In general, it is hard to recommend a new entry in an annual sports series to people who don’t always get them anyway. This year, while FIFA Soccer 13 is largely the same, the new additions go a long way toward being able to do that.

FIFA 13 looks more like a game of soccer than ever before, and luckily it plays like one as well. The new first touch controls that use the right stick make performing the types of quick jukes and moves you see a lot in professional matches much easier to pull off and lends it a more organic feeling. All the old controls work as well as usual and the AI has been improved as well, leading to more realistic attacks and defensive strategies.

A new Seasons mode has been added that allows you and a friend to team up and for 10 seasons, attempting to gain promotion up the divisions of club soccer. There’s also a new online mode called Match Day that lets you attempt to change daily real-life outcomes using updated stats for players and teams.

The pre-game loading screen has been changed to a group of skill challenges you can work through, rather than just dropping you onto an empty field to run around on. Succeeding in these challenges earns you XP that in turn helps improve your play in Career Mode.

FIFA 13 improves its commentary yet again with more things to say and more intelligence behind when it is said, though there are still misplaced dialogues at times.

This entire generation, the FIFA series has led the way in new ways to play and in keeping it fun and exciting. If this is to be the last year of this console generation, then you can say EA definitely went out on a high note.

Pros: Animations and fluid and realistic, career mode is great, seasons mode is a fun co-op experience
Cons: Rare AI quirks and the odd commentary mixup