FIFA 13

FIFA 13 is the newest installment in the long-running soccer game series. October has become something like Christmas for soccer fans around the world.

Every year, like clockwork, EA Sports releases a new version of this great soccer game.

This year, there have been some changes to the game, but, honestly, not much has really changed. The first thing that you will notice when you get on the pitch to play your first soccer match in FIFA 13 is that the players will make more mistakes and they will lose control of the ball more frequently. This is something that was done intentionally to make the game play more realistically. The success of a pass now depends on your skill in filling the pass power ball correctly, but it also depends a lot on the ratings and skill of the two players involved in passing. Players with low ball control ratings will fumble and lose control of the ball. Sometimes you will see the ball bounce off of them out of bounds, just like what you see on TV.

The physics engine has also been tweaked so that players can fight for possession even when they don't have the ball. Collisions are more frequent and way more realistic. Your attacking teammates will play smarter and avoid going offsides all the time. If you played FIFA 12, you probably understand how frustrating it was to see your players making the stupidest runs offsides. In FIFA 13, this doesn't happen much. In fact, I don't think I have been caught offsides more than twice per game.

The graphics don't really look that different. There have been some changes to player faces and some new animations to go with the tweaked physics engine, but it's not the graphical changes that make this game different - it is the gameplay.

Fans of FIFA Ultimate Team will be happy to know that the mode is back and now you can play entire seasons against random opponents and rank up to become the best squad in the world. The FUT home screen has been changed to accomodate the new modes.

The one thing that I complain about with FIFA games is that the gameplay seems really scripted. There are many instances where you know what is going to happen and that is just not realistic. Some of those instances are getting tackles next to the lines or scoring off finesse shots near the goal.

In spite of the aforementioned problem, FIFA 13 is the best soccer game that you can get. I honestly believe it is above the competition in nearly every aspect. The game has a ton of different game modes that give it a lot of replay value. The addition of mini-games or skill games is very welcomed and a fun and helpful way to practice and master your skills.