Football is known as the beautiful game - and the term could quite easily be used to describe the 'Football Manager' series.
Football Manager 2018
Once again, Sports Interactive have pulled out all the stops to make the latest title, 'Football Manager 2018', in the incredibly-addictive franchise feel fresh with new features, an improved match engine and a better scouting system.
This year's edition of the popular management sim - which enables gamers to take control of their favourite football team, sign players, choose tactics and watch your side win, lose or draw - will have even the most part-time of 'FM' players reaching for their three-piece suit if they manage to land their team a Cup final spot.
Aside from updating the footballers' stats and new clubs, a new 'Football Manager' game is always in danger of being perceived as simply too similar to last year's - but 'FM18' well and truly boots any hint of that into touch.
The biggest new feature of the forward-thinking title is the Dynamics mode, enabling managers to actually find out which groups of their players are the ringleaders in the dressing room during a period of low morale, who gets on with who, and who you might need to please most to keep the squad happy.
The traditionalists who simply like wheeling and dealing before sticking down a 4-4-2 and seeing how their players get on may not be impressed, but it adds a great detail of reality to what is already one of the most realistic football games around.
Dynamics adds an ever-increasing human aspect to the game which requires players to take into consideration the actual feelings of your pros as if you had to face them in training on a daily basis.
Further feelings are taken into consideration in another new addition to the game in which newgen players - the fictional computer-created players who appear on the title when the real players retire - will be able to come out as gay. Another 'Football Manager', yet more realism.
Last year we had the addition, or some might say inconvenience, of Brexit to the game, and this year's 'FM' shows just how much key decisions can make a huge impact.
Whereas before you could promise a player something and you might not necessarily hear from him, with Dynamics there is a whole new voice to the squad.
And if you have a few disruptive influences you need to ship out then you'll no doubt be heading to the Scouting page to look for new blood.
This has had a welcome revamp making it much easier to figure out scout reports, and Scouting itself even has its own allocated budget separate to your transfer funds.
So, if you're a lower league team who wishes to scout an Italian third division player, be aware it might set you back a bit in airfare and Vespa rental fees before you can discover what the guy is all about. And then he might be rubbish, so choose carefully.
One of the most popular additions of the recent 'Football Managers' is the 3D Match Engine, and once again SI have improved the graphics on this.
It's still not up to 'FIFA 18' standards just yet, but if you're playing 'FM' purely for the graphics then you're in the wrong game, pal.
One constant frustration for managers real and fictional are the injuries players pick up.
While these are no more or less in the new 'Football Manager 2018' game, the new medical centre houses sports scientists who will tell you exactly why this is happening which can give you some slight consolation.
In a season which will end with a World Cup, you'll probably feel the elation as if you've won one just by buying 'Football Manager 2018'.
Just don't forget to set your alarm for work!
'Football Manager 2018' rating (reviewed on PC): 4.5/5
By James Leyfield