI performs more intelligently, boxing in players on the attack and performing runs in just the right places to create some real shooting chances, even if they're offside a little more often than you might like. And when you do get the chance to try to stick one in the back of the net, the ball dips, arcs, and moves with the kind of unpredictability you'd expect from a small round object being whipped through the air at pace. It's a wonderful thing to see in motion, and when you finally make your way to the box and score after a string of deft touches and considerate passing, it feels like you earned it. There's still an element of FIFA's heavy-handed automation at work here, but with FIFA 14 slowing down the pace and making you work harder for a goal, the automation is far less of an issue than in last year's game.

 

While the next-gen versions of FIFA 14 retain most of the features of their current-generation siblings, the gulf in technology is immediately apparent once the teams take to the pitch. Dozens of subtle additions to the way players and fans react to each other make it a much more authentic experience. For instance, whenever a ball goes out of play, players and ball boys scurry to fetch it. Every now and again a second ball is accidentally thrown onto the pitch and must be returned before the referee will allow play to continue. The gormless doppelgangers that littered the stands in previous games have been replaced with detailed and varied fans that sway to the beat of the on-pitch action. Supporters at local derbies become embroiled in bitter chanting battles, and cup game underdogs shriek for the full time whistle. Stadium seats may lie empty if the opposition isn't worth the ticket price, while away team goals will silence any cheering home fans.