There are so many great improvements in this year’s FIFA instalment that all Football fans are going to have an early Christmas this year.

There are two main changes to this years FIFA game, which has made it so amazing for me to play; The 360 degree dribbling control system and the improved AI.

Both these improvements have created a game where the defenders have more urgency to keep the ball, using lateral moves and more intelligent footwork, even the keepers made it more difficult for me to get the ball into the net.

The 360 Degree Dribbling control system is seamlessly integrated into play and if you are not used to the previous system, you will merely think the game is running ridiculously smoothly.  Many features have been added to improve game play and realism, such as player urgency (players are much more focused on the ball), collision detection, trapping intelligence and increased ball physics giving a more authentic variety of shots to the game. These features are integrated so beautifully and the end result is magnificent.

The AI has been improved quite substantially, resulting in an even more competitive computer that kept on challenging my play throughout the season. These enhancements applied to my team mates too, leading to improved trapping ability and better overall awareness of their positions on the field, and this resulted in a more unique game every time.

With these two major changes to the new FIFA game, it’s sure to be more complicated, the moves more difficult to manoeuvre and practice is needed to pull some intense moves off. This is where I found the Practice Arena came in very handy to practice my more difficult moves.

If you are a dedicated gamer and soccer fan you will be rewarded greatly the more you practise, as once you have scored a goal using a brilliantly executed move, you will feel like a true hero! Trust me!

The Customisable Set Pieces can also be of help here as this allows you to design and record Dead Ball moves from within the Practice Arena. You can then chart them to your controller and perform your created plays during matches (on-and offline).  This can be quite involved, but I’ll say it again, it’s extremely rewarding if you can pull it off properly.

As Manager Mode is an important part of any FIFA game, and one of the most played modes in FIFA history, there have been quite a few improvements.  Firstly, the main income for your club will now depend on the board of the club (which is divided into Club Budget and Wage Budget) and is not solely dependent on the sponsors, which ultimately makes the game more interesting, as your budget depends on your club’s performance throughout the year.  The game also does not end once you are fired J, and you have the opportunity to be re-hired by another club based on your ‘Manager Reputation’.

Another new feature added to this year’s game is the Virtual Pro. VP is different to Be A Pro and the two should not be confused!  With VP you can use the Photo GameFace online (www.easportsfootball.com), and download it into your FIFA10 game, and can be played in all modes both online, offline and in the Practice Arena, where you are able to unlock traits, improve attributes and new player kits by achieving accomplishments.

Live Season 2.0 is an exciting feature as you play real-world games, however might be a bit pricey for some!  Co-op is also a good way to enjoy this game by playing with friends, which caters for a 4 player match and is great to play 2 vs 2.

With all these amazing new features integrated with FIFA10, EA has really improved on their level of realism and I believe this is by far the best sports game to come out this year.