Yet another football season can only mean one thing – there’s another addition of FIFA hitting the shelves. This time it’s FIFA 13, but can it live up to the game’s previous incarnations and set the bar higher yet again as the best football game ever? The answer has to be yes.

FIFA 13 is more of the same, but that’s a good thing, not a negative. Over the years the FIFA franchise has continued to evolve and improve, little by little, each year strengthening its grip on the football game market. This year, with Barcelona’s World Player of the Year Lionel Messi adorning the cover, FIFA 13 can itself share Messi’s claim of being the world’s best.

The buzz phrase around FIFA 13 is attacking intelligence. Attackers in the game are more aware of the space around them and think more than two passes ahead; attributes that strikers within the Premier League are often lacking. The first touch of players has also been modified to make games more realistic, so attackers’ first touch isn’t always exemplary and defenders have an opportunity to nick the ball.

If you’re new to FIFA (where have you been?) or you just want to tighten up your skills, then the skill games are the perfect arena to do this. From shooting to lofted passes, you can play in a number of skills games that will help you hone your technique and become a better player, so that when you have the chance to pass the ball through to your forward during a match, you’ll slide the ball past the defence perfectly.

Other new additions see the introduction of tactical free kicks, so you can baffle your opponent’s defence from a dead ball situation like Argentina did against England in the 1998 World Cup. Then there’s also the influence on proceedings of form, so if we stick with this tournament in particular, then Michael Owen would have been on fire and his attributes would have reflected that.

As is always the case with FIFA, in FIFA 13 there are plenty of game modes to keep you interested and online play is once again the star of the show. You can play against your mates again and again, and when you’re tired of beating them, turn your attention to one of the millions of players around the world.

So, as the weather becomes colder and the long nights draw in, FIFA 13 is the perfect entertainment for a night in. Football doesn't get better or more realistic than this!

Take a look at the FIFA 13 Celebrity World Cup!