Now that Christmas has been and gone, it feels like we're getting to the halfway point of our FIFA 22 season (despite the fact that it's only really a third of the way through).
With that in mind, we're taking a look at the pros and cons of the latest - and potentially last - FIFA game.
If you haven't already got the game, reading this may swing your mind one way or another in getting hold of it during the sales.
Pros
Let's start with the positives, and there have been plenty of them in FIFA 22.
When we first reviewed the game on next-gen and on PS4 we loved it, and here are a few reasons why.
Early Gameplay
When we first got on FIFA 22, we loved the gameplay.
Everything felt a bit slower, a bit more precise, a bit more realistic.
This meant that differing play styles and tactics were being employed by players, creating a more varied game.
The persistent problem of pace vs power also looked to have found the right balance, with defenders reading the game better and putting their bodies in the way to block off quicker attackers.
Pace was still useful, especially when putting a ball into open space and getting someone to run onto it, as well as having quick acceleration to nick the ball and fly away.
Create-a-club
We were excited with the announcement of Create-a-club coming to Career Mode, giving offline play some love too.
It's amazing how much more of a connection to the club you feel if you go down the Create-a-club route.
Much like training up a youth academy player, you want to nurture the club you've built, and there is something more on the line if you don't hit your goals.
Even something as simple as designing your own kits brings that loving touch to your match day play.
It could have come off a bit gimmicky, but we feel like Create-a-club is a great addition to the game.
Plenty of Promos
Over to Ultimate Team now, and there has been debate in the community over how good certain cards are, but what can't be argued about is that we have been getting plenty of promos.
Every week or two there has been a new event, which includes upgraded players, new SBCs, and player objectives.
Not just that, but the League Player and Squad Foundations players have been excellent, so much so that we could build a team consisting almost entirely of objective players that can compete with meta sides.
This has been great content not just for regular gamers, but for casual players too, who can assemble top teams without having to spend lots of coins.
Cons
Now to some of the not-so-good aspects of the game...
Patch updates
As we've said, the early gameplay was a big positive for us, but there is a reason we defined it as "early" gameplay.
When the patch updates started coming in, the gameplay saw a change with them.
No one is quite sure what occurred to have changed it so, but the new updates saw the game return to a more arcadey feel, akin to FIFA 21.
Pace was once again king, not just seen in Ultimate Team, but on offline modes too.
It returned to frantic, end-to-end action, and the realism was gone.
Career Mode
Another aspect we've already praised with the inclusion of Create-a-club, unfortunately, that was the only change we got on Career Mode.
There aren't any other noticeable differences from the previous year or the year before that.
We know that Ultimate Team is where EA makes its money, but Career Mode needs to get an update.
It can become a bit stale, and quite quickly if you've played a lot over the past few years, as you have been playing the exact same game for nearly three years.
Updated player and press interactions could be a quick fix to this, with more response options and hidden reactions, that vary depending on player personality.
Conclusions
If you were looking for new gameplay, we're sorry to say you've missed the boat.
We're still hoping the early feel of the game returns, but we're not holding out any hope.
Ultimate Team has had plenty of great content, so if you're likely to play in that mode hurray up and buy FIFA 22 so you don't miss out on any more!
If Career Mode is where you'll be spending most of your time, don't expect any big changes, but it's still nice to have the latest squads, and Create-a-club will bring you some new found fun.
With Christmas and New Year deals going on, you're bound to be able to find a cheaper version of the game, and we advise you to buy it.
Although we would say that, wouldn't we!