As game-modes go its fairly cut and dried and what we'd expect. You have exhibition games, the manager mode where you take control of the entire back-room goings on, buying players, getting your players fit, running the team. etc and building a world conquering squad from one of about 16 different nations and about 25 different leagues. Personally, although I'm a Wolves fan, I decided to take control of the mighty, mighty Shrewsbury Town and guide them to the dizzy heights of European Glory, a stage they took to with Gusto!

There's tournament mode, both traditional and custom ones, plus it's nice to see after last year's debacle that the FA cup final is now played at Wembley (You have no idea how much it annoyed me that not being in 08)

The Be a Pro mode that was introduced last year is back and this time its bigger and better, you can take control of any player for any team or if you're like me, you can create yourself and start your career in the reserves of your team of choice and work up to becoming National Captain and guiding your country to World Cup Glory.

For anyone unfamiliar with the BAP system, you play a full match but have control of only one player for the full 90 minutes on pitch, you have to hold a position and undertake the tasks related to that role, so as a defender, you're main role is to keep attacks out, as midfield its mostly to support defenders and move play forward, or as a front man its to basically put it in the back of the net. It is such a lot of fun to play, and the addition of being able to work towards becoming the national team captain makes it even more fun!

The usual online options are available with one new addition that's a pretty cool one to play, taking the BAP gameplay to the next level you can take control of one of 10 players on a team vs. another team of 10 (goalies are computer controlled) each person on the pitch is a unique individual somewhere in the Xbox live world and its a fantastic feeling to play as a real team and win games (voice chat can become a bit hectic though!). I definitely recommend trying to get a fill team together to try this mode!

Something worth mentioning is a feature that I won't be able to take them up on yet. (EA PLEASE TAKE NOTE!)

Introduced this year is a system known as Adidas Live season. How this works is a simple concept.

By activating Adidas Live real world stats of current form are added to the players in game. So for example, a team doing particularly well at the moment (at time of Writing) in the English Premiership is Hull City. As a standard team they are rated as one of the weaker premiership teams, but, Adidas Live stats in theory will mean that their players are now rated higher because of their current form. Inversely Tottenham are currently bottom of the premiership wherein their in game rating will have been affected dropping them down in overall rating.

Whilst I think this is a great idea, its a shame to see that you are only offered one league for free with your game (which I wasn't as I didn't get a booklet in my review copy and the code is on the back) and every other league (of which there are another 7 available) cost you about £5 each for the season. Meaning that on top of the £40 to buy the game you've got to shell out another £20-30 to get all the facilities that Adidas live offers. I think it's a shame that this is considered a viable way to make more money from gamers and isn't included in the initial fee of the game but then that's the corporate animal at work there. So it's a nice idea that maybe needs to be re-thought next year!

In-game commentary is provided by Andy Gray and Martin Tyler as it has been for a few years, its as good as it is hearing them on Sky Sports and (barring the occasional misplaced comment) is as engrossing as it is listening to them commentating on a real game!

The stadiums sound like real stadiums and in certain grounds, real world chants will be heard which is a really nice touch, there's nothing like playing at Old Trafford and hearing 'Glory, Glory Man United' being sung over the action!

As a conclusion I'd say as a football fan you'd be robbing yourself to not play this game, gone are the days of FIFA and PES competing for the same market, they both have their places, FIFA as a true football simulator an PES as its arcadey little brother.