LMA Manager 2004 Impressions

Toward the end of last week's E3, we paid a visit to the invitation-only area of Codemasters' booth, where we got to take a look at the Xbox version of LMA Manager 2004, which is also in development for the PS2. The game is the latest in Codemasters' soccer management series and promises to improve on the 2003 edition in just about every way it could.

Before you even get past the opening menu screen, you'll be presented with a brand-new gameplay option in addition to the full game mode. Rather than putting you in control of a real-life club team, the fantasy team mode will allow you to put together the team of your dreams right from the start--although within the constraints of a budget determined by your choice of league and division. The game will also boast an expert mode of play in which the soccer players have no overall rating and you'll be totally dependent on their individual stats as you attempt to pick your side for any upcoming matches. The players in LMA Manager 2004 will have more attributes than their 2003 counterparts too, with new additions including dribbling, positioning, forward runs, and form.

One new feature that's definitely welcome in LMA Manager 2004 is the ability for you to apply for other management jobs during the course of a season rather than just in between seasons. Also adding a little extra realism to the game is the fact that you'll no longer have the option to apply for bank loans but will instead have to approach your team's board of directors for additional funds.

Unfortunately, the early version of LMA Manager 2004 that Codemasters was showing at E3 didn't have the TV-style matches implemented, but the game's producer Craig Bexon, who was showing the game to us, promised that with more player animations and improved AI, the matches will definitely be more realistic than those in last year's game.

LMA Manager 2004 is currently scheduled for release in Europe this fall, although no North American release has been confirmed at this time. For more information on LMA Manager 2004, check out our previous coverage of the game.