FIFA 13 Reviewed By Tristan Tancredi

Rating: 90% (Ratings Key/Explanation)

The developers at EA have strived to master the art of a realistic football simulation. Last year they delivered FIFA 12 which the gaming world agreed was pretty close to the ideal football game, so what improvements does FIFA 13 provide to get gamers to part with their well earned cash this time around?

The fact that it smashed the sales charts when it was released worldwide is indication that EA knows what they are doing when it comes to making a football game. In fact, FIFA 13 was the biggest 'Sports Video Game' Launch of all time.

The FIFA franchise has evolved to become a deeply engaging, highly detailed football game. The introduction of a number of gameplay initiatives over the last few years (Player Impact Engine and Ball Control) has added a high degree of realism to the series.

FIFA 13 carries on from the 2012 debut of the "Player Impact Engine" with a Second-Generation Physics Engine. Building from last year, the second generation engine enables gamers to tactically cause body contact with the opposition to win either position on the field or possession of the ball. Although difficult to master, the skill is vital to your overall success.

Another FIFA 13 initiative is the all new Attacking Intelligence. This Intelligence is, according to EA, the most sophisticated Artificial Intelligence ever achieved. Off the ball, attackers will perform a number of "real life" manouvres to create space, move defenders out of position and allow gamers to construct offensive passes to well positioned attackers. This aspect creates a realistic and genuine flow to the game.

First Touch Control is the most challenging gameplay change to the FIFA Franchise. This new system developed by EA creates uncertainty amongst players when receiving average passes. For example receiving a bad pass will result in a player fumbling their first touch. A striker for instance on the end of a poor pass will have their chances of scoring decrease, as their first touch may bounce away. Over the course of a game, this can happen numerous times and you will find yourself pulling your hair out. Realistic: Yes, Frustrating: Double Yes.

Our main gripe with this game does not relate in any way to the gameplay (thank the heavens). The gripe is with the selections menu, and this problem is two fold.

First off, gamers new to the series will be overwhelmed with an extensive options list that isn't exactly well organised. FIFA veterans will have no problems navigating through the menus, but FIFA newcomers beware, a simple layout it is not. For example we gave a "Noob" FIFA mate the task of selecting a "Quick Match". He couldn't.

Secondly, the menu loading times are disappointing. Never before have we experienced delays in load times for a FIFA game like FIFA 13. This is best experienced when attempting to change jerseys at the team selection menu, no kidding, the wait was close to 10 seconds.

But hey, ultimately we play FIFA for a realistic football simulation and not surprisingly this aspect is near flawless. FIFA 12 was a masterpiece. Beautiful imagery, immense detail and high interactivity. FIFA 13 is much the same.

Where it differs from FIFA 12 is the growth of EA Sports Football Club. In particular the addition of EA Sports Matchday (real world facts and figures) and EA Sport Catalogue where you can purchase items using credits achieved throughout gameplay. Matchday incorportates real time player rosters, matchday teams and current form. A great addition to the FIFA franchise.

Ultimate Team is back, as are other FIFA gameplay options including Skill Games, Be A Pro, Seasons, Tournaments and Career mode. New to Career mode is the ability to excel as a player or manager and get the call-up to represent your country on the international stage.

There's plenty of online capabilities with FIFA 13, including; Pro Club Seasons (New to 13 is Seasonal Play - Promotions relegations and titles), Online Friendlies, FIFA Interactive World Cup, EA Sports Arena (Challenge Online gamers to money, points and prizes) and Custom Games.

Commentary by Martin Tyler and Alan Smith is back in a good way. Informative, entertaining and unlike FIFA 12, we rarely encountered repetitive speeches. (A new addition is the live commentary updates from other games around the grounds). The trademark array of worldwide music is back with an eclectic assortment of modern day tunes, and the crowd chants are defined by teams and stadium and can be edited at any stage.

Does FIFA 13 offer enough of an improvement on its predecessor to warrant $80+ ? In a word, Yes. In a sentence, There are sufficient upgrades and online capabilities to please all fans of the series. In the end it's no surprise FIFA 13 was the number 1 selling video game across 40 countries. A beautiful game!

Check out our review of Pro Evolution Soccer 2013.