EA has dominated the soccer-sim market for some time and FIFA Soccer 2005 looks set to maintain that proud tradition. Players will quibble over matchplay realism, but EA has once again stitched up the teams, locations and endorsements needed to make it as near to the real thing as you are likely to get without being traded for a million quid. A gamepad is essential, but payback comes in an interface that allows improved ball control from feet and hands and a (relatively) simple mechanism for controlling more than one player at a time.

Animations show the incremental improvements we've come to expect with each release, and the camera options and general presentation live up to EA's trademark TV-quality style. A few of the team management elements seem a little restricted, but that's no doubt due to the fact that FIFA Soccer 2005 will be fully compatible with Total Club Manager 2005 through the new Football Fusion feature. As you'd expect from such a well honed franchise, FIFA Soccer 2005 brings subtle improvements rather than anything wholly new - but it's still the best soccer-sim on the shelves.