S&S; Review: FIFA 13

Title: FIFA 13
Format: PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: EA
Developer: EA Canada
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: E

This year's FIFA game has finally arrived, and looks to improve upon FIFA 12's fantastic gameplay and stunning visuals.  The question is, does it do enough to earn your hard earned cash?
Presentation:
When you first boot the game up and start playing some matches, you won't notice the many improvements right off the bat.  There are a ton of new improvements regarding animations, there have been a lot more contextual animations this year around.  This only appears to be a minimal improvement, but it really adds a lot to the level of realism in the game.  I recently wrote an S&S Perspective regarding this very subject on sports games.  This appears to be one of those years where the developers spend more time on gameplay rather than improve the presentation of the game.  Luckily, last years game already looked spectacular, to say the least.  The newly added animations and tweaks to the visuals proves to be a worthy upgrade from last years title.  Each one of these new improvements helps to sell the illusion that you're watching an actual game, and continues to improve its already high level of authenticity.  The audio is great, but its pretty much exactly the same as last year, so no improvements here.  The commentators are still likable, but they begin to repeat way too soon for my taste.
Core Gameplay and Multiplayer:
There have been a lot more tweaks and improvements when it comes to FIFA's great gameplay.  The game is a lot tougher, thanks to the added realism.  Bad first touches of the ball will drive the more casual players insane, but hardcore players will come to appreciate it.  Tactical Defending is new to FIFA 13, which gives you a lot more options in how to attack your opponents.  Dribbling has also received a hefty improvement, holding down both triggers gives you total control over the ball, taking advantage of the free dribbling mechanic introduced in FIFA Street.  When you have all these new additions to 13', its gonna take some time to get the hang of all these new mechanics.  The Player Impact Engine, from last year's game, has been tightened up quite a bit.  The game definitely feels more physical than previous games.  The same modes are back from last year, not really receiving any notable improvements.  Be a Pro and Ultimate Team still lead the charge, and its where I spent most of my time.  A cool new mode named Skill Games challenges you on basically all fronts in terms of the game of soccer.  Each challenge earns you either bronze, silver, or gold rewards.  Its a good diversion for any newcomers not only to FIFA, but to the game of soccer in general.
Final Thoughts:
FIFA 13 feels more like an update, rather than a worthy sequel.  There aren't a lot of graphical improvements from last years game, but a bevy of new gameplay improvements make the gameplay feel fresh.  Its a very good soccer game, just never really reaches the heights of last year's title.
S&S Rating:7.5/10 @whatsPlay