EA have tried to make it harder for those inclined to play the ball to a Messi or Ronaldo, and just run at pace through the midfield. That’s not to say it’s not possible to score the occasional wonder goal with players who can dribble past 3-4 men and as football fans will testify, world class players can do that in real life. FIFA 16 hasn’t completely abolished the possibility of being able to score a ‘Maradona’, it’s just now a little trickier. The AI’s movement in creating space to take a shot, or create a chance has improved drastically from FIFA 15. If the opposition manages to generate space, it will take a shot from the 20-25 yard mark, whereas in previous FIFA’s this wasn’t a regular occurrence. The defensive AI still suffers from moments of madness, where you’ll see a defender stop moving, or turn and run in the wrong direction, but for the most part it performs pretty solidly.

 

EA’s best trick is licensing - with players, kits, and stadiums to make the game the usual attractive affair that feels very premium and holds pretty much all the cards - apart from the Champions League, lost to Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer (PES), which isn’t insignificant. Ultimate Team remains a key point, with a new feature in the Ultimate Team draft called FUT Draft. This allows you to choose from a select five options for each player in your squad, including the captain. As you’ll see, it’s a nice new approach. It seems that key players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Aguero have less moment in the spotlight in FIFA 16. Gone are the days where dribbling through a couple of players and cracking one in the top corner was a staple of the world class player.

 

Now you will be required to make the most of your star players speed, movement and passing in the build up play, while hoping that one of the weaker players doesn't mess up in-between. There is a big difference in FIFA 16 when it comes to dribbling speed and overall pace. Dribbling the ball will cause your player to slow down quite considerably, which allows the defenders more time to play catch up to your wings darting down the side line. You may find yourself as surprised as I was when you find John Terry managing to hold his own with Theo Walcott down the wing. The predecessor may have had better graphics, but FIFA 16 is looking to make changes. The newest addition to the FIFA family upholds the long tradition of making virtual stadiums come alive with realistic sounds and visuals. There are even excited fans singing in the stands and waving team flags.

 

As for actually playing the game, as far as playing in actual matches go, FIFA 16 gives you a lot of op-tions. Of course you can just jump into a match against the AI and have some fun that way, but it can take you a while to get started if you take the time to browse through all of the teams available in the game. There are an amazing number of teams available in the game, drawn from the world's top leagues as well as quite a few that I didn't even know existed. Matches spend a good deal of time playing out in the midfield, as teams pass the ball around looking for an opening to use to press forward. Things can get a little crowded in there at times, and it can often be difficult to tell when the ball has been stolen - here's where the game's player assist feature also comes in handy, if you suddenly see your suggested control options change, then possession has changed.

 

I found that the slide tackles took a little time to develop and as a result can easily be executed after the opportunity for a steal has passed or can take a player out of the action for what seems to be a little longer than a realistic time. I liked the control the game gives you over shots and passes when you're in the vicinity of the goal, and I was able to be fairly consistent at shooting the ball at the part of the goal that I wanted to, although the competent play of the goalkeepers kept me in check. The final scores of the matches that I played were all within the range that you'd expect for most professional matches, so overall it seems to me that the game does a good job of simulating the sport.

 

FIFA 16 may not look dramatically different to last year’s version but under the hood there are certainly enough enhancements to justify a purchase. New modes are welcome and addictive, while tweaked gameplay does result in a more realistic and complete game of football. As addictive and frustrating as ever, there is certainly plenty of keep you busy until next year’s instalment.