Better games around (FA Premier League Manager 2001 (PC))

Member Name: bananaman

Product:	FA Premier League Manager 2001 (PC)
Date:	06/05/01 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see text

Disadvantages: see text

When it comes to footie sims konami's ISS Pro Evolution beats all of Electronic Arts FIFA offerings.But if there is one thing that EA is good at it's making a footie title that actually looks like the beautiful game.

As you'd expect from EA all the grounds are recreated in incredible detail, the sponsors are authentic and you can even tweak your backroom staff.You can also build a footballing empire with facilities such as a new ground, training centre and hotel.Usefully, you can edit the squad after real life transfers too.

The real strength of the game is the interactivity of the matches.Admittedly it's fairly basic and you can only instruct individual players to do one thing at a tim, but watching a game and making a change that actually works in 3D is highly rewarding.The graphics are functionally low on polygon, but with the latest player celebrations and the sky sports feel is generated with good generic commentary by TV's Martin Tyler and Andy Gray.

The problems that do exist revolve around the lack of statistical depth-in particular the european aspect ,as the foreign leagues are inactive so you can't manage even the biggest clubs.The european sides and players appear to have been hurriedly inserted as shown by the fact that dutch striker Patrick Kluivert is white.I have found that Zinedine Zidane and Kluivert were both happy to a)sign for newcastle and b)accept wages of £5,000 and £3,500 per week.

Worse still even those with a worefully limited footballing knowledge would notice that anyone over 6 foot means they are class in the air.This isn't true in real life as we found out with Tore Andre Flo.

Despite the inadequate search facility.Where scouts don't find foreign players and you cant use a player filter, this is a decent stab at a managemant sim.

Football Manager 2001 boasts up to date english fixtures and players with additional complexity, greater statistical
accuracy and more straight foward menu screens it could have been a championship contender.

Summary: