And is there something missing from this screen too?!Īnd with that, it brings me onto the final fixture: Switch compatibility. In isolation, these issues can be forgiven as minor inconveniences but collectively, they reiterate my stance that the game doesn’t feel as refined as it should.Īll of this in handheld with touch screen controls just isn’t all that accessible. Hopefully you are though, because aside from the aforementioned lack of polish in the visual department, there are also a number of bugs which mar the experience somewhat.Īmong other problems, my first season in charge conjured moments where pre-game commentary stated there were players in my starting eleven that weren’t buttons remained on screen as I navigated to a new one the Assistant Manager continued to recommend substitutions even when all subs had been used, and one that would get even Klopp’s blood boiling: a fixture change resulted in my team playing three games in six days. If you are happy purchasing FM2021 Touch purely for an updated roster of players, new kits, and a few tweaks here and there, then it is likely you aren’t even reading this review. With that in mind, it really does drill down to what your expectations are.

Is there something missing from this team sheet or is that just me? It emphasises just how well the development team have honed their craft over the years, and for those seeking an up-to-date, stats driven management simulation in all its traditional glory, there’s nothing else out there that does what this game does. From hovering over the icon next to a player to inform you of their status without navigating convoluted menus, to checking if you still want to make the substitutions you had planned before your team scored against the run of play, and even prompts to provide a team talk before a big game. There are a number of deft touches that make the experience both fluid and accessible. They lack detail, polish and personality, ruining any chances of immersion in the sim from anything but a tactical perspective.Īlthough this may be a realistic account of how close I’ve got to watching a live game this season, I don’t think it’s quite what they were going for.Īt this point, it really does go without saying that the tactical side of FM2021 Touch is a delight. There’s never been a truer word said, and the visuals during matches in this year’s edition can’t be defended either. Our Production Manager, Oliver Roderick, reviewed FM2020 Touch last year and said that ‘everything on the visual front feels extremely low-budget and while it may be a valid response to suggest that the meat and potatoes of this game is actually in its tactical element, that no improvement has been made year on year isn’t really something which can be honestly defended’. Whilst the former two may be true, the latter two are just a little bit more subjective. It also states that the graphics and visuals have been improved and that ‘matchdays are like you’ve never seen them before’. From the main menu you can access a page that tells you what’s new in FM2021 Touch, and here it cites that analysis and statistics have seen improvements, as too has the end of season experience. Now, that’s not to say that this game hasn’t made improvements – far from it. Instead, we are left wondering just how far back we would have to go to find signs that the game released this year is any different to those released before it. Thirty iterations of the same management sim formula, and we should be on to a winner. Couple that with its previous history as Championship Manager, dating back to 1992, and you’ve got a game that’s been around for almost 30 years.įree flowing football has been stunted by a strategy commonly referred to as ‘parking the visuals.’ Why should we part with our hard-earned cash so soon after the last instalment? Football Manager falls firmly into this category, not least because there has been a release under its current guise every year since 2005. Like it or lump it, games that iterate each year can often be subjected to the harshest of scrutiny. The weight of expectation is where this review begins.

They also expected me to lift the FA and EFL cups too, but alas… Granted, I retained the Premier League title and lifted the Champions League, but the board expected that of me. A season of missed opportunities, what ifs and almost there’s. As the dust settled on my first season in charge of the mighty reds, I reflected on what should have been.

Football manager 2021 switch