Football Manager 2008 is the latest update from SEGA on its ever popular football manager simulator. This is the third outing for the series on the Xbox 360 and promises over 100 new features including some Xbox 360 exclusives. Can this year prove that football simulators have a firm place in the console market or should they remain on the PC where it all started ? Find out inside. . . .

This new version of the game includes a new and improved skin for the game which does make for easier and quicker navigation of the menus and various screens in the game. There is also a new calendar system and notebook improvements to help and guide you through the earlier stages of the game and to help new managers get off the ground.

Some improvements have also been made to the game play itself to improve the game and to make it more realistic to play.  You can new find out first hand what the club and fans feel about your management skills. You have more control over the clubs finances and can make more decisions about where much needed improvements can be made within the clubs budget.  Also a first is the new tactics and subs menu where substitutions and tactics can be changed during the match via a new menu within the game.

Before getting into the action you need to set yourself up with a league which can take some time. This can either be done manually or you can use the in game set-up wizard. You can have upto three leagues present in one season from nearly all teams in the world’s major leagues. Then after a few more options and setting including dates and times your Xbox will generate a game for you. This can take anything from 3 to ten min’s. It seems to be random in the time it takes to load but then you can get straight into the action.

On your first play through the game you then have more settings to change. You need to create a manger for you to play through the game using. You get to set your name, age, nationality, favourite team and, if you have a Vision Camera, can also take a picture of yourself which will be displayed on some screens.  This only has to be completed once as this info can carry over to any new games created.

Now you can actually start to play the game. For those of you who have never played Football manger games on the Xbox you will be ok but PC users may struggle at first. There have been vast improvements since the previous game because the control systems felt slightly mish mash and thrown together.  The improvements have made this game feel more solid and more like an Xbox game and not a cheap PC port.  If you keep forgetting what button does what you can hit the back button to see a controller layout.

Another new addition is the Wizard function which is basically like that annoying Paper Clip on Microsoft Office. Every time you encounter a new screen or menu it pops up with advice. This can be turned off because sometimes it just becomes annoying.

Your inbox is the key to controlling your club. Both on and off the pitch. They key to being successful is to win matches on the pitch but you must also look after your club off the pitch. These include transfer dealings, squad condition, chairman and fan opinion. Any interaction with players, staff or the media will also be sent to your inbox for you to view

The first email you will receive is from your chairman telling you what is expected of you as a manager. Your budget will be confirmed and you will be told that a higher level of success may result in additional funds for your campaign. You also can apply for addition money for things like youth training. You will receive regular emails from the chairman telling you about everything from overall performance right down to individual player performance. This can be useful in making changes to your squad to keep the fans and club happy.

Above all winning matches is the key to success but you need to make constant changes to your squad in order to achieve this. You need to be constantly training your players to improve the level of fitness in your squad. Getting rid of players who are not playing is a good way to make some quick cash and to reduce your wage bill. This also helps to keep the chairman happy. You may have trouble selling some players who haven’t played much because they have been out the public eye for so long. If another club approaches you to buy one of your better players this can affect the player’s performance especially if the club is far better than yours. Most players may jump at the chance to leave but some players will be loyal to your club.

Signing players is an arduous task. You can find players by looking through the masses of players in the database or reading the news flashes. Even then the task isn’t simple.  Sometimes certain attributes will not be listed so you could sign a player who spends most of his time fighting injuries off the pitch. Most clubs do not want to let there players go. You have to offer maybe fifty percent more than the asking price in order to secure a deal.

Once the club agrees to the terms of the sale you can then negotiate with the player to complete. You can offer a variety of incentives including wages, bonuses ect.  If the player agrees to these terms then providing all the paper work goes through. You have yourself a deal. There is some satisfaction in signing a player due to all that’s involved in it. This process is easier if you are just re-negotiating a contract because they are more than likely to agree to your terms.

The match experience itself is an all round better experience. You need to talk to the press and submit your final team before a pre match discussion to fire up your team. This comes from a list of random phrases some of which mean little but it seems to work for lots of player. You can talk to each player or to the whole team.

During the match you have a sort of ticker type menu bringing information up much like the internet update sites. This is coded to your team so you can see what is relevant to yourself. This can be viewed after the match as a full transcript.

You watch the same screen as the tactics one but you can now watch your players (dots) moving around on the screen following the ball. You can also adjust tactics and player positions whilst the game is being player from a pop up menu. This gives more of a real manager type feeling to the game. Another nice feature is being able to see the results of the other games in the league being played whilst you’re watching your game. At half time you can talk to your players again, either to inspire them or to congratulate them so far. After the game you can see the chairman’s thoughts and any injuries that may have occurred during the match.

That’s basically the game. You do the same each week making small or large changes. You can be as in depth as you want.

Graphics

The game itself is simple with easy to use menus and good in match options. The game plays very well and although you spend most of your time looking at dots moving around it really draws you into the game. The main thing is the fact that the menus work really well and help the game move quickly and smoothly.

Sound

There is literally no sound in the game. No background music in the menus and no music during the match. You can hear the crowd cheer every now and then but that’s it.

Online Gameplay

Online games can be between 2 and 8 player. You can also view a world leader board to see where you stand The only problem is finding a game to play. I never could find and one else online. Surly I don’t own the only copy in the world ? If you mate has this it could be good but other than that its almost non existent online.

Overall

If you already bough this game more than likely you know what to expect and your already a fan of the game itself. That being the case you will probably love the game and have many seasons of action. If your buying this game for an easy boost to your gamerscore I wouldn’t bother. Most of the achievements will take months to play and you will never get the online ones. The game is easy to pick up and play but it does become slightly predictable and boring after a while. 

I would recommend this game to fans of the series but if your new to the game it may impress you for a short while but can get old fast.

Game Play 6/10
Graphics 6/10
Sound 2/10
Multiplayer 2/10
Life Span 5/10

Total - 21/50

= 42%

Football Manager 2008 = F

Ben Mcfadden - Console Central