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Football Manager 2013
Sega’s Football Manager franchise
has one of the largest PC gaming communities to date. There are
countless of discussion boards and video walkthroughs which highlight
the passion its fan have for the world game. Last year’s rendition was
regarded as one of the best this decade, but Football Manager 2013
has managed to improve the winning formula its predecessor succeeded in
creating. It’s more varied, easier for newcomers to the franchise to get
involved, and, while unnecessary for the overall experience, it looks
great as well.
Gameplay
This
year’s rendition of Football Manager attempts to broaden its
audience by providing simpler and quicker ways to enjoy the game.
Classic mode is essentially the same as the original mode in terms of
length; however some of your duties have been handed to your assistant
coaches, such as trades and salaries, in order for you to be able to
concentrate on the core gameplay. The game still plays great, however I
found that I missed out on seeing important information as another coach
was taking care of it, such as players injured, traded etc.
The
other new game mode is Challenge Mode. Like Classic mode it is
essentially the same game again, however you will be assigned as a
manager of team who may be facing troubles halfway through a season, and
it is up to you to bring them back to their former glory. This is only
one example of a challenge; there are many more to experience, many
which will be available to download as people in the Football Manager
community create and share them. It’s a very welcome addition. The
overall content of Football Manager 2013 is what fans of the
franchise have come to expect. It’s extremely detailed in what
information and options it provides to its players, which is the reason
behind its success. There’s nearly 900 new additions to the gameplay, so
don’t dismiss it as a roster updating cash in.
Graphics
Football Manager 2013 boasts an impressive and adaptive layout
system which takes into account your resolution size when deciding what
information it shows on screen. For example, a screen with a wider
resolution will display a lot more content on screen than a smaller one,
which will instead have a much wider range of menu selections. I
recommend playing it on a large widescreen monitor to get the best
experience out of it. Menus are crisp and tidy also, and for what it is
Football Manager 2013 is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The
match simulations have also had a graphical overhaul with a new 3D match
engine. While not up to the high standards set by the FIFA franchise,
players animate fairly smoothly, and their animations simulate their
performance information provided by the game, which is rather
impressive. Stadiums and crowd are a little lacklustre, but this game
isn’t heavily focused on presentation. What Sega has done is more than
acceptable.
Audio
Don’t
be alarmed when you boot up Football Manager 2013 and realise
that there’s no sound. It’s not your sound card playing up; it’s the
fact that there is basically no sound at all in the game. That’s how
it’s always been with Football Manager and apart from the
referee’s whistle and the crowd noise during a match simulation, the
only sounds you can hear are those coming from your mouse. I’m glad Sega
decided against including a generic soundtrack though, as I probably
would’ve turned the volume down anyway.
Final Thoughts
There’s no better opportunity for FIFA fans that are looking for a
deeper managing experience to get involved in the Football Manager
franchise. The new gameplay additions and a slicker presentation make
Football Manager 2013 a much more mainstream and simpler experience,
but this will work in the game’s favour. The number of people already
engaged in this game (which is still in BETA) is quite astounding, and
with the sheer amount of content that is included and a much more
welcoming gameplay style, it will only get bigger and better. |
