With every yearly update EA has inched closer to what appears to be its goal – a game that expertly apes the Sky-style TV presentation of the nation’s favourite sport. So here, in the first truly next-gen iteration, Fifa 15’s graphical heft certainly helps spruce up the shiny pre-match rituals.

The supremely popular FIFA Ultimate Team mode shares this highlight reel feel, with star players now available on short loan periods for those times when you can't afford to purchase them outright. Rather than grind out those tough early victories using your team of journeyman footballers, you can now just loan the likes of Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, immediately making you feel like the manager of a credible team.



There’s also a new match type for Ultimate Team – ‘Friendly Seasons’. With this, you can challenge your friends to a series of matches between your respective Ultimate Team squads. Just why it’s taken so long to implement a reliable way of playing your mates online in the game’s most popular mode is a mystery, but it’s better later than never.

Ultimate Team still requires you to grind (or buy fifa 15 coins) to put together a top team, but loaning in great players lets you perform magic instantly. Concept Squads is the next new feature in Ultimate Team, something fans have been requesting for a while. Here you’re given the access to the entire Ultimate Team database and allowed to plan future squads, seeing how the chemistry side of things would come together. Much like the loan players, it’s a lovely addition, especially for players who dedicate their entire FIFA gaming time to this particular mode. God send would be the right word we think. Now you can plan those Premier League and La Liga squads with relative ease.