Football Manager 2008: Best management game on the market (Football Manager 2008 (PC))

Member Name: rbjg_1990

Product:	Football Manager 2008 (PC)
Date:	18/08/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fully licensed players and leagues, good flexibility allowing for complex tactical decisions

Disadvantages: too many bugs ruin the game

I've always been a huge fan of the football manager series since back in the days when it was known as Championship Manager, so purchasing the latest offering was a no brainer.
The game allows you to take control of a football club of your choice as manager. The game offers almost all leagues from around the world in 50 different countries, and you can even be manager of a national team. Simple selct the team you would like to be manager of and your in the hotseat, the person who can bring success to the club.
The game is fully licensed. This means all players, clubs and even managers and backroom staff are the same as people in real life. So if you've ever fancied signing up Kaka to Manchester United, then this could be your chance. As well as this, you have all major competitions, from the champions league the the FA Trophy, once again all fully licensed
You can do almost anything you can do as a real life football manager in this game, including signing new players and choosing the winning formation. However, be careful with your clubs money or the chairman won't be happy! You can see how well you're doing as manager from the club confidence screen, which will show your board of directors and fans opinion on what you're doing for the team. Also, you will have the chance to win Manager Of The Month at the end of each month, and your players can also win awards for Player or Young Player of the month. You even have the chance to win these awards at the end of each season.
The match engine continues with the 2D match view, allowing you to see your players score goals for yourself. But probably the best new feature is the introduction of real time tactical changes, allowing you to make substitutions and change your tactics from a new split screen while the match continues, making you feel like your shouting the orders from the side lines!
There is one major problem with the game though that has been seen in every football manager to date: bugs. And there appear to be more than ever in this one. Most notable is you goalkeeper taking your kick off, leaving you with no goalkeeper for a considerable length of time. As well as this, game crashes and strange board decisions are also common.
The game is a strong offering from Sports Interactive as they continue to build on their franchise. But with all the bugs, the game feels like it was rushed out and released to shops purely for profit.

Summary: A good effort, but some more time for the game to be tested properly would've made it much better