For a start, the game has all-new animations - over 1000 of them - developed from over 100 hours of motion capture.

It also sounds harder and more simulation-orientated than its immediate predecessors, which had started to drift into the FIFA series' slipstream. Plus Konami is introducing Master League Online, changing team management options, and has come up with a new commentary recording process.

The difficulty has been increased, and you won't be able to rely on the AI of team-mates as much as before - passes will not automatically go to the nearest player, and you will need to react manually to threats.

New AI routines mean defenders will hold their shape better, and it will be harder to break them down thanks to tougher dribbling and close control. Konami suggested clever runs and passing triangles would be very important.

Individual players will have their own power bar to define exact strength and placement of passes and shots. They will also have shot and stamina meters to measure levels of fitness, and by the sound of it performance will drop off more than ever if you simply tape down the sprint button.

The pace of the game has been rethought, with Konami promising a "more considered pace of play, which varies dependent on situations", coming to life on the counter-attack, for example.

On the control front, it should be closer to 360 degrees of movement and distribution than ever. "Balls can now be spread absolutely anywhere with utter precision," said the press release, "with long balls into space, short passes to feet and intricate one-twos allowing the player to dictate play and control the tempo of a match."

It will also be possible to re-map your favourite feints and turns to specific controls, rather than having to learn a complicated language of tricks to call upon in the heat of the moment.

On the team management front, there will be some sort of drag-and-drop mechanism for looking after your charges across squad management and elsewhere.