Once EA finds a nice frame of reference for their sporting titles, they seem to ease into fixes and tweaks rather than overhauls.  It makes sense, of course, to never fix what ain't broken.  Since the addition of separate ball physics in the FIFA series, EA has gone to great lengths to spice the game up a bit with new additions like their Be A Pro, or playing as one of 11 in an online match.

Those things work, and they're all solid efforts in the picture that is FIFA in recent years.  So where does 10 stand out?  Where does FIFA 10 become its own game worth a purchase?

Basically it's all in the nuances.  The subtleties of the beautiful game expressed in FIFA 10 are what make it a winner.  Player animations during defense, tackling or positioning are more realistic.  Character models make more natural animations when handling or approaching the ball.  Rather than the ball seeming to gravitate towards the user, the user's character will actually stick a foot out to gain possession.  And it's not that this happens only sometimes; it works all the time.

The only issue here is that it's become even more difficult to win the ball from opponents.  Players will realistically jockey for position while the ball seems to just whimsically continue downfield.  Defense is no longer about being aggressive and forcing a tackle, it's about playing position and anticipating passes.  It's an issue because I'm just no good at it.  Yes, it's more realistic, an no, FIFA isn't losing points here... I'm just damn frustrated!