Football Manager 2015 Review (PC)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Football Manager 2015
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: No
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Tactical results in Football Manager 2015

Football Manager 2015 is the kind of video game where, for the last 10 minutes of a match against Sunderland, I have my fists clenched and I am regularly tempted to close my eyes whenever the opposition strikers move towards my goal.

When I finally manage to emerge as the victor two goals to one, I literally scream in delight, even though the most important result of the match is that I am now the leader of the Premier League at the end of virtual December 2015.

There are hundreds of moments like this one, some of them joyous, many of them disappointing, that fans will live in Football Manager 2015 and they represent the best way to evaluate the most recent launch from Sports Interactive.

The experience has not evolved as much as some gamers might have wanted to, but this is still a title that can occupy hundreds of hours for a football lover.

Story

Football Manager as a series has been characterized as barren at times, an experience focused on statistics and numbers that lacks excitement and warmth, but this is entirely untrue, and this year’s installment brings the franchise closer than ever to being a story generator, able to create narrative with plenty of twists, superb triumphs, impressive losses and more adrenaline over the course of a year than a first-person shooter can offer.

In the 2014 version of the franchise, my Liverpool had reached 2022 (I also played shorter campaigns with other teams), and Gerard, now a player, had become my assistant coach as I ushered in a new generation of players that I believed were good enough to take the team to the Champions League once again.

Football Manager 2015 allows me to start from a different real world point, using new players and a different overall situation, to once again try and win competitions, discover new talents and generally shape a club as I like.

The narratives that evolve from the gamers’ interaction with the players and the other trainers are also more detailed, and it’s impressive to see how a rivalry based on one heated statement after a big win can have repercussions the next season.

Football Manager 2015 delivers plenty of excitement, regardless of whether the player starts off in a lower division and aims for multiple promotions, or chooses an European powerhouse and aims to get multiple Champions League trophies.

Gameplay

Football Manager 2015 does not do anything to change the core formula of the series, but expands on some of the main features in meaningful ways, while also deploying yet another update for the 3D match engine.

The biggest change that gamers will encounter early on is the choice they need to make between being a Tracksuit and a Tactical-focused coach, although the choices tend to have limited impact on the flow of the experience.

The interface has been rearranged, with the core elements of the title moved to a sidebar, but the structure should be instantly familiar to fans, while newcomers might have a bit of exploring to do.

The second big surprise is linked to the scouting and transfers areas, which in the real world have become ever more important for the success of a club.

Siege play
Siege play

Gamers can no longer search blindly for players and they need to use their scouts in order to find and then track potential recruits, with long periods of observation required to get a very clear picture of one’s abilities and how they could be slotted into an already developed team.

In many ways, Football Manager 2015 makes the process harder, and there are moments when there’s pressure to sign someone to cover a vulnerable position and a lot of tension builds when a non-scouted layer is recruited and fails to live up to expectations.

Sports Interactive has also enhanced the tactical options available to virtual managers, with a number of new roles that can be assigned to some positions, mainly offensive, and the instructions seems to have more of an impact on how a team performs on the pitch.

The biggest change when it comes to the matches is that the Artificial Intelligence managers are smarter when it comes to picking their tactics and using on-the-fly substitutions in order to adapt to what the gamer is doing.

It’s still possible to try and find a killer system which allows an already solid team to dominate a league, but there are high-level coaches who will find a way to counter it in months.

Football Manager 2015 also seems to introduce more unpredictability to the major leagues, with my current long-running Liverpool campaign showing a dominating Manchester United during the first season, while Chelsea sank because both Costa and Hazard ended up on the long-term injury list.

Speaking of which, long-term problems for high-profile players seem to be one of the themes of the game, which can add a new level of challenge but can also frustrate gamers who are looking to control their favorite players and see them sit out months at a time.

Football Manager 2015 also enhances the interactions between manager, players, the press and the board, and the effects of a good team talk or of a promise are much more important in the long term.

The Classic Mode is also present in the main menu for those who want a more focused experience, with a bigger impact for tactics, and it seems that one full season can be played in just one sitting for those who have limited time available.

Sports Interactive has not introduced any kind of revolutionary changes in Football Manager 2015, but the game has some interesting evolved concepts and taking charge of a team feels better than ever.

Graphics and audio

Football Manager 2015 introduces some big changes when it comes to the look of the series, with a return to the sidebar design for the user interface, which was discontinued long ago but was always requested by the longtime fans.

Initially, the move is a little disorienting, but after a few hours it makes sense, and the team at Sports Interactive has managed to link the various menus and areas of the game in a more interesting manner, which means that it’s easier to see stats while assigning roles or to take a look at preferred moves while thinking about a new tactical setup.

The look of the title is slicker than before and the 3D match engine has been improved, as it happens every year, offering more fluidity and details for those who want to watch matches play out on an approximation of a real world pitch.

Developing rivalry
Developing rivalry

I for one will continue to use the classic top down view with text because I feel that the spectacle of football detracts from the focus with the tactics pushed by Football Manager 2015, but for newer fans 3D matches are important and the quality is solid, even if those expecting FIFA 15-like fidelity will be disappointed.

Sound has never been crucial for the series and the new installment is best enjoyed with a live football game in the background or at least a football show on the radio. Moreover, the development team has plenty of work to do when it comes to the 3D match noises.


The Good

  • New tactical choices
  • Transfer overhaul
  • Player talks

The Bad

  • Some weird match results
  • Steep learning curve

Conclusion

Football Manager 2015 does not feel like a must-have update for the series and I suspect that many fans will play their copies of FM 2014 for a while longer and will wait to see how the title evolves before they get it.

For those who want to experience a better 3D match engine, a redesigned interface, better Artificial Intelligence performances, reworked transfers, and more interactions between the in-game characters, the new release offers a lot of value, considering that the fans tend to routinely spend 50 or 60 hours with it.

Sports Interactive continues to shift its series towards role playing, while keeping the tactical elements of the experience at the forefront, and it will be interesting to see how the next version of Football Manager will balance the two aspects.

story 7
gameplay 8
concept 9
graphics 8
audio 6
multiplayer 8
final rating 8
Editor's review
very good
 
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