"Who are ya? Who are ya?" chanted the opposition fans. It was my debut game as Alex Hunter for the defending Premier League Champions, Leicester City. The stadium was rocking, and the atmosphere was electrifying as I went up against Paris SG in a pre-season tournament.

The Journey Mode; Packed with content; Career Mode fixes; Clean presentation

Shooting mechanics need work

For all that FIFA promises something for every football fan, from the casual observer to the full-kit fanatic, I still find myself wishing that EA Sports would spend a little more time focusing on the basics.

The sports game genre's toughest task is to make consumers feel a need to buy each year, so an incremental upgrade can often not be quite enough. FIFA 17 was already coming off one of the series' best outings in awhile, but with features like the The Journey mode and the even more realistic...

Right off the bat, FIFA 17 throws you into the unfolding action of the ever-so-popular Emirates FA Cup match between Chelsea and Manchester United. Without hesitation, this football, or fùtbol, simulation is brought directly to the player like a greeting: "2017 is here, welcome!

EA's licensing rights; The Journey; Plenty of modes to keep you busy

Plenty of modes to keep you busy

Real-life soccer players act out their own destinies on the pitch with each passing minute, but that's trickier in video games. FIFA 17's new mode, The Journey, has no shortage of inspirations; every match and season is full of them.

It's been 23 years since FIFA International Soccer, the first FIFA game, was released. For more than two decades, EA has taken its most successful product, tweaked it slightly, added a few marketing phrases and released new annual editions to huge success.

Being consistently good can bring its own problems. Among the highlight gameplay changes in this year's FIFA we have: better throw-ins, low driven shots, and the ability to control the ball from a long keeper kick.

Set-piece overhaul eases longstanding frustrations; Career mode and Ultimate Team still brilliant; Excellent commentary and presentation; The Journey captures the romance of football

No huge gameplay changes; The Journey offers limited choice

He shoots and he scores!!! GOOOALLLLLLLLLL!

FIFA 17 uses the Frostbite Engine which is best known for use in the Battlefield games. I didn't notice a huge difference in general gameplay, with FIFA looking just about as good as it possibly can be, but obviously the engine significantly benefits FIFA's new story mode ‘The Journey'.

Somewhat ironically, FIFA 17 isn't too dissimilar from Alex Hunter. The game feels like a young superstar in the making, destined for greatness but also a little too desperate to impress. It's got all the essentials, more than its fair share of flair, and the potential to do some great things in the future. But at the same time, it tries to hard, makes too many avoidable mistakes, and becomes unbalanced as a result. Consistency is what FIFA 17 lacks. That doesn't mean it isn't a great game. It just means that the EA Sports team have plenty of work to do before they reestablish themselves as the very, very best. Pre-order the FIFA 17 game here from Amazon

Frostbite Fidelity; Goals galore; Compelling story mode;

Set-piece nightmares; Hit-and-miss build up play;