Pro Cycling Manager 2023 Review (PC)

Ciccone is rubbish at time trials and Il Giro organizers have decided to feature quite a few of them this year. So the Trek-Segafredo leader has to gain a lot of time in the mountains to then lose in the battle against the clock, if the team is to reach its most important objective for 2023, getting the Maglia Rosa (there aren’t any bonus points for securing it with an Italian rider).

So I put together a strong squad of mountain specialists and some capable workhorses. Pedersen makes the cut to try for some sprints and maybe aim for the points classification if the other teams don’t bring the most powerful fast men along. I calibrate training and race programs so that as many of the eight-man squad get their fitness peaks in the second and third weeks of the Italian Grand Tour.

I ask my riders to be aggressive, protect Ciccone, and try and be at the head of the race as soon as there’s a hint of climbing. It all goes well until the 19th stage, when a combination of poor daily form, a fall for key lieutenant Sklejmose, and a very strong attack from Evenepoel, leads to a loss of 34 seconds to the Belgian star. I guess the sponsors have to settle for second this time around but we can try again next year.

Pro Cycling Manager 2023 is developed by Cyanide Studio and published by Nacon. I played it on the PC using Steam. The title is a cycling management simulation that gives players the reins of a cycling team while also allowing them to directly control riders during races.

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As in previous titles in the franchise, gamers can choose from a range of modes. There are track cycling events to take part in, with their unique take on the mechanics and constant tension. Players can choose a particular tour or race to experience with their favorite team or they can simply become a professional rider and try to reach the top of the sport. But the main attraction is the career mode. It gives players control over any team involved in real-world road racing and the option to put together their own custom outfit.

There are good news and bad news for realism-craving fans. The game has the rights to use the real names of many of the biggest riders in the peloton (which has the weird effect of making the made-up ones stand out even more). But the game still has made-up names for some of the biggest races of the year. Mods will solve most of these issues but it can still be hard to become immersed in the Career mode.

Gameplay is split between daily team management and the race experience. Players will hire staff and decide their cyclists' training, while also scouting for future stars and negotiating transfers. They will also request invites to various races, decide who starts each, and handle issues like illness.

The most important task is to get star riders in peak condition for the events they and the sponsors are targeting. And then it’s time to actually run a race. The game offers full control over the team’s engaged riders. Depending on the type of race and situation they can ride tempo, take turns leading the peloton, attack, ride in a breakaway, lead out, sprint, protect someone else, grab new water bottles, or mark another rider.

Gamers will have to choose how to mix and match their riders' abilities and all these possible actions to secure a win. When a stage ends in a sprint that involves protecting the fastest rider and then organizing a strong lead out to the line. The one-day classics require long-range attacks and solid reactions to opponent moves.

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For a mountain top finish, it’s all about keeping the leader safe while choosing where and how hard to attack. It is possible, though hard, to win from a breakaway by carefully managing effort. Gamers can experiment with different approaches and tactics and familiarize themselves with stages using the One-off Race mode.

Pro Cycling Manager 2023 also features a Pro Cyclist mode, where players will create their own professional rider. After selecting a specialization and attributes, they will have to train, improve skills, work within a team, and try to become the kind of cyclist that can target one of the season's Grand Tours or Monuments. The game also features multiplayer modes, allowing gamers to go up against other cycling fans.

The biggest issue with the new Pro Cycling Manager is the lack of new ideas. There’s a new medium mountain stat for all riders, which does lead to more realistic results in stages that don’t end in massive climbs. The race simulation delivers more realistic results. There are other small improvements but this is in most ways that matter the same game from last year with updated teams, riders, and stages. Developers should seek ways to enhance rider interactions and team management while adding extra tactical nuance to the races.

This does not make the game bad. I will still spend tens of hours trying to win as many races as possible with Trek-Segafredo, while also trying to find young talents that can dominate Le Tour in a few years. Community-made mods will enhance the game in many ways, mainly by adding real names for everyone and by offering more stage variety.

Pro Cycling Manager 2023’s presentation isn’t significantly improved over last year’s installment in the series. The cyclists look decent when they constantly move as they race but podiums and replays show how limited their models are. The developers have improved the interface, especially when it comes to post-stage summaries, but there are still some clunky bits.

The race commentary is the same as in previous versions, interesting for a few stages but then mostly annoying, while the soundtrack is decent but will become repetitive when playing long sessions. Find some good cycling podcasts to replace it or turn to the classic Tour de France album from Kraftwerk.

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