It hasn't been all smooth sailing for EA Sports' next-gen simulations this year, but few franchises are as dependable as EA Sports FC. With FC 24 bringing even more improved visuals to EA FC 24 Coins  the Xbox One and PS4. increased immersion thanks to painstakingly recreated stadiums and player faces, and promising some updates to the game's digital goalkeepers, it's safe to say the game's release is marked on millions of calendars around the world.

Delivering an annual release in a sports simulation franchise may sound straightforward, but developers who hope to make each year's installment worthwhile face a unique challenge. Do they try to break new ground and introduce fresh mechanics, or simply polish what worked in the previous title? The reviews for FC 24 are in, and it seems that opinion - like that of players and fans - may not be uniform.

The team decided to place more time and energy into the passion side of the soccer equation, while confirming that their attention was also turning towards the next installments still to come. What does that mean for this year's batch? Good news for fans, even if a step forward means re-learning aspects of the game:

" FC 24 takes the series into a whole other level with gameplay that betters the surmounting hype that threatened to engulf it. Playing it makes me believe I can do just about anything with the ball at my feet, and this self-assurance is powerful. If you have the desire, FC 24 meets the challenge. It does not disappoint."

"While some of FC 24’s refinements are worthwhile – and a tangible improvement on FC 24 – its flaws stand out all the more. In some ways it’s a step forward, in others a step back - and with Konami’s PES seemingly in resurgent form, EA Sports can’t afford to take its eye off the ball." "Is FC 24 better to play than last year? The short answer is no. It's so different that it will frustrate as many fans as it delights, based on their different approaches to the game."

" FC 24 isn't perfect. There are still some quirky animations in here that occasionally burst the realism bubble... But make no mistake, FC 24 is the best game of football around. EA has evolved its engine rather than revolutionised it, and it's worked a treat."

"What's different is the degree of buy EA FC 24 Coins style and elegance with which everything is executed, giving the game a sense of refinement that was lacking last season. If last year's game was a skeleton of what EA Sports FC wanted to achieve over the course of this console generation, then consider FC 24 the first layer of meat on top of that."