Fifa: 08

If you've been paying attention for the last 12 months or so, you'll doubtless recognise the two faces that adorn the cover of FIFA 08: they're the same ones - Rooney and Ronaldinho - that featured on the cover of FIFA 07, of course. This doesn't mean, however, that Electronic Arts has been laying around getting fat and lazy during pre-season training. Well, maybe the art department... Seriously though, EA has upped the ante once again with FIFA 08.
 
The game challenges players to master the skills required to play like a pro football player. Gamers can now experience the very same highs and lows of real-world players and handle the challenges they face on a daily basis. For the first time ever, fans playing FIFA 08 will face the pressure to improve their game that real-world players go through every day. In the PC, PS2, PS3, and 360 versions, a new play mode called Be A Pro puts you in the role of a solitary player and challenges you to master the same disciplines as the real football player, from positioning and tackling to reading the play and passing.
 
The popular Interactive Leagues feature, first introduced in FIFA 07, makes its debut on 360 and PS3, enabling you to represent your team online against your rivals in the FA Premier League, Bundesliga, French League or Mexican 1st Division. All in all, for serious soccer types, FIFA 08 is certainly worth a look. With 30 leagues, 23 real stadia, and ooh, oodles of players featured, there's surely something/somewhere/someone for everyone.