Fifa 08: What do you think?

EA's FIFA Soccer franchise stretches all the way back to 1993, and it's been the dominant force in soccer videogames ever since. Amongst the more hardcore gamers, however, there's been only one soccer game worth playing since the turn of the century, and that's been Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series. For FIFA 08 then, there are (once again) two important questions to be answered - is this year's FIFA better than its predecessor and does it do a better job recreating the beautiful game than Pro Evo?

That last question won't be answered until Pro Evo 2008 hits stores, but we can tell you right now that FIFA 08 is a definite improvement over last year's game. The most dramatic and noticeable changes in FIFA 08 are in the physics of the game, which combine with nicely tweaked controls. Chipping/lobbing was an element that felt - at times - like it came down to pure luck in FIFA 07, whereas it's far more fluid and controlled this time around. Tackling too has also been beefed up, a nice addition being when two players go for the ball, it will now spin away from you both, rather than sticking to your feet like glue. You'll then have to jostle and battle to gain a clear advantage in getting the ball back. There are other new additions, from step-overs to ball rolls and body feints which are all far easier to execute this time around. These new moves are more reflective of a genuine soccer match and a nice enhancement in this instalment.