Over the moon?
It's been a long time since the Football Manager series underwent truly radical changes. In recent years developer Sports Interactive has provided a raft of small yet significant tweaks to refine the experience. This year however, we have the long-awaited 3D match engine, which allows you to see your tactical genius develop on the field of play like never before. It is the game's Robinho feature: a headlining asset, not without inherent weaknesses, but providing plenty of excitement to keep fans welded to their seats.
Although admittedly, keeping people in front of their PC screens has never been a problem for the Football Manager series. Because if you're familiar with this incredibly realistic, hugely in-depth football management simulation, you will no doubt have experienced many 3am finishes as you feverishly mastermind a cup run or doggedly pursue that elusive striker who wants ten grand a week more than you're prepared to offer. But being able to watch the matches unfold in full 3D, rewinding and pausing the action whenever you like, will make those late finishes even more frequent. The 2D engine is still available for traditionalists but it can't quite portray the white-knuckle thrill of a penalty shoot-out in round three of the Carling Cup like the TV-style coverage can.
Engine room
The engine, built by Sega of Japan for Football Manager 2009, isn't quite perfect though. Goalkeepers are a particular sticking point, often appearing faintly silly as they scamper across goal rather than diving - they also seem to have problems with certain types of shot, their butter-fingered behaviour more reminiscent of a Gomes than a Buffon. Set-pieces don't always work as they should either and the game can sometimes grind to a halt as a result. But all is forgiven when you see your winger shrugging off a challenge to deliver a pinpoint cross onto the head of your striker who buries it into the top corner.
Your assistant manager provides useful feedback, re-evaluating your tactics, hinting at substitutions and suggesting weak areas in the opposition's team.
Of course every good boss needs a reliable right-hand man and the game's assistant manager feature has also been massively improved. This computer controlled coach used to provide scouting advice and a few hints on player form when asked, while also taking care of any game elements you weren't interested in. In Football Manager 2009 he provides more useful pro-active feedback, even during a match, re-evaluating your tactics, hinting at possible substitutions and suggesting weak areas in the opposition's team. This can really make the difference between three glorious points and ignoble failure - and feels so much more authentic than burying your head in the match stats.
Playing the field
Elsewhere, you'll engage in Fergie-esque mind games with opposing managers, running to the tabloids and belittling your forthcoming opponents a few days before a key feature. You'll also get the chance to fend off difficult questions from the media during the pre- and post-match press conferences, justifying the dodgy performance of your new £40m signing to keep him from going off the rails (in Football Manager 2009, every player has a complex personality which genuinely shapes their playing style). It's surprising how effective your words can be - a squad of has-beens and never-weres can be inspired to giant-killing exploits, while big names may become overconfident and lackadaisical, sloppily conceding possession because you've been bigging them up to the press.
The player database is so exhaustive, Everton have paid for the rights to use it as a real-life scouting tool!
FM veterans will notice plenty of other minor adjustments here and there - such as the ability to train individual players in specialist skills, or the new window for transfer rumours where you can catch up on what the tabloids are touting as the next big move. And of course, the mammoth Football Manager 2009 player database, built around real statistics provided by thousands of scouts all over the world, is bang up to date, with over 350,000 professionals all present and accounted for. Indeed, it's so exhaustive, Everton have paid for the rights to use it as a real-life scouting tool!
Early doors
Fundamentally, Football Manager 2009 is what it's always been - a hugely realistic simulation of the footie business. The added bonus of a 3D match engine which, while imperfect, is only going to get better and better in future iterations. Whether that's enough to bring in new fans remains to be seen. But for those of us who have been addicted to Sports Interactives' series for the last decade, it's the most thorough, the most feature-packed and the most life-stealing instalment yet. Really, this is all any football fan needs to make it through another long, dark British winter...
GAME's Verdict
- Brand new 3D engine makes matches more fun to watch.
- Press conferences offer more detailed media interaction.
- Assistant manager is a big help - especially to series newcomers.
- The match engine can be glitchy and unpredictable.
- There are a few small bugs that need patching.
- Still a little inaccessible for some.
Review by: Keith 'The Gaffer' Stuart
Version Tested: PC
Review Published: 21.11.08