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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
A Close Second, 29 April 2003
Whilst Championship Manager is the undeniable standard bearer of the football management sims, this latest addition in the line of contenders to the crown doesn't fall far short of the top level.Everyone is familiar with the general format of these games, so you should know roughly what to expect when starting off here. Initially you may find yourself overwhelmed by the options you are faced with on the opening screen, but before long the controls become second nature, as is usual with these sort of games. The limitations of this game are countered by some interesting elements not common in your average management sim. Whilst choice is limited at first in terms of the teams you can manage (it's merely a domestic choice, no overseas leagues here), you will have the control of a full three squads at a single club, reserve and youth team management is a good inclusion here. I found it particularly heartening as manager of Everton to look in my youth team and find Wayne Rooney waiting to be given his chance. My main problem with the format is that the actual match play in the game, whilst very well presented in it's detail, is somewhat forced upon you. Unlike games such as LMA, you can't skip watching the match in favour of some in-depth post match analysis. This slows the game down somewhat, but with the wealth of information available at your fingertips, it's never likely that you'd be able to rush through the season! If you're looking for a management sim that can give you CM style depth without actually being CM, this is the game you want, and like it's more famous cousin, this game could stand as pride of place in your games collection for many years to come.
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