Football Manager 2018 (PC) Review

No one can doubt the sheer magnitude of the information flowing out of every pore of Football Manager 2018. The amount of stats on every aspect of over 600,000 real life players is an incredible feat of dedication. It is the kind of dedication that marks Sports Interactive's database as one of the world's most renowned; known for powering the transfer strategies of some of the biggest clubs in the land.

One of the headline features of this year's title comes when those stats take shape in the expanded and revamped scouting system. Previously, the onus was on the manager to delegate most, if not all, the responsibilities in order to be successful at finding the best talents. Yes, there was previously assistance from the scouts, but left to their own devices they proved little more than a passive means to throw a whole list of players on the screen, without displaying a realistic portrayal of how a real football side would operate. This has changed in 2018 with, firstly, a more dynamic interface when scouts present a player to the management. A lot more pertinent information is immediately on show which helps determine the scrap from the stars.

The star system, which previously rated players still plays a role in seeing a skin-deep picture of current player ability or potential ability, however, a new number system helps give the budding strategist a much more detailed analysis. Sports Interactive also has successfully got its finger on the pulse of the real life game when it comes to the increasing focus on trends and analysis. Alongside the traditional scouting reports, then, it is possible to request analysis reports that help build a long term picture of the footballer, feeding in historical stats. These kind of deep and rigorous gameplay enhancements are what really give Football Manager 2018 the scope that other sim titles can barely compete with. In a way, it is a shame that the rest of the improvements can't match up to the purpose of the aforementioned.

Take, for example, the new 'dynamics' system. It has a precedent in real life, of course; throughout every team, certain players are influencers and there are cliques that all come together and influence results. The problem, though, is a historic one for the series, in which far too often the result of matches or dramatic losses of form simply seems to come down to one errant word or a falling out with one player. While the player dynamic and team dynamic system, then, if used correctly, could feed into the realism of running a team, too often it is so ham-fisted and binary that things tend to escalate in a completely farcical and over the top way. The new medical system also plays along these lines. It is good that more information is available to give greater transparency into the likelihood of injury and how training is affecting certain players; the level of injuries seems way over the top, though, and one could even cynically suggest that injuries are aggravated simply to make use of the snazzy new screens Sports Interactive has spent time building.

One of the other headline features this year is the improvement to the 3D match engine. Certainly praise has to go to the improved lighting and better animations. Frankly, though, the best news on this front is that the disastrous implementation of the two previous titles' 3D match engine is gone. In 10 hours of gameplay, there was not one occasion where a defender just alarmingly decided to not run after a back pass or where a keeper palmed the ball into his own net. Considering how frequently this plagued the game previously (usually not getting fixed until the New Year), props have to go to the developer for taking on some of the previous mistakes and implementing fixes.

There were one or two crashes experienced during that playtime, but apart from that, performance is remarkably smooth. However, the UI within the match situation has been changed from last year and considering last year's was widely praised as the best in the series, this feels like a retrograde step. With that really comes the end of the new additions to this year and that is a bit of a shame, in all honesty. No significant refinement has been made to tactics; nothing to set pieces or other aspects of building your club.

Worryingly, one of the opening paragraphs of the Steam store page emphasises the "trends on social media." This is one of the ways it feels like Sports Interactive is being side-tracked down the wrong path. Almost any veteran of the series will state that the media (both social and traditional) side of Football Manager just does not interest them. The continuing desire to refine this aspect above other more pressing ones is one of the reasons why it feels sometimes like the franchise is drifting.

Not only does the media interaction generally feel like it is starting to show it's age, but the fact is that most fans have seen through it for the false illusion it is; the illusion of choice and immersion hiding the reality of a system that plays too much into the morale of teams and dictating the way the AI scripts the match outcomes. Saying 'X' to the media too often leads to 'Y' happening.

The best thing Sports Interactive can do is do what any team does when it is flagging a little or the momentum is running out of steam: go back to basics. Enhance the tactics - they have remained the same for a good few years now. Rather than more options for social media, increase the options for building a club in a particular way.