Fifa 19 review –triumphant update brings fun and fantasy to the fore

PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch; EA
With new shooting options, the Champions League and a madcap no-rules mode, the era's defining sports sim tots up another win

The Fifa series has been adhering to one clear philosophy over the past two decades. Let's call it "Hollywood authenticity". Matches look and feel realistic, the animation is astonishingly accurate, the presentation has all the swooshing graphic wizardry we've come to expect in the Sky TV era. Squint and you can almost imagine you're watching a real game.

Yet beneath those overhead kicks that rocket into the top corner, those last-minute goals from set pieces, every match feels somehow authored - as if, hidden away somewhere and secretly controlling every action is a sinister cabal of Roy of the Rovers writers.