FIFA players come in all shapes and forms, with fans for every one of the game's many modes. Still, the bulk of the community is divided into two groups: those who mostly play Ultimate Team and those who prefer the Career mode.

S ports games generally have good years and bad years. With publishers releasing year in and year out like clockwork for their sports titles, sometimes it's hard to tell if anything substantial has been added to the game because not much changes from year to year.

the spectacular, troubling video game modern football deserves

With its Champions League licence to add to all the others, FIFA 19’s presentation is more authentic than it's ever been. Crowds still look a bit too regimented and player movement can still sometimes be slightly wonky if you really study it, but in terms of translating the sights and sounds of professional football, no other game comes close. The slightly less frantic gameplay might even convince a few PES players to change allegiance, although online play is still overly frenetic. FIFA 19 might not reinvent football games but it’s still a winner – and to most people, that’s all that really matters.

Champions League licence completes the package; Timed Finishing adds another dimension to attacking play; Slick, flowing passing moves are more devastating than ever; Ultimate Team exposed as the money hole it is;

Ultimate Team exposed as the money hole it is; Online play is often too frenetic; Games can easily get scrappy;

Champions League licence completes the package; Timed Finishing adds another dimension to attacking play; Slick, flowing passing moves are more devastating than ever; Ultimate Team exposed as the money hole it is;

Ultimate Team exposed as the money hole it is; Online play is often too frenetic; Games can easily get scrappy;

Soccer is often all about the moment, the sense of glory and jubilation over a goal or result, but perhaps more often fans and players feel crushing disappointment. When I was 10 years old my Cub Scouts soccer team crashed out of a massive tournament in the semi-final.

offers all sorts of player-friendly ways to learn the game. My first match commenced with an on-screen message stating the difficulty would scale dynamically according to my skill level. Following the full-time whistle,

Barring a few dalliances with EA's FIFA series, I'm predominantly a Pro Evo man. It's important to get that disclaimer out of the way. It tells you that this isn't the review of an uber FIFA fan who was burned by last year's lacklustre Switch port.

Last year, EA Sports reignited its relationship with Nintendo by bringing a FIFA game to one of its home consoles for the first time in half a decade. FIFA 18 delivered a solid football experience on Switch, causing us to confidently declare it "the best Nintendo FIFA ever".

There are a lot of gamers for whom just one or two games a year is enough to keep them occupied and glued to their consoles. The EA Sports pantheon of FIFA, NHL and Madden are good examples of these, but you've also got shooters such as Fortnite or the Call of Duty series.

Positives + Gameplay changes are smart and add to realism + Tweaks to modes add longevity and variety + Quality of Life changes are welcome

Negatives; Career Mode could do with some TLC