The game is so much more realistic now and rewards patient, intelligent attacking play instead of everybody relying on sitting 11 men behind the ball and lightening quick counter attacks with the old "ping pong" button bashing style that even 11 Messi's would struggle to re-create.
In an attacking sense the players make a lot more intelligent, angled runs to create space allowing you to keep possession and create more chances. Movement in the box is also a lot better, meaning that if you're struggling to play through the middle with passes you can vary it with crosses and try and get headers in. It's all about not rushing passes and protecting the ball, if you try to turn and play an accurate pass in one movement it's not going to work 95% of the time so the old "ping pong button bashing" passing style doesn't work anymore.
Defending has been hugely improved too for the reasons above, it means that people who sit 11 men behind the ball and just try to contain and then play "ping pong" football are screwed because they'll just lose possession constantly. It encourages attacking football and defending high up the pitch because if you understand football you'll be able to close players down quickly and force them into rushing passes and therefore giving the ball away.
Overall there's a lot more emphasis on the attacking team being in control because you can really pin teams back into there own half.