Every EA sports game comes with incredibly high expectations. Every one of their sports franchises has set the bar for so long that it has become a challenge to keep the games fresh and innovative year after year. It is no different for “Fifa Soccer 10” (Xbox 360/Playstation 3), which follows in the wake of previous addictive gameplay of its older brethren.

As we have come to expect, “Fifa 10” is a fully licensed product. Every club, every kit, every player is exactly like real life. What is so remarkable is the staggering breadth of the licensed content. “Fifa 10” includes international teams from 41 countries and club leagues from 24 countries. Some of the more prominent countries, such as Italy, Spain, Germany, and France, also include lower leagues. England actually includes the Premiere league, the Championship, League One, and League Two. That’s 92 teams from one country alone. Perhaps the only disappointing omission is the Russian Premier League, which has been gaining greater recognition lately (maybe next year).

To give you an idea of how massive the content of this game is, when I looked at the total roster of players eligible to be put on the England national team the list was so long that the game could not load the entire roster, but I estimated it at around 1,600 players, and that is just England.

“Fifa 10” has all the game modes that you have come to expect, the practice arena, exhibition matches, tournaments, and manager mode, which gives you full control of your chosen club as you make player transfer, sign contracts, and tweak lineups to win matches, all while staying within your club’s budget. But the game mode that really sets “Fifa 10” apart from earlier versions is the Virtual Pro mode. Here you create your own pro and put him on the pitch with your favorite club. He will start with the reserves, but as you satisfy in-game objectives from your manager, such as taking a certain number of shots in a match, or scoring a certain number of goals, you will increase your reputation and play your way onto the first team, eventually becoming team captain and being chosen to play in international matches.

What really sets this mode apart is the gameplay. Instead of controlling the player on your team with the ball, you only control your virtual pro. For the first time players will have to learn how to play off the ball, moving into space to support your teammates and finding and exploiting seams in an opponent’s defense. The game rates your virtual pro’s performance in every aspect of the game: Passes, shots, tackles, defense, and position. This means you can’t go ball chasing and expect a good rating. As your performance improves you will unlock stat boosts for your virtual pro.

But the best reason to buy this game is the online support, specifically the 10v10 Pro Club Championship. Here you can go online with your virtual pro and join a team with nine other players to take on another ten man team online. This plays much like the single player Virtual Pro Career, but here you are surrounded by real players rather than AI teammates and opponents. You will be rated just like in single player and you can unlock accomplishments for your virtual pro. But don’t expect to play as a striker too often, as that position goes fast.

Everything about this game looks and plays beautifully, from the slick footwork, the palm stinging shots, and the crunching tackles. If you have reservations about only playing as one player on the pitch in Virtual Pro, trust me when I tell you, you will get such a sense of accomplishment when you split the defenders and set up a teammate with a perfectly weighted through ball that results in a goal. If I have to quibble about anything the game could use more stadiums and the practice arena should feature a 1-on-1 with a defender so you can practice dribbling skills outside of matches.

“Fifa Soccer 10”

Score: 9 out of 10

Why? Slick gameplay – this is the most comprehensive and realistic soccer game on the market.

Rated E for everyone

Publisher: EA Sports