Whilst most of the bullet-point features are subtle tweaks rather than the revolutionary additions of last year, it’s clear that FM2010 has spent an awful lot of time preening itself in front of the mirror, and the resulting brightly-lit UI is a rather inevitable outcome in this age of minimalist design. Vanity it may be, but it’s at least borne out of a desire for functionality; the two concepts are intrinsically linked in the case of management titles - and especially so with a series as complex as this.
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| It might look odd, but it works. | New match analysis tools are available. |
So the biggest additions turn out to be absences. Gone is the dependable sidebar, and in its stead sits a row of tabbed menus gravitating towards the top of the screen. Gone are many of the superfluous links, replaced by nested choices that take an improved stab at breaking down hundreds of options into logical, simple groups. The changes may leave veterans scrambling for familiar footholds, but eventually outstretch any initial confusion to become a natural extension of the series.
And it’s this - more than anything else - that gives FM2010 a much wider appeal than normal. The ability to easily disseminate a barrage of information lies at the core of any simulation, and the well-engineered layout does a vastly superior job at keeping everything noticeable, accessible and presentable. And going further, the same design ethos has made its way into the tactical side of the game, where the construction of strategies and formations is taken to a higher level of intuitiveness.
Getting into the worrying mindset of Rafa, for example, you might want to select Dirk Kuyt as a supporting winger, but then bring on Ryan Babel as an attacking presence in the same position for the last 20 minutes or so. Completing this task in previous versions was possible, but certainly arduous. Simply swapping players never quite worked, and unlocking the full potential of assignable player roles took dedication and patience to tweak specific sliders to precision. All of that depth is still in there, but the new presets cover such a wide-ranging and realistic batch of player behaviours that you’ll rarely need to look outside of them - if at all.
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| The 3D match engine is a little more varied, but also prone to glitches. | The layout is intelligent. |
If you fancy playing Steven Gerrard as deep-lying playmaker for example, select him, tell him to do so, then move him into position. If you fancy sticking Frank Lampard behind the front two as your key playmaker, click, click, and you’re done; and this is at any point before, during, or after the game. It’s such a key development that it beggars belief it wasn’t this easy before.
And with those options available, in-game tactics become more immediate and appealing, and the incentive to run everything at super-speed in commentary-only dissipates. You’re also now able to shout team instructions from the sidelines, change up player behaviours without stopping the game, and take advice from your assistant at any stage. Having played each iteration since 1993, FM2010 certainly feels the least clumsy in its attempts to ingratiate new players – and they’ve finally managed it without the clutter, unnecessarily fiddly tactics and tutorial pop-ups that plagued other versions. Bravo.
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| Quick tactical instructions are invaluable. | Switching up player instructions on the fly is nice and easy. |
Elsewhere, it’s a case of buff and shine without breaking. The core match engine is as dependable as ever, the depth of statistics staggering, and the occasionally-maligned 3D animation has been improved. It’s not quite to the quality that SI will want it to be - we’re a few generations away from something approaching the top of the curve - but progress is being made. With that said, glitches are most prominent in this view and if you’re the kind of player that kicks every ball I’d still advise the 2D layout for maximum immersion.
Outside of Championship Manager’s excellent scouting system then, Football Manager 2010 has left the pitch under a banner that displays yet another convincing scoreline. They had to work much, much harder for this one though, and we should have an interesting few years of competition ahead of us. Just what the genre needed.
FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 VERDICT
Outside of Championship Manager’s excellent scouting system then, Football Manager 2010 has left the pitch under a banner that displays yet another convincing scoreline. They had to work much, much harder for this one though, and we should have an interesting few years of competition ahead of us. Just what the genre needed.
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