[JC83]

I say this because you really don't have to know anything about or play football to be any good at this game, height, speed and power is all you need, there is absolutely no skill required.

Initially I was impressed with Fifa 08 - it's the first one I have played since switching to PES in 2004 but now I can't help but think that this year's game has fluked success owing to the terrible effort from Konami.

Initially a hack button, then goals from almost anywhere on the pitch, free kicks and corners with arrows, useless off the ball control system, beapro has been quite good but there's nothing to it and now it's just cutbacks and triple taps .... the whole time the gameplay supporting these gimmicks has been at best second-rate even if EA have said it will improve every year.

This year we have a collision system and 50,000 tactical combinations to choose from. What's wrong with a simple and easy to use formation editor with a few tactical options? Why do we need a 'new revolutionary collision system' when they haven't even sorted out the normal gameplay?

Every year they punch above their weight and end up back where they started. Isn't it about time that EA stopped with all the computer-game gimmicks and started concentrating on football instead?

Let's hope i'm wrong and Fifa 09 is the game we have all been eagerly anticipating, but EA better realise that 08 has been so successful because thousands of PES fans were short-changed, and if they want to keep their new following they will need something more than a few gimmicks.