Throughout the entire history of its adaptation through videogames, there’s been a significant problem with the sport of American football. Unlike most other team sports, in which only a couple of players truly matter at any one moment, the highly specific role of each man on the field (with every job crucial to plays being accurately followed through) left you feeling like a spectator at times. While rushing plays and pass selection were as exhilarating as actually being there with no risk of injury, too often you were left howling at offensive linemen to actually do their job and severely mess someone up. With a vengeance.

While the optimal first-person solution has been exposed as a quite significant pile, and human control of each player remains but a science-fiction pipe dream, EA has come up with a compromise for this year’s mandatory alteration.

You see, rather than using a faceless bank of stats to indicate your star men, players are now divided into a wealth of categories based upon what job they can do for you when they cross the line. From brick-wall defensive linemen through expert catchers to smart quarterbacks, team members can be compared quickly and easily like so many Top Trumps cards. What’s more, HUD graphics easily accessed during play allow for fast assessment regarding which of your scissors, paper or stone will crush theirs. As it were. On the defensive side of the coin, that same menu allows for one or two-button assignment of extra cover to any one suspicious-looking attacker, plus the dealing out of swift orders to one of your stars. When the ball is then snapped, not only do you have complete control over a couple of guys, but also the opportunity to sit back and watch AI code do a lot of the hard work for you. We love it when a plan comes together. With more space, much-improved animation and the as-ever excellent presentation could be waxed lyrical over. Unfortunately, space is running out, so, for now, a glowing recommendation along with an equally glowing eight will have to do.

Dave Shaw