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DJ PagesFOOTBALL MANAGER 2008
Football Manager 2008 -
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Negatives
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Full Review
Football Manager 2008 returns with this new iteration, boasting an update with substantial improvements in almost every department and a completely re-vamped experience of the International Management. The new Match Confidence adds an extra layer to an already in-depth powerful simulation but is this the best Football Manager thus far?
The gameplay is top notch and delivers a realistic experience regardless of what team you choose to play as and is extremely flexible to the style of Football you want your team to adopt. Want a possession-dominating team that has the best defensive record in the country? No problem. Fancy challenging Arsenal to their supreme one-touch counter attack pressing football? No problem. The tactic screen is welcoming and although largely untouched from previous titles, is one of the best parts of this game.
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The New Match Confidence is challenging but useful |
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The Confidence System, as mentioned earlier, provides a challenging and sometimes frustrating layer of gameplay to the user and is broken down into different sections where the fans are continuously assessing your ability as a manager. The board also play a part in this section and have requirements you must achieve otherwise you will be sacked.
The system is broken down into different sections including fan's reactions to new signings, how happy they were with the latest matches and the board's reaction to the state of your finances. This new dimension to Football Manager will have mixed reactions to players but generally it moves the series forward with more feedback than ever before from the people that matter-the fans.
On top of the Confidence System is a 'Match Preview' screen. It's a nice touch but the lack of different phrases from the 'Outcome' section is disappointing and you may well find yourself skipping this section to go straight to the match.
The Match Engine has been slightly changed in this version and is, on the most part, smooth and quick. However, the biggest problem with the match engine is the minor bug with disallowed goals. On Average, I found myself having a goal disallowed almost every match.
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Goals fly in all the time on FM2008 |
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On the same topic, I found it extremely rare to not score or concede a goal every match and found finishing the match 0-0 was an extremely rare feat. Although this makes the game more enjoyable, it detracts from the experience slightly.
A range of new and improved features have been added including a welcome 'Wizard' which acts like the paperclip from Microsoft Word with helpful guidance to guide new players gently into the daunting world of Football Management.
On top of this, the International Management section has been completely re-vamped with the option to view Premiership Matches and look out for the in-form players in the country and keep track of all the talented youngsters progressing through the ranks. It's a nice touch but in my opinion still needs a lot of work.
The graphics are still rendered in 2D which might put some players off but to make up for this, Sports Interactive have added face pictures for the majority of well-known players and random computer-generated pictures for new players and youth players that aren't in the real world. It's a nice touch and its pulled off brilliantly here.
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Generated in-game players are given a special face-pic |
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The Sound is the biggest factor that drags this game down, or lack thereof I should say. The only Sounds you'll find here are the generated crowd cheers that don't differentiate. For a game this big though, it isn't a crucial factor and can be ignored with the gameplay as in-depth as it is.
There's enough new features in this update from FM2007 to keep the hardcore fans happy and new fans alike. However, I have found that loading times can detract from the experience as you may find yourself sitting through more loading screens than you would like.
Regardless of the lack of sound, 2D graphics and sometimes too-long loading screens, the experience of being a Football Manager is still here and includes all the frustration, anticipation, heartbreak and excitement the modern game delivers. Until FM2009 appears on shelves, this simulation game is sure to last a long time and the replay-ability is limitless with an enormous number of teams, an excellent tactics system and new level of challenge with the Match Confidence system.
Football Manager 2008 is one of the more impressive simulation games out there and if football is your thing, this is the holy grail you've been looking for!
Conclusion Scores
Graphics -
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Story -
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Gameplay -
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Updates from Previous Series -
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Sound -
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Lasting Appeal -
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Overall Score -
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