Football Manager 2006 review

Football Manager 2005 was the best and most consuming football management game available on any platform, as its wealth of statistics and detailed features set it apart from any other game of its type.

Its many fans have been eagerly awaiting the 2006 version, and they won't be disappointed: Football Manager 2006 boasts a range of new and updated features that makes it even more addictive than the original.

At first glance, Football Manager 2006 doesn't seem much different from its predecessor. A slightly refreshed interface and updated statistics seem to be all that's on offer. However, after playing it for a while, the new features and improvements start to become a bit more obvious.

First off, the game's developer has addressed one of the 2005 version's main flaws - namely its inaccessibility to beginners. The countless drop-down menus and buttons seemed like an endless maze that could take you a few days to find your way around. Football Manager 2006's ingenious new tutorial mode, on the other hand, allows the new user to bypass the awkward learning period and get straight into the game. At the touch of a button, you get an explanation of every detail or menu on the screen. Even experienced Football Manager addicts can make use of this feature, as it also offers advice on the best course of action for your current situation. This is a massive improvement on the previous title.

The player training section has also been made more user friendly - not only for beginners, but for Football Manager veterans as well.

The revamped player-injury system will delight fans of the game. Now, when a player is injured, you can decide on how to treat them. For example, if a player breaks a bone in their foot, you have the choice of sending them to a specialist, or risking giving them painkilling injections that would allow them to get through the next game, but might injure them further. This allows you much greater control over your team than in the previous version of the game, where the player was simply ruled out for a set amount of time.

The Tactical section has also been updated, boasting new options such as time wasting and player-position swaps. Moreover, you can now shout in-game tactics from the touchline, rather stopping the match and then entering the detailed tactics screen. This allows the flow of the game to continue uninterrupted and adds greatly to the sense of realism.

Another nice touch is that you can now give your players team talks at half-time and at the end of the match. There are a number of options that will affect your team's performance in the game and their morale, depending on the one you choose. Although this is a nice idea, it's often difficult to determine whether your comments to the team are making any significant difference.

Unfortunately, despite the in-game tutorial, when your team isn't performing well, it can be extremely difficult to know exactly what you can do to change this. This is due to the almost-infinite possibilities. As a result, the game does occasionally become a victim of it's own depth and detail.

Don't let this put you off, though, as despite its complexity and difficulty, once you've mastered it, Football Manager 2006 will bring you hours of pleasure - and threaten to destroy your social life altogether.

The system requirements aren't too high, either, despite the unthinkably large database of statistics. This means the game is accessible to those of you who don't have top-of-the-range Macs.