14 DAY TRIAL // Basketball Pro Management 2015 is a Cyanide-made video game that aims to give fans of the sport of basketball a chance to take on the role of team manager and control a variety of organizations and players, seeking to win games and claim the glory associated with the sport.
I have been a fan of both Pro Cycling Manager and Football Manager for a long time and that means that the new title is something that appeals to the number cruncher and team tweaker inside me, even if basketball is not my favorite sport and I have not watched a full game in a few years, although I often spend time looking at highlights with friends.
The Cyanide-made experience uses the classic premise of the genre, which means that players are able to select from a variety of teams in plenty of countries in order to take control of them, choose the line-up, future transfers, plays that need to be practiced and executed, and generally try to lead the team in such a way that both the leadership and the fans are satisfied.
No real world player names are included, although there are clear hints about who is involved in each team and that stats seem carefully researched, but gamers will certainly appreciate the variety, which also includes women’s basketball teams.
Gamers need to have solid basketball knowledge before they go messing around in the tactics section of the game, and a little more in-game help would have been good to see (an online manual has a lot of details for all those interested).
Basketball Pro Management 2015 has plenty of options for gamers to tweak the behavior of their players and to create tactics and systems that can deal with everything an opposing team can create.
Some trial and error is required at first, but after a few matches the data collected can be used to decide which player merits a starting berth and who is best used as a substitute.
Once the season starts, gamers have the option of using either 2D or 3D to watch matches and they can also check out details about their player and statistics about the way their team is performing.
Timeouts and end of the quarter moments can be used to encourage the team and often the only way to defeat a capable team is to use predetermined plays that take advantage of the strong points of a gamer’s team without exposing its weaknesses too much.
Basketball Pro Management 2015 is a game that asks fans to put in time and effort in order to understand how the core mechanics work, but hard-fought victories can be very rewarding moments.
The game’s core mechanics are solid, but more work is required when it comes to scouting, interactions and feedback.
Basketball Pro Management 2015 is not a standout when it comes to graphics, which is somewhat normal for the genre but might disappoint some fans of the sport, especially those who were expecting a simulation engine on par with what NBA 2K or the NBA series form EA Sports offered a few years back.
The user interface is easy to use and allows players quick access to the most important areas of the game, but it too feels a little unpolished and the various selection boxes and filters are often a little harder to select and use than they should.
Basketball Pro Management 2015 does offer a 3D mode for its matches, but I’ve found that it’s easier to use the 2D view in order to get a sense of how players are performing, while also having the option to actually manage the team from the sidelines and call new plays to try and improve performance and react to what the opposition is doing.
The music of the Cyanide title is not too inspired and the actual match sounds are subpar, but I’m sure that any basketball fan will find some tunes that can serve as a suitable soundtrack for their achievements.
The Good
- Data driven
- Designed for hardcore fans
The Bad
- Limited interactions
- Learning curve
Conclusion
Fans of both basketball and the management genre will find plenty of enjoyment in the new Cyanide title and can easily spend tens of hours tweaking teams, preparing plays, and trying to find the weaknesses of all opponents and then exploit them.
The game offers the data required to do this and the tools to exploit that data and then affect how a team plays.
Unfortunately, the Basketball Pro Management 2015 can be a bit too dry at times and the lack of interaction with players, rivals or the media feels like a big miss.
The development team also needs to introduce Steam Workshop integration and make it easier for gamers to share content, and the series might become a must play for basketball fans with next year’s installment.
