Someone once saw me play Football ManagerWhen I was asked why I like playing a game that is essentially a exercise in spreadsheet management, my answer was:
FM’s data side has been its main selling point. The data side of FM will always be a draw for people.
This lens is a great way to see the world. Football Manager 2023 didn’t need a revolutionary upgrade from FM22, because any new features outside the core functions are enjoyable side dishes but won’t come close to the classic main course.
However, there are some tweaks that will cause some discussion among fans…
New features
The squad planner tool is arguably the game’s best new feature. This tool allows you to view the squad profile for the next three years and make decisions about the time when you should replace them.
This is particularly useful if you’re managing a team you have no prior knowledge of. It’s a massive time saver to have, in one place, your players’ potential, age, wage and estimated transfer value.
It is also possible to record when players will reach their full potential. The season-by-season breakdown of how each player’s predicted ability is expected to rise or decline is extremely useful. This allows you to make more informed decisions about the development of young players and when to loan them out. It also helps you to decide which older players you should replace.
Another way to help you build your squad is FM23’s scouting system refresh. One of the new features is the “recruitment focus” section, which is essentially a simpler way to assign scouting missions.
We recommend that you always search for five-star players. Also, make sure you use the transfer value feature (which can be found in further details) to ensure you only choose players you can afford.
If you’re in charge of a club that could do with an entire squad revamp, it’s worth making a note of the “any position from tactic” option when deciding which players you’d like to discover.
Enjoying the outdoors UEFAClub competition license assets (such as Champions League) are another enjoyable addition to this game. The change makes those competitions feel much more realistic — the pre-game Champions League line-up graphics also give you a reason to never skip the pre-match build-up again.
Most importantly, you’ll also be able to hear the Champions League music in FM23, which makes things just a bit more special when you inevitably take a team from the National League to Europe’s premium competition.
Talking points
The in-game match experience is almost identical. The touchline tablet offers the same options, team talks are the same, and the gameplay is nearly identical to previous versions.
There are some minor additions, such as a momentum graphic that appears throughout the game with feedback about how your team are performing, and pop-up graphics to show when the opposition has made a substitution, but overall, it’s largely the same experience as before.
FM23 also features AI manager improvements. This means that opposing managers should be smarter than ever and more capable to make in-game adjustments.
On a purely visual level though, the in-game experience feels largely the same as what you saw in FM22, which is fine — I’m from an era when Championship Manager’s moving dots were more than enough entertainment.
Football Manager’s regenerated avatars were, up until now, often created randomly. In FM23, you’ll be able to make a regenerated version of your own face to use as your manager’s avatar.
The beta version of the game had this feature, so we tried it out with a picture of Lionel Messi. The process of adding the photo and selecting the points in a person’s face that need to be replicated is easy enough. The one thing that looks odd here is that it captures a person’s face but not their hairstyle.
Without the corresponding hairstyle — in this case, Messi’s quiff — the face re-creation feature leads to some strange-looking avatars. On the plus side, you can now add accessories like a wedding ring or smartwatch to your manager’s appearance.
FM23 offers more statistics through its data hub. FM23 also features at least 10 data visualizations that will let you analyse player and team stats better than ever. Some of those stats include expected assists, goals prevented, and non-penaltyxG.
There is a dynamic manager timeline, which documents each of your achievements, and there’s a greater emphasis on the influence supporters have. The club vision tab now features a section for supporters’ expectations, such as finishing above your nearest rivals. It also provides a breakdown of your club’s supporter profile.
These are the pleasant accompaniments that make your overall experience more enjoyable. FM23’s main selling point is its addictive, highly enjoyable spreadsheet management.
Comment below to let us know what you think about the new game.
