I'll apologise in advance because I know how annoying it can be when people just compare games to form the basis of a review. However, it's all but unavoidable in this genre, as people fall either into the FIFA of Pro Evo camp and never the two shall meet. I must admit that over time I've always leaned towards Pro Evo, but based on their current outings (and the previous one in Pro Evo's case) I've decided that I'm switching sides!

So, why is this? Well, for one thing it's because I'm fed up with not having licensed team names for a start, and don't give me all that rubbish that Pro Evo can't use them because FIFA has the licence, as that's not strictly true - anyone can use them if they fork out enough money to pay the royalties. There've been loads of non-EA FIFA football games that have been released over the years with licensed teams. So there's my first reason for changing teams - how can magazines keep giving a game with such a huge flaw 10/10? Surely ten means perfect.

In its third Xbox 360 outing in a year (the previous two FIFA releases on 360 being World Cup 2006 titles), which must be a record, we finally get to see a decent line up of teams. It's nowhere near the full complement unfortunately, and not up to EA's usually pretty comprehensive standards, made even more upsetting when compared to the game on other formats, which cost less, but it's a definite step in the right direction and at least the teams all look great and dress correctly. The player models can be a little iffy close up though - the likenesses are accurate, yet the graphics aren't as photorealistic as the astonishing Fight Night Round 3; it looks like the artists used plastic models of the players to base their designs upon, rather than actual filmed footage or photographs. They're a big step up from Road to the World Cup and without doubt you can tell they're next gen, it's just a shame they're not up to the admittedly stellar high standards of Fight Night.

As soon as you kick off you'll forgive this flaw though, because once onto the pitch and playing a game you can't see how plasticky the players' features are - all you notice is how fluidly they move. The player animations are superbly realistic and look more natural than ever, with players (including the goalies) having a far greater range of movement and a much higher frame count when it comes to the animation, making them look closer to the real thing than ever before. The stadiums meanwhile are presented with an almost obsessive level of detail; absolutely everything is here down to the smallest feature, and even the crowds look fantastic. Here FIFA really does far surpass the bland, slightly higher resolution version of the old Xbox graphics that you'll find in Pro Evo 6. Then there's the crowd noise - they cheer, jeer, chant and boo, adding real feeling to the game. They truly boost the adrenaline factor, adding to the exhilaration or anxiety as the pace of the game picks up near the goal and completing the already electric atmosphere created by those luscious visuals. The commentary is also superb - the best I've ever heard in a game, in fact! The banter is relevant, mostly accurate and sprinkled with opinions on players and teams, as well as bang up to date stories and anecdotes. This is another important box that FIFA ticks and Pro Evo fails miserably in.

So, now we get down to the nitty gritty - the gameplay, and I admit that overall Pro Evo is still slightly better; the ball seems to always know where you want it to go and the referee doesn't make you want to scream at the TV quite as much. However, ultimately FIFA is the one of the two that looks and sounds next-gen - and don't give me all that 'gameplay's the most important thing not how it looks and sounds nonsense', because if that were the case then you'd still be playing Pro Evolution Soccer 4! I bet you all bought Project Gotham 3, and if you're honest it wasn't as big as or as interesting as the second one. It played very well, but looked absolutely stunningly beautiful and sounded amazing. Some of you probably went out and bought a HDTV after playing it, unable to believe that it could look any better (I must admit I actually mean that I hope someone other than just me did that, otherwise I'm clearly just a loser!) and you wanted to impress your mates and be impressed. Showing off beautiful games is part of the joy of having a 360.

Anyway, coming back to the point in hand - the gameplay - while Pro Evo is still just about the winner, the gameplay in FIFA has never been better. The major change in FIFA 07's gameplay comes in the form of all-new ball physics, which when combined with the substantial increase in player animations means that it plays a much smoother game of football than in previous years, with matches now feeling as though they're determined by your actions rather than by pre-ordained animations that need to run their course once they have begun. One of the first major improvements you're likely to notice is the way that the players run with the ball - instead of being stuck to the player's foot as if by magic, the ball now acts a lot more realistically when you accelerate and decelerate. This makes the game a lot more tactical and certainly adds to the emphasis on passing and looking for gaps rather than continuously running at defenders. When it comes to passing around the field, you now have to plan your actions more carefully, as each pass is greatly affected by the player's position in relation to the ball and in terms of distance to your intended target, once again adding to the tactical aspect while you twist and turn to find the right angles for that killer pass. To make things easier, however, AI players are now a lot more adept at making off-the-ball runs; you can still manually trigger runs, but generally players do a great job of finding space for you to pass into, thus making it easier for you to keep your mind on taking the ball and positioning your player correctly before slicing open the defence with a pinpoint pass.

There are still flaws - sometimes when you pass the ball back it goes to the wrong player and the referee seems a little bit whistle happy at times; even when you're using the soft tackle button, you win the ball and the other player is still standing, he still occasionally gives a free kick away. However, this isn't exclusive to your men thankfully and you'll be given as many as you concede. Other than that, this is without doubt the best FIFA game, in terms of presentation and gameplay - the players are all where they're supposed to be on the pitch, the goalkeepers behave intelligently, the players move where you want them to and kick when you expect them to. I know all this sounds like rudimentary basics but Road to the World Cup got all of the above wrong.

For the most part FIFA 07 is a real joy to play, whether in single player, multiplayer or co-operatively - it just really is a shame that we don't get the same amount of content as the previous gen machines do (at least it gives the old school something positive to cling on to whilst they splendour at the beauty of this version!) There's a really nice touch too; if you're connected to Xbox Live you get Talk Sport playing whilst you navigate the menus. Other than this, everything else is what you would expect - there's a wide range of modes, including the usual quick match, a huge array of fully licensed cup competitions and leagues, plus a chance to hit the training ground to practice those all-important skills and tactics. The return of the management mode is very much welcome, allowing you to take control of your favourite Premiership (or global equivalent) team and shape their fate - from trading players to setting ticket prices, everything is present and correct. And FIFA 07 certainly lends itself well to online play, with a balanced mix of tactical football and fast-paced action, which runs smoothly with little sign of lag.

If you're only bothered about gameplay and not about looks or playing as your favourite team then go and buy Pro Evolution Soccer 4 (which is easily the best in the series). If you like football games and you want to be impressed by something that plays fantastically well and looks next generation, then this is without doubt a fine purchase and a big step in the right direction for the FIFA series. However, if you can hang on until FIFA 08 I think there will be even greater leaps in both visuals and gameplay; that will hopefully have less plasticky looking players, a smart referee, perfect passing and a full complement of teams. Of course, by that time EA might have missed their opportunity to convert everyone, as Konami could have pulled their socks up and sorted out their own issues by then, but only time will tell... they think it's all over - it isn't yet!

Reviewed by Mark Hayhurst for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).