eperdos

Football management game market is very small. In fact only two competitors are actually fighting for supremacy, Football Manager (FM) and Fifa Manager (FifaM). The conservatives always choose FM, for it`s well known depth and complexity. The so called casul gamer rather choose FifaM, for it`s easier learning curve, better visuals and huge licensed clubs, players and competitions. I am a long enough player to be called conservative but still I always choose FifaM, for more than 8 years, since every year, FM dissapoints in the only reason I play a football management game: actual match simulation. FM has yet to achieve quality in this regard, while FifaM rely on it`s FIFA engine to simulate in 3D the match..... Now, 3D beeing the strongest point to favor FifaM, hasn`t been substantialy improved since 2008 edition. Actually, since 2008, neither one of the game`s iterations had a playable 3D mode. Stupid AI, lack of strategical CPU actions, no use of the tactical settings by the CPU, shallow default gameplay enerved most of 3D lovers to the point where community made GamePlayPatches (gpp) became the only solution for watchable and even great gameplay in 3D mode..... Last year gameplay was misarable but still many gpp delivered a very good 3D mode. This bringed hope among the veterans that Bright Future developers will take greater effort into 3D mode development and deliver a near to perfection 3D mode just out of the box..... Dreams!!! Bright Future again chose to focus on new features and 3D mode remained very similar to last year`s 3D. Yet, it has to be said, similar but better. 3D mode is not stupid anymore but remained shallow..... This fact and the poor support from Bright Future towards its customers concluded in some sort of reaction from the community. International community is not supported at all, or very slightly, even english site is seldomly updated. International forum hasn`t seen any post from a developer in months. Brigt Future marketed their product mainly for german market and offer support mostly for german customers. Please observe the only acceptable reviews are from german speaking countries..... Many if not most of international veteran fans of the series are boicoting this year`s game by not buying it. My advice goes in the same direction. If anyone wants to play FifaM, choose Fifa Manager 12 and install one of many gpp to be found in the forum, at 3D gameplay patches subforum (look for pinuccio`s gpp Julia). This way, you`ll get a much cheaper game, with better 3D mode and a huge collection of fan made mods..... Fifa Manager 13 doesn`t deserve 50 euros and I wouldn`t recommend it even for a fantastic sale. Maybe a 10 euros price would make me considering it, but probably just considering it, not actually buying it! ..... My rating is 3 / 10

This is surely the best game in the series, next to 06 and 08 editions. For what is most important in this game, it provides a near to a logical and chalanging experience - though not without issues - . Training is back from old edition and mixed into a good, easy to understand but chalanging to master aspect of the game. Tactics are same as last year, but what it counts is that they impact the 3D. Budgets are improved and better calculated. These are all important feature that beneficaly impact the game. Also very important is the in general AI is improved and so CPU managed clubs are better coordinated, they improve facilities, stadium, buy or sell player according to logical planning. There are also other small small improvements like community features and others. Well, there is also a downside, as this game is not perfect. In 3D, it happens that players defend badly, without any reason to do so, ball hit the post too often. Nothing changed tactically, so you can`t order a player individually to short pass or to look for a specific target, other than that selected for the whole team. Small things don`t work as intended, as quick formation and you can`t personally calculate the budget any more. Overall this is an enjoying game, challanging enough, is fun to play, has extended database and with community help, is the most accurate football enciclopedia ever.

this is indeed a playable fifa. tactical moves of players are logic and quite similar to what you would see in real football. the gameplay is fluent and ball control is really up to expectations. of course , it is a port from consoles and we, PC players, don`t really appreciate this but this is alot better then last years fifa. play it for a while and you`ll see, it is not as repetitive as you would expect. and AI is really intelligent. I would say this is a football game to have.