As the dust settled on my first season in charge of the mighty reds, I reflected on what should have been. A season of missed opportunities, what ifs and almost there’s. Granted, I retained the Premier League title and lifted the Champions League, but the board expected that of me. They also expected me to lift the FA and EFL cups too, but alas…
Apple will hold its first event of 2021 on March 23 to reveal new products, according to a reliable Chinese leaker known as 'Kang.' The event could see the unveiling of new iPad Pro models, updated. For the first time in more than a decade, Football Manager returns to Xbox and is available now. Modelled on the popular Touch series, the Football Manager 2021 Xbox Edition thrusts you onto the big stage with a bespoke version of the game that’s been fully customised for optimal performance with the Xbox controller.
The weight of expectation is where this review begins. Like it or lump it, games that iterate each year can often be subjected to the harshest of scrutiny. 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. 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.
Thirty iterations of the same management sim formula, and we should be on to a winner. 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. Now, that’s not to say that this game hasn’t made improvements – far from it. 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. It also states that the graphics and visuals have been improved and that ‘matchdays are like you’ve never seen them before’.
Whilst the former two may be true, the latter two are just a little bit more subjective. In short, they just aren’t good enough. 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’. There’s never been a truer word said, and the visuals during matches in this year’s edition can’t be defended either. They lack detail, polish and personality, ruining any chances of immersion in the sim from anything but a tactical perspective.
At this point, it really does go without saying that the tactical side of FM2021 Touch is a delight. There are a number of deft touches that make the experience both fluid and accessible. 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. 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.
With that in mind, it really does drill down to what your expectations are. 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. 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.
Among 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. 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.
And with that, it brings me onto the final fixture: Switch compatibility. Traditionally, FM Touch has been designed for the iPad and as such, this game is best played with touch controls. For those opposed to the idea, the Switch version offers a cursor controlled by the left stick, but it is slow to warm up and warm down. There’s also a convoluted way in which you can use directional buttons, but the less on that, the better. This therefore leaves you with the touchscreen and, as a direct result, handheld play. When you compare the subpar Switch experience to that of the iOS one, the larger screen, cheaper price point and greater optimisation of the Apple version is much more appealing.
In its current state, FM2021 Touch for the Switch feels tired and in need of some time away. Full optimisation for the console, a stronger emphasis on the on-field action, and fixing of bugs which just shouldn’t be there would go some way to ensuring this is a game worth recommending to die-hard fans and newcomers alike.
2.5
Summary
If there was more competition in the field, Football ManagerTouch on the Nintendo Switch could well have been in trouble. As it stands, Sports Interactive has the monopoly and, unfortunately for us Switch Players, it shows.
Football Manager fans will have to wait a little longer for the new game to be released due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The franchise is usually released annually in November but FM 21 currently doesn’t have a release date.
However, an update from studio director, Miles Jacobson, revealed they’re currently trying to overcome difficulties to have the new edition of the game ready as soon as possible.
'It’s a bit of an understatement to say that 2020 has been a difficult year so far, and although we at Sports Interactive have had it easier than many, it’s still been a tough time for the studio,' he wrote.
'It would be great to say that this whole process has been easy, but the truth is that we’ve learned over the course of this bizarre and unprecedented global crisis that it’s a lot easier to make games when the bulk of the team are working in close physical proximity.
'It’s not just been harder from a production perspective – it doesn’t help that the world of football that we aim to simulate in our games is also in such a world of flux. Some leagues have confirmed their plans, some are still up in the air (although we are very much ‘in the loop’ with many of the possible decisions), the transfer window has moved in England at least, there are new emergency rules that may, or may not, be present next season. And there’s a lot more besides.'
However, it was the penultimate paragraph that really caught the attention of fans.
'Our games will be on more platforms and available on more stores than ever before when they’re released later this year but, with regards to features and release dates, it’s a little too early for us to talk about the specifics right now. Please cut us a little bit of slack and rest assured that we will once again deliver a set of games that provide hundreds of hours of entertainment and remain the best value for money on the market – and something to help you escape from the real world at the moment, at least for a while.'
“More platforms.”
Ipad Release Date
Does that mean FM 21 will be available on PlayStation and Xbox!?
Well, that’s the conclusion many gamers drew from it as they claimed FIFA is in trouble if that's the case.
Football Manager is predominantly played on a PC but there is a ‘touch’ version which can be played on an iPad or mobile phone.
But it hasn’t been on Xbox since 2007 and has never been played on a PlayStation console.
Could it happen?
It will obviously be interesting to see how playing Football Manager with a console would work but it seems fans are excited by the prospect.