Football Manager PSP - The Thrill of Victory on a Bus
For people of a certain age (well, my age) if you consider the current FM games as a continuity of the old Championship Manager the games hit something near the perfect pitch between detail and stats and simple fun with the CM 00/01 game and CM 3. Afterwards things become more complicated. To its credit the series did not develop the countless issues with micro-management that could so easily have plagued it, but for every fan delighted to see the results of three hours spent tweaking his team's training regime there was one who would trade their mother for something better than a one all draw.
This is where the PSP comes in. If you want the latest statfest (and despite what I've been writing those games are very very good, and a lot of fun with enough patience) you can get Football Manager 5 for PC/Mac or the Xbox 360.* If you like the concept and the engine however and yearn for an experience that while still fun is a little less punishing the PSP version could be for you.
The game of course is significantly stripped down. The list of attributes available for individual players is limited to what fits on the screen and the basics have been kept. There is no 2D match engine to watch your players in action, just the older commentary system. Nice touches like responding to media criticism or acclaim and comparing the stats of two players directly are also missing. The instructions you can give your players is also more limited, although you can (again, similar to the CM 00/01 game) tell them to hold up the ball, man mark, take long shots and so on.
Technically, things like framerates are not an issue in a game like this. Load times are fine, and I do not use the word 'fine' in some kind of PSP context. Generally I find load times on the PSP awful but they're pretty good here. When seasons end and the like there is some processing time but it really is no deal breaker. Battery life is also pretty good and though I've seen six hours listed, I've often played for fairly long periods over a few days and been surprised at how long it took for it to die.
Here's some quick comments on the GS categories (all marks out of ten):
Gameplay - 9
The interface is very, very good. Some people may miss the 2D match engine but the commentary engine is just fine. For the best view of what's going on in the game there is a simple possession bar with some stats overhead, or the classic player-ratings screen for both teams, with players from each team all on screen with their ratings out of ten, changing as the game develops. Purchasing and selling players is simplistic but effective. It's not too easy to get the guy you want, it's not too hard to offload someone as long as a club is genuinely interested. My one major gripe is that there are no custom formations though the ones on offer are fairly general and useful. I still give it a high score for gameplay as the interface is just so intuitive and suitable to the PSP.
Graphics - 7
There's not a lot to do here but the game looks nice. The menus are fine and quite intuitive. The interface never looks cluttered and everything is very clear and not confusing.
Sound - 1
There is no sound. There is one theme tune somewhere and a clicking noise for selecting menus. However if this is the trade-off for longer battery life in a game like this it's worth it. It is a game that makes one wish for an Xbox-style ability to play music off the memory stick while playing games, actually.
Value - 8
I give it an 8 for value because although you can get lost in the game for a very long period of time and can change the game experience completely with the choice of team (AC Milan followed by Sheffield Wednesday) there is no online play, which would have been cool though perhaps difficult to implement and not altogether suitable to a handheld, nor is there any ability to download updates or patches to magically move all the players who've switched clubs since the game's release (at the time of release the game was well up to date). Some fans of the PC games over the last few years might find it too simplistic but just having it on the go is a big draw for this game.
Tilt - 9
As I just wrote, having this game on the go is what it's all about. Spending lunch breaks getting your team ready for the tough Christmas schedule in the English Premiership or psyching up for the Rome derby between Roma and Lazio is very cool. Almost as cool as winning a penalty shootout on the train, scoring a late winner on a long-haul flight or spending way too long trying to break a losing streak in bed. In addition to this the game is a godsend for people who used to love the CM series but found it all getting a bit too crazy and time consuming.
To sum up, this is a great game and worth your time. I'm writing this review partly with people in the US in mind, as I understand the game isn't on general retail over there. If you've played the CM or FM games on PC and aren't sure if this will be worth it I hope I've helped by pointing out what I think are its strengths, a relative simplicity that suits the handheld format and the fact that this is a really good Football Management game on a handheld. If you've never played the older games but have a PSP and are curious about it, I highly recommend this game as a great introduction to the series and a very fun game to play. Like any game of this type though in any sport, I'd find it hard to recommend it to someone who doesn't already have an interest in soccer. Particularly European soccer, as there is no MLS in this game. The generated score for this review will be a little low, probably thanks to the score for the sound, but if you think the idea of signing sealing the deal on a transfer offer for Ronaldinho while sitting on the bus is cool, get this game.
*Note on FM 5*
I understand the PAL version of Football Manager 5 for the Xbos 360 may not be region locked so you can play it on your US Xbox 360s, you just need to make sure your television can deal with the different video signal. However I do not know this for a fact so please be careful.