FIFA 22

Microtransactions still loom large, but small iterative changes and the horsepower of new-gen consoles combine to make FIFA 22 feel like a worthwhile upgrade without needing anything revolutionary or terribly exciting from EA's side.

FIFA 22 excels on the pitch with a patient and more methodical style, but additions elsewhere are only incremental and microtransactions still leave a bad taste.

Solid gameplay improvements overshadowed by the fact EA Sports still hasn't tackled FUT's loot box problem.

Wonderful and distasteful all at once, it entertains and fails in turns, like Frank Worthington. But I loved watching Frankie.

A superb second next-gen season on the digital turf – but subtle Ultimate Team tweaks amplify the 'pay to win' criticisms that stalk this series annually.

There aren't many notable changes in FIFA 22. My Career is still the most dynamic mode, and that's not saying much

Fifa 22 is absolutely unmistakably a Fifa game – it has the sophistication and polish we’ve come to expect, with all the player likenesses, authentic stadia and recognisable commentators we see every year. But right at the core of it is a match engine that feels more surefooted than ever, at a time when the game’s more tactically complex rival Pro Evolution Soccer has been relegated to a free-to-play existence with all the compromises that will inevitably entail. If you can live with the loot-box trickery of Ultimate Team, this is a gigantic, rewarding simulation that offers a ton of variety and scope, and many, many moments of exquisite goalmouth drama.

FIFA 22 is the best in the series to date, even if its revamped animation isn't as revolutionary as billed. As a standalone title it's fantastic, even though avid players will likely feel that changes are negligible compared to last year.

FIFA 22 feels like real football, and it's all the better for it. Impressive improvements to player positioning, ball physics, and animations make for a supremely satisfying simulation that underpins each of the franchise's flagship modes. Career Mode doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the ability to create a club is entertaining, and the changes to Player Careers are overdue. Microtransactions still rule supreme in Ultimate Team, and you'll already have your own personal opinions on that, but there's so much to do in this year's release that you could easily invest hundreds of hours into it without seeing a single loot box.

FIFA 22 marks the third time EA has given us FIFA 19 with a different shirt on. It may clearly state Legacy Edition on the title, but being kicked in the groin isn't any less painful if your assailant tells you they're going to do it in advance. Once again, EA has insulted Switch owners by giving them the version it usually releases on dead systems. Do not accept it.