EA's soccer sims have been repeating themselves for years now, with each new release since the release of FIFA 14 leaving the impression that it is barely a reskinned version of its predecessor. That's definitely an indictment that can be laid at the feet of FIFA 21, and while there have been welcome tweaks and subtle improvements since FIFA 20, this blockbuster sports package is in need of an overhaul.

Before we start studding up FIFA 21, EA deserves credit for making the action on the pitch feel less sterile and predictable; in FIFA 20, players too often felt tied to an invisible eight-way axis. But that is no longer the case. In this game, movement feels more free-form and there is more unpredictable space on the pitch than there was in "FIFA 20."

While the ball movement sometimes feels unsettlingly artificial (more on the series' overzealous physics later), there is no denying that "FIFA 21" is a better soccer game than last year's installment. With dribbling past opposing defenders made slightly easier, attacks no longer have to rely on brute force pace and clever counters. The speedy wingers are more powerful when they put rival teams on the back foot. That is true. But even though I regularly rinse fullbacks like Arsenal's Nicolas Pepe, "FIFA 21" has a new respect for careful build-up play.

That said, the game's physics are truly ridiculous, and the five-player "FIFA Street" thingy is as silly and throwaway as ever, but at least it delivers the game's infamous right stick skill moves in a semi-natural way. When it comes to believable ball movement, PES has long had the edge, and the gap between the two soccer rivals has not narrowed in 2020. The soccer ball in Konami's series moves as if it were an interesting entity in its own right, whereas the ball in FIFA 21 is ...... Well, it's flat. It is predictable, tends to move the same way no matter how hard you hit it, and often looks fake when it is moving.

Most infuriatingly, FIFA balls behave in a way that is fundamentally contrary to how the sport is actually played. It is when a striker takes roughly a decade to move his body and position himself to take a shot on the edge of the opposition box. Even when he does get a clean hit, it usually hits a defender. In short, it's nonsense.

At least the tackling has improved. Rushing from short range now feels more effective, and I'm getting about half a dozen successful interceptions; whether EA Vancouver has made tackling easier or a bit more automated, I'm actively enjoying the defensive side of FIFA 21. Occasionally winning the ball back feels so accurate that I even temporarily turned the usually miserable Arsenal's David Luiz into a functional center back while playing career mode for an extended period of time.

On that note, FIFA's non-FUT headline mode is a welcome improvement, with a renewed focus on training and team management. Fitness mini-games played in real time keep players as sharp as possible, while simulation sessions lessen their impact. Players' sharpness is also affected by having them play continuously in the top eleven; balancing a competitive team during a 38-game season is a stressful but rewarding challenge.

The biggest addition to the Career Mode is a new simulation feature that allows players to play matches like in Football Manager lite. Presented in a top-down tactical menu, you are free to bite your nails and change subs and formations on the fly while the AI tries to win matches for your club. My experience: a convenient and semi-efficient way to skip matches during a very long season of 38 games. If you hand the AI the keys to your team, you can expect to lose a lot of ground. The good news is that you can take back control with the push of a single button. This is a decent compromise that allows more picky players to take the team's fate back into their own hands at any time.

And Ultimate Team; FIFA's card-collecting mode has been maligned for years, and the continued existence of a pay-to-win feature still seems tone deaf. If you've been playing with Panini stickers on a desert island for the past five years, FUT allows you to create custom squads by opening card packs containing players and cosmetic items like new kits and club badges. You can unlock packs by playing online matches, but it is much quicker to actually pay for them. If you think the loot box should go in the trash along with Project Big Picture and Ronaldo's Top Knot, FUT will continue to leave a bad taste in your mouth.

At least EA has made some welcome changes to this mode. First, the fitness card has been eliminated. Not only does this allow the player corps to go into each match in top condition, but it also eliminates the need to hoard a lot of stamina-boosting cards before selling them on the online transfer market. That said, this is FUT's best new addition. A truly ridiculous stadium customization feature that allows you to add crowd chants. Are you a Newcastle fan? Stick this giant Alan Shearer cutout behind the goal. I don't care if this is a silly addition. I love cutouts.

Aside from my love for the cardboard version of the elbow-throwing striker, I find FIFA a little cold this year. They are playing more thoughtful soccer than last season. But sadly, it's also a rather stale update that fails to meaningfully evolve the on-field action of the series; FIFA 21 continues to embarrass the creaky menus of PES with its Sky Sports-style presentation of solid soccer offerings. But like VAR, EA's latest has a long way to go before it fully embraces the true spirit of the sport.