1. Player Ratings
Inevitably, there has to be a compromise, and rating thousands upon thousands of players realistically, and in a way that doesn't upset at least some fans is pretty much the most thankless task that EA Sports face every year. For the most part, the ratings are pretty sound: there are some ratings most objective football fans will disagree with (and which will be argued for fiercely by fans of each player's respective clubs) but the overall rating system remains largely sound. There still doesn't feel like the same diligent approach to scouting that goes into Football Manager's yearly updates, but it's key to remember that this is a playing simulation, and that the managerial aspects are very much a secondary concern, so the ratings issues are invariably less imapctful than with management sims. It's still a little wrong to see some of the rating mistakes - as we've already explored - but no matter how EA Sports approach their ratings system for this or any future games, there will be grounds for legitimate complaint, because it is impossible to remove the subjectivity of scouting, or of fans' reactions. In short, faced with a near impossible task, EA Sports have coped exceptionally well. FIFA 14 is released on Friday 27th September.