Football Manager 2015 Review: pressing the refresh button on Football Manager

There’s a core group of players, a rather large core group actually, who are totally I love with this game. I don’t know if I would place myself firmly in that camp, but I definitely like this game and am very satisfied with it. My passion for soccer, err football, only goes so far. But there is something wonderful about the precise tactical planning and refined subtleties that make this game tick. It’s a wonder to get lost I and with this newest iteration, any Football Manager 2015 review has to be largely positive. It may seem weird to get that much enjoyment from the managing and editing of squads off the field but there’s a real beauty to it, and finite skill that’s required to succeed.

The menus and overall interface has gotten an overhaul by Sports Interactive and it makes the game much more enjoyable. Some numbers are replaced with a color scheme to indicate the player’s efficacy with regards to certain stats. This speeds understanding and allows for smoother management and ultimately a less cluttered management system during seasons. There is a lot of data to crunch through and it can at times feel a bit overwhelming. Luckily newbies can rely on the assistant manager for recommendations and the managerial options allow you to stay on the shallower side if you want to.

These menus are relegated to a sidebar but this makes adjustments on the fly fairly quick, with a couple swift clicks and you can manage your team or formation during a game quickly. Results are also determined by where you sit on the managerial “style” spectrum when you start a career. There are those who focus on training and those who focus on tactics/strategy. You can also comfortably straddle both camps with the way the game is designed so you don’t feel the need to sacrifice your own preferences. Just keep in mind your actions do have consequences and engaging in an argument with Ronaldinho will not be good for his or your teams morale. And by the way, with new talk options during a match, you can actually do this while he’s playing, if you so choose.

Classic mode and Challenge mode make returns in Football Manager 2015 as well. Classic is great for players looking to avoid the slow slog through a season and instead set tactics and watch the magic play out quickly. Challenge mode will aptly have you working through unfortunate situations such as a bad player injury or financial issues. These don’t take forever to resolve which adds to the appeal.

The curiously addictive ingredients that make Football Manager great are back this year and the modest improvements with regards to data and menu surfing offer an even easier gameplay experience. There’s less guesswork with a smoother display and with more in-game speaking actions, you’ll be able to add new influence to your players. You can easily grab a Football Manager STEAM key and experience this on your PC. Just make sure you have ample free time. ‘Nuff said.