Soccer (or football, depending on what part of the world you live in) games have become quite popular in recent years, thanks in part to the explosion of EA’s FIFA series.

Other soccer games, such as PES, have seen good times and bad times. Football Manager 2019, which differs greatly from some of the other games previously mentioned, is out, and we here at SGO are going to take a look at it and see if it’s worth a buy.

Football Manager 2019

For those unfamiliar with the Football Manager franchise, it differs from FIFA and PES as the player is unable to actually play soccer. Rather, it is a simulation-only game that allows the player to become the manager of a team. Players are able to make lineup changes, arrange friendlies, negotiate contracts in a similar managers that managers can in professional soccer.

The game features leagues from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, including Major League Soccer, the English Premier, La Liga, and, just added to this year’s game, the Bundesliga. So, if you want to take control of Arsenal after the departure of Arsene Wenger and try to bring them back to glory, now’s your chance. If you don’t want to choose a team but would rather create your own squad, that’s an option as well.

Can’t Say This Game Isn’t Realistic

Football Manager’s ability to put players in the place of field managers is one of the major pluses in this year’s game. One doesn’t just set the lineup for each game, but managers can also set training sessions for players (with over 40 different ones to choose from), target transfers to add to your team, and deal with agents to negotiate contracts.

Managing your team goes beyond negotiating contracts and managing lineups, however. Dealing with players’ personalities and motivating them is also a part of a manager’s job, and this is also a key component of managing your team. If a player gets hurt, you can meet with them to keep their morale up during their recovery process. You even talk to your team before, during, and after the game to motivate them. Just be careful what you say, because the wrong words could lower the morale of your team.

If you want even more realism, FM 19 also puts managers in the hot seat with the media. Gamers will have to answer questions from the press on their team, rumors surrounding their players and potential acquisitions, putting gamers in the shoes of managers who have to deal with the media on a daily basis.

And you’re not just in the hot seat with the media. Fans on your social media feed will sound off on your team and make their voice heard. Managers must also make the front office and the owners happy to keep your job secure. You have a lot to constituents to handle, so you better keep them happy if you want to hold on to your job.

Game Presentation is Fun and Detailed

If you want to manage your team during matches, you can certainly do that. Not only can players watch their team play, but they also can change schemes and make substitutions in-game to ensure their team claims victory.

Managers can watch games in their entirety, or let the game simulate it and just watch major highlights from the game. To add more realism to the broadcast of games, Football Manager has introduced Video Assistant Referees (VAR) and goal-line technology to make it appear as if you’re actually watching a real-life match.

New Players Get Introduced Easily

Even though I’ve played many simulation-based sports games, this was my first time playing Football Manager. It wasn’t too hard to acclimated to the game, and part of that is thanks to the new “Inductions” system in the game.

FM 19 gives new and inexperienced players tutorials on how to use some of the functions of the game, such as how to add training to players, and how to manage your squad. Even if you have previously played Football Manager before, this function could be helpful if you are having trouble with the new features.

What Could Be Improved

For me, there weren’t really any major issues with the game. There are some minor pieces I would have improved on, with one of them being the player rating system. FM 19 does give 1-5 star ratings to a player’s overall and potential, but each individual skill is rated on a 1-20 scale. I would like to see a move to a 1-99 scale, just because that’s more in line with some of the other soccer games and is more familiar to people.

Another aspect I would improve upon is to give the player the ability to simulate games quicker. You can skip through games, but that would require you to go on vacation. Giving players the option to simulate games and let the CPU manage to the end and go over the stats rather than manage every detail of the game could be something that would appeal to gamers that want to play at a faster pace.

Overall Impressions

As a whole, this game is a lot of fun to play. This game does a strong job of making it as realistic as possible, and is very detailed-orientated to appeal to the biggest soccer fans. If you’re looking for a game that gives you control, but at the same time easy to navigate, this game might be for you.

Verdict

Football Manager gives players a detailed playing experience, allowing them to experience what it’s like to manage your own soccer (or football) team. As long as you’re not looking to actually play soccer, this game is exciting and worth the buy.