The Football Manager (FM) game -
the long-running football management simulation franchise - lets fans
play out their dreams of managing a football club.
FM 2015 continues the tradition.
When you load up FM 2015, the first thing which strikes you is the
change in the menu interface. All the main items, such as Squad,
Transfer, Scouting and Tactics, are on the left side of the screen
instead of being on top previously. The last time the main menu bar was
sited here was in the 2010 version. I find this position more
accessible.
There are other menu changes. However, the most significant one
concerns how you select your match team line-up. Each position now has
a drop-down menu to show the players who can operate effectively in
that position.
So, if you forget who your best shadow striker or wingback is, this
feature lets you pick and choose your player quickly, but you can still
do the old-fashioned drag and drop.
When you start a new game in Career mode, it will prompt you to
create your avatar, just like in a role-playing game. So, you can
decide on your age, whether you are an experienced ex-international
footballer or a coaching maestro with little professional playing
experience. This will affect how your coaches and players react to you.
For example, if you are a highly respected ex-international footballer,
players will seem to react more positively to your comments than those
of an armchair coach.
Many FM fans love scouting for players, as well as buying and
selling talent. Your scouts have regional expertise, so you need to be
mindful of their advice. Search the Internet for players to sign or
trust your gut instinct.
Managing Liverpool, the club I support, I signed on winger Juan
Cuadrado and striker Jackson Martinez against the advice of my scouts,
who are not familiar with South American players. Both combined with
Daniel Sturridge (when not injured) to solve Liverpool's goal-scoring
problems and win the English Premier League.
Take that, Brendan Rogers.
There are more conversational options with your players and the
media. You will find more players asking to talk to you about their
first team chances.
Just as in real life, you will be interviewed not only at pre-match press conferences, but also just before the game begins.
Compared with earlier versions, FM 2015 has smoother graphics and more realistic match animation.
However, it still pales in comparison with Fifa or Winning Eleven.
Still, the improved 3-D match engines make the build-up play and
goal-scoring more believable than ever.
I found that the game seems to favour goals resulting from crosses
by the flanks. Having played as a former winger, this sounds great to
me. However, for others who prefer going through the middle, you might
want to change your tactics.
Probably the best thing about FM 2015 is that each match is
different and full of surprises. You have to continually adjust your
tactics before and during the course of the match. Use the touchline
shout to wake up a player who looks complacent or to make a timely
substitution that will swing the match in your favour.
Despite incremental upgrades, FM 2015 retains the addictive gameplay for which the franchise is famed.
If you are a football fan, this is one game you should definitely buy.
Rating 8/10
- $52.90 (PC, version tested; Mac)
- Football-management simulation
