Football Manager 2015

Football Manager 2015

Managing Liverpool, the club I support, I signed on winger Juan Cuadrado and striker Jackson Martinez against the advice of my scouts, who are not familiar with South American players. Both combined with Daniel Sturridge (when not injured) to solve Liverpool's goal-scoring problems and win the English Premier League.

Take that, Brendan Rogers.

There are more conversational options with your players and the media. You will find more players asking to talk to you about their first team chances.

Just as in real life, you will be interviewed not only at pre-match press conferences, but also just before the game begins.

Compared with earlier versions, FM 2015 has smoother graphics and more realistic match animation.

However, it still pales in comparison with Fifa or Winning Eleven. Still, the improved 3-D match engines make the build-up play and goal-scoring more believable than ever.

I found that the game seems to favour goals resulting from crosses by the flanks. Having played as a former winger, this sounds great to me. However, for others who prefer going through the middle, you might want to change your tactics.

Probably the best thing about FM 2015 is that each match is different and full of surprises. You have to continually adjust your tactics before and during the course of the match. Use the touchline shout to wake up a player who looks complacent or to make a timely substitution that will swing the match in your favour.

Despite incremental upgrades, FM 2015 retains the addictive gameplay for which the franchise is famed.

If you are a football fan, this is one game you should definitely buy.

trevtan@sph.com.sg

Rating 8/10

- $52.90 (PC, version tested; Mac)

- Football-management simulation


This article was first published on Jan 07, 2015.
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