That time of year is finally here, where EA Sports roll out their annual fan-favourite soccer sim. This year FIFA 10 is set to push the benchmark even further than past iterations, and the GCL team was fortunate enough to attend the official launch party this past Friday at the Rage expo.

With an awesome presentation and accommodating features, the FIFA 10 launch was decked out for some footie-fun and excited fingers. What we learned was, FIFA 10 is all about celebration, that of figurative and literal actions. In the spirit of celebrations, the likes of Gary Bailey and Dr. Khumalo forged two opposing teams pitted in a miniature penalty shoot-out, where each team would attempt to produce their best celebrations to win over the crowd. Bailey’s team won it hands down (with the help of GCL input) and it was off to the main event.

After a brief, yet informative introduction, eager attendees were able to get some hands-on time with one of the year’s most anticipated titles.

FIFA 10 feels fresh. It’s undoubtedly still the same ol’ FIFA we’ve all grown to love, but there’s something new about it. A ton of polish and some new beautifully fluid animations immediately made their impact on the field, while the gameplay was as slick and responsive as ever.

A great event opened for an even greater game, as FIFA 10 is sure to be on every gamer’s wish list this season, and we’re really impressed with what we’ve seen so far. Check back this week for the full review.

FIFA 10 is currently available on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PSP, PS2, Wii and DS now.