When I think about football on FIFA 10, one word comes to mind - special.

Right from the kick-off one thing is perfectly clear. FIFA 10 is, without doubt, the best videogame simulation of the sport of football, soccer, fussball, fútbol - or anything else you want to call it - ever. There's no need for goal-line technology, or a consultation with the fourth official, or a month long wait for Michel Platini and his cronies to issue a FIFA directive on the matter - it would be pointless. Although we've yet to see this year's new Pro Evolution Soccer - which by all accounts has made definite improvements - the FIFA development team can sprint the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the PES fans right now, because they've retained their title for another season.

Even five years ago, daring to write something similar to the above would have caused many a videogame football fan to drop their half-time Bovril and spit out their meat pie in disgust, but such is the accomplishment with which EA have mastered the current generation of technology, they've created a revolution for their franchise, which has now resulted in a revolutionary game.

Where it matters most, on the field of play, FIFA 10 is simply stunning. Not so much in its levels of visual detail, but in the way matches feel so believable. Unlike last year, when FIFA 09 stormed to the top of the football mountain on its El Niño-force winds of change, the advances 10 makes are much more subtle, but no less important, or impressive.

Of all these the most lauded is the new 360-degree control system. Ever since the God of binary groundsmen first flicked on the floodlights and brought computer soccer out of the dark ages, players have only been able to move in eight directions - up, down, left, right and along the four diagonals. Its was uncomfortable, artificial and one of the founding laws of videogame football, possibly put in place so the little Anelka's and Ashley Coles never thought they were real and started getting attitudes and agents. EA's removal of the restriction however doesn't lead to any such disasters of biblical proportions. Stands don't crumble, floodlight pylons don't fall and the defensive waters of the Chelsea don't simply part anytime Michael 'Moses' Owen moves towards them with pace and conviction.

Instead, what the 360-degree controls do is make FIFA 10 a more precise recreation of football at all levels of the game. Strikers can now bend crucial runs to catch half-asleep defenders playing them on-side, wingers can bamboozle full-backs with nothing more than a dip of the shoulder and defenders can take much better angles to close down on-rushing opponents. Thanks to a combination of advanced physics and immaculate animations, player movements are incredibly natural, making even incidental skills, like the nonchalant control of a ball on the chest, or the opening up of the body for a pass, look impressive. The game also appears more intelligent than last year. Your team now does what you want with the ball more frequently, reducing the number of passes into uninhabited expanses of grass; while A.I. players on both sides have seemingly gained an isotonic edge which makes them more alert to the need to find and close down space at vital moments.

The advances EA have delivered in making the moments of contact between players as unscripted as possible are also important. The advantages of height and weight that were often overbearing in 09 have been toned down, with balance, inertial and relative body positions now having a much greater influence over the outcome of such situations. Tall, hefty centre backs will still usually dominate small, light centre forwards, both in the air and in their physical comings together, but it's important not to forget that the attackers normally have potentially decisive speed and spellbinding manoeuvrability on their side; and if the defenders get carried away then you get to enjoy even more little touches, like the referee brandishing his yellow card and the punished player staring forlornly up to the heavens, only to find that the man in the sky has slightly less say over his fate than the man in the middle.

Dead ball situations also give you a chance to unleash onto your poor, unsuspecting opponents the fruits of your labours with the new set piece creator. Allowing you to design throw-ins, corners and free kick routines by recording player movements one at a time, its not as fiddly as it first looks, but certainly requires a bit of trial and error to arrive at something; and that something can just as easily be a tactical masterpiece or monstrous disaster, where your players collide with one another or run in completely the wrong direction. No matter what the outcome however, the primary hope is that it will be inventively used at least as much as it's tiresomely abused, particularly online.

When you do venture into internet-based contests, FIFA 10 provides more variety than any FIFA before. EA have worked especially hard on fleshing out the options surrounding the ability to create your own player that they introduced last year in the off-line Be A Pro mode, where you were given a handful of seasons to take him from reserve team regular to international honours. Now developed into Virtual Pro, in 10 you're able to use the individual you've constructed in all offline modes, not just Be A Pro, as well as on-line ones that include the new Pro Club Championship, where you can create a team or join one with friends for up to ten vs. ten play in regional leagues. You can even adorn your unfortunate alter-ego with your own face, using a photo and the EA Sports website.

Despite all this praise, FIFA 10 does come with some issues. Visually it's not the most detailed football game to behold, partly because the large amount of pitch displayed by the default camera means players are small, and partly because the player models themselves aren't the most detailed. While the likes of Fabregas and Ferdinand have been pretty well captured, it's unlikely anyone would recognise Freddie Eastwood on the street simply from his appearance for Coventry in the game. There are also moments where players will go through animations without taking the ball with them, and the goalkeepers, whilst tougher to beat than last year, are so keen to close down the angles on an opponent their desire to rush off their line often results in them palming the ball up into the air followed by an ensuing scramble taking place underneath it as it drops.

On the options side, Be A Pro is once again restricted to only four seasons, while trying to set up an on-line match can take multiple attempts and may come with some noticeable lag, particularly during busy periods. The redesigned manager mode is also a frustration because it's only a few vital inches away from being the default option of choice for single players. It contains just the right amount of off-field depth for a game like FIFA, any more and it would be wandering into the heavily defended territory of the likes of Football Manager; but while juggling matters such as board confidence and player development are fun, and the transfer system comes with a helpful bar that shows players fluctuating and fickle interest levels in joining you club, it once again trips over on some basic points, like unbelievable league positions, transfers and spending budgets. In FIFA 10, for example, Liverpool apparently have £45m sloshing around in the kitty, whereas in reality, George Gillett and Tom Hicks would race each other to the top of the Kop on a rumour that someone had dropped 45p in the back row.

These points, however, are no more than minor blemishes on the face the beautiful game that is FIFA 10. In-match commentary between Martin Tyler and Andy Gray that's some of the most natural ever seen in a sports title, unique crowd chants and goal celebrations, and the return of Live Season providing the option for weekly player and team updates complete the ultimate football package currently available. EA have definitely set the bar very high this year and still managed to crash a thumbing drive against it. Konami take note. For the time being at least FIFA 10 is The Special One.

Reviewed by James Hamblin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).