I'm the boss now! (FIFA Manager 09 (PC))

Member Name: paulhanton

Product:	FIFA Manager 09 (PC)
Date:	11/12/08 (627 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great game play, great fun.

Disadvantages: Addictive and time consuming.

FIFA Manager 09

DVD for PC

EA Sports

It was my birthday last week and my wife bought me this game as she thought I had last year's version (08). I didn't, I had FIFA Manager 07, which I have to say I was not that impressed with, having owned all the previous incarnations and not liking last years much....all got a bit samey.

This years version, helpful called 09, though released in 08 takes us through the 08/09 football season.

Lets get the techie bit out the way. This is quite a hungry game, if you have Vista you will need a 2.8mhz processor, 2MB RAM, 128MB Video card and some decent screen resolution capabilities plus 3.42 GB Hard Drive.....slightly less than all this if you are using Windows XP (it will not run on less than XP).


~~~The Game~~~

The game comes as a DVD, very easily loaded up with the obligatory registration, a decent enough manual gets you started, but after that it is very much learn as you go.

Lets be clear this is not a game where you control a football match, you control the management aspects which include (dependent on the level you play at and the role you take), but are not restricted to:

* Team selection (1st team, reserves team and youth teams)
* Tactics
* Team orders
* Individual orders
* Roles (free kicks etc.)
* Construction (medical centre, training pitches etc.)
* Finances (wages, advertising, merchandising etc.)
* Objectives
* Transfers
* Discipline
* Hiring and firing of staff
* Wages and contracts
* Bonuses, commitment levels
* National team coaching (if good enough)
* Player talks
* Media
* Fans

Much, much more, but you get my drift, basically you are the manager and you can hire such staff as coaches and finance directors and assign them roles to take some pressure off you.

There are of course different difficulty levels dependent on how you want to play. These include options where you never face the sack (coward's option in my opinion).

There are a serious amount of home and European leagues as well as other leagues such as Asian Leagues. Personally I play my favourite team, Spurs, and then play a lower league side and try and get them to the Premiership.

A particularly good game option is to start a new, fictitious club, which can be based pretty much anywhere; home town is always favourite, lol.

There is a great area which you must not forget......your home life....I just got a really hard time for forgetting my wifes birthday (this is in the game by the way, not real life), and you can use your wages to buy things such as cars, houses and even golf lessons, lol.


~~~The Gameplay~~~

You have to go through the season (and between seasons) controlling the above aspects and playing games. Basically a calendar tells you that a game is coming, be it leagues, cup or European and you then have to select a team and get a game plan together.

When match day arrives you may get the instant results, watch highlights or see the whole game in 3D. You have the option at various points dependent on which viewing option you take, to substitute players, alter the tactics, give team talks and set differing levels of commitment etc. Personally I watch important games and get the instant results for other games.

There are numerous Gameplay options, such as what you want to see (news reports etc.) and whether you want music and so on. It would be pointless to start to explain all this here as it would take a couple of thousand words, but believe me; you get a lot of options for the money (around £20).

As well as controlling the team it is pretty great to see your individual players and the team as a whole raise its skill levels, and you can help this along with some clever individual or team training plans, or by hiring top coaches such as fitness coaches.

The graphics are good but not spectacular, though as this is a management game that is no bad thing, the game engine concentrates more on the database like capabilities.


~~~My Opinion~~~

I like it; I have been playing it every day for the last week or so. I like the 'involvement', I like the little touches like choosing kit colours, like having chats with players to boost their morale and/or confidence levels. I love seeing my team win (of course).

Okay, here's the catch, it is easy to cheat. Well, not exactly cheat, but this is what I do. Save the game before a match, if you lose, replay it with slightly different parameters; team tactics, team selection etc. There is a pretty sure fire way to win a match and I will not spoil things for you by telling you, but once you find out, use it sparingly, or risk financial ruin!!

The only thing I do not like is the product placement in the game; The Sun Newspaper and Hyundai cars to name but two, but it's no biggie, I suppose it represents real life in a way.


~~~Finally~~~
I am pretty glad I got this game as a pressie, though it is taking me away from productive Dooyoo review time.....I played till 3am this morning, but I am in the UEFA Cup Final with Spurs, and I really hope I can win it....big money bonus for the team, and the added kudos needed to enable bigger signings in the summer transfer window, lol.

Though of course I will then have to build a bigger and better stadium, which will increase revenue and then, and then, and then................

Summary: FIFA Manager 09.