There’s not a lot to be said about sports games, since there’s only so much developers can change year after year. But don’t give FIFA ’13 a miss.

This much-loved franchise has stuck to the age old ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ adage, but has still managed to up its game.

Controls move more smoothly now, since the game engine has been tweaked for a better gameplay experience. Better than that, though, is the AI of the game. Attacking AI reacts to pressure now, and will attempt to shake you off instead of running directly forward like they do in FIFA ’12. Your footballers’ vital stats like their height and build also affect how the AI player reacts to your pressure. On a whole, the game has been remade so it’s more realistic, and more challenging.

The best addition, in our opinion, is definitely Kinect compatibility. This brings FIFA ’13 to an unprecedented level of realism. Why?

Because you can now swear at the refs and linesmen in game and have them react to you. We weren’t able to test this out for purely social reasons (you don’t start screaming vulgarities at a presser) but rest assured we will be pushing this feature to its fullest when we receive our review copy. According to the press release, coarse language directed towards an official may be mentioned by commentators, or influence a referee’s decision.

The career mode also returns in FIFA ’13: this lets you play as an individual player, and tracks your growth from newbie to seasoned superstar.

One blip we noticed was the lack of an updated roster in the game. We’re hoping EA will be able to patch this when the game launches on September 25 this year. It’d be wicked to see Van Persie in an Arsenal jersey? What?

Are you excited for FIFA ’13? Tell us what you’re looking forward to in the game!