"CM03/04 is the best football sim/strategy game out there"
User Rating: 8.5 | Championship Manager: Season 03/04 PC
When I first came upon the Championship Manager series I would have to admit that I was overwhelmed. I also thought that there was no way I could get any enjoyment out of a seemingly simple text-based game. Later I found a deep and complex strategy game that covered all the angles of the football world. Championship Manager 4 took the series to a whole new level with a 2D match engine, a complicated training system, and many other features (see my review of CM4). Championship Manager 03/04 offers more of the same with an updated training system, updated rosters etc. There are two main differences between CM03/04 and its predecessor. The first difference is in regards to the training schedule. The training schedule in CM4 was one of the most talked about and most frustrating aspects to CM4. In CM03/04, it has been altered, but it still is definitely not easier. The second improvement would be in relation to tactics. In CM4, certain “super” tactics developed making mince-meat out of opponents, those tactics, however, do not work in CM03/04 (perhaps, new ones will develop though). The 2D match engine looks the same and I wouldn’t mind to see them go a step further with it by next instalment. I was also quite disappointed that no work had been done in improving the sound of the game which I would conclude to be the game’s weakest point. Aside from the above and an updated roster, CM03/04 differs only slightly to its predecessor. Nevertheless, CM03/04 is the best football sim/strategy game out there and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the best overall sports sim/strategy game as well.
