As a massive FIFA fan and regular player since it first debuted on the Sega Mega Drive in 1993, I went into last year's EA Sports FC 24 with renewed vigour. I didn't mind the name change – in fact, I embraced it as I saw it as an excuse for EA to radically move its footy game series forward.

Rodri is joint-highest-rated player in the game (91/100), but his pace rating is ‘only’ 66. In real life, it probably would not make sense to drop the Spaniard for a player with a lower rating with more pace, but in FC 25, a faster player in a similar role may bring more success in a game mode like Ultimate Team.

With an overhauled tactics system and a thrilling new mode, EA FC 25 makes some positive steps forward that are unfortunately tempered by long-standing issues and a lack of improvements elsewhere.