|
|
|
Over
the years management games have been phenomenally popular, but two years on
since the birth of the PSX and I find it extraordinary that there is very little
available in this genre. I would have thought that Sensible World of Soccer
would have been ported over from the PC long before now with it's highly
playable soccer game blending perfectly with its management options.
Ultimate
Soccer Manager allowed you to build your own stadium as well as adjoining stores
and even burger stalls. On The Ball became a type of true life adventure game
where the players on-field performances were affected by their social life, most
realistic.
Suddenly we hear of two imminent releases. Gremlin have
been working tirelessly on their PSX version of Premier Manager to be released
prior to the new soccer season, while Anco performed a sliding tackle to slot in
their offering before the old campaign had ended in the form of Player Manager. |
|
|
|
This
is the first soccer management sim for the Playstation and allows you to sample
the pleasures and pressures associated with managing a football club. You will
be responsible for your staff, finances, team selection, coaching, tactics,
sponsorship, facing the press, transfers and sales. Oh, and you must also play
in the games because you are not only a manager, you are the Player Manager.
|
|
|
|
Let's
be honest, management games are about statistics, not graphics. The only sign
of movement on screen is when you enter the Boot Room to play your matches.
There are three ways to view the game. First is a 'Predict' option where the
score is guessed. Next is the 'Management Scanner' where you can watch the game
from a top down perspective. Colored blobs represent the players and this is
the preferred view if you wish to make substitutions or change tactics during
the course of the game. Finally there is the edited 'Match Highlights' option
where the screen is split into four sections. Within each is a short rendered
animation showing the fouls, saves and goals from the match. This idea works
for the first few games but as there are only a dozen clips on offer you will
soon know the outcome of each animation as soon as it begins. |
|
|
|
Not
much to report in the sound effects department. A roar of the crowd, the plink
of an item selected with the cursor while there are no speaking voices as all
information is relayed in text format. The game is backed by the usual bland
music that is associated with building sims. |
|
|
|
Load
up the game and you are faced with the options screen, your first of many
decisions. There are three different ways to play P.M. A "Quick Start"
offers you control of a Premier Division club for one season, "Challenge"
sets you a target of points to achieve by the end of the season, but "New
Game" is the reason we all bought our season tickets. The opportunity to
claw your way up from the lower divisions and reach the pinnacle of your career
as manager of a top Premiership club.
There are two possible ways to
achieve your goal, first is the loyal route. Grind your way through season
after season taking the ups and downs, good days and bad days, lucky breaks and
downright disasters. Eventually you may succeed. Me, I prefer the ruthless
approach. Buy a few top quality players, string together a few good results,
then check out the vacancies board and jump ship to a higher division.
Player
Manager offers appointments at a selection of European clubs with a choice from
three difficulty settings normal, easy or very easy. Select your team,
preferred playing position, sign on the dotted line and the position is yours.
Your first appointments are decided on the final days of your vacation.
Sponsorship deals must be agreed, scouts, physio's and coaches appointed and
pre-season friendlies arranged.
A cut-out picture of your football club
is shown which is split into seven offices. Archives is packed with info on
each clubs achievements. The Financial Directors office is where the books are
kept. The Press Room keeps you informed on all the latest news and gossip. The
Board Room informs you of your rating as a manager. The Coach Room allows you
to set the correct balance of team practice, coaching and team tactics, while
the physio can be accessed via the medical box. The Boot Room is where the
games take place, but most of your time will be spent in your own Managers
office. Here you can check out the fixtures and tables, receive messages from
your scout and secretary, hire and fire via the hot line telephone and most
importantly mull over your team selection. Access to each area is easy enough,
simply point and click and if an error is made your staff will be on hand to set
you back on the correct path.
It's first worth mentioning that Player
Manager is mouse compatible and must be recommended due to the snail-like pace
that the cursor moves across the screen when using the joypad. Also half of a
standard memory card is required to save your progress.
Team
performance is essential. When the team is playing well, the gates will go up
and more money will become available. This may be used to buy new players or
invest in ground improvements. A string of poor results will have the press
hounding you for quotes and if the team continues its losing streak expect the
dreaded message that the board is behind you 100%. Certain dismissal. When
this happens you are summoned to the boardroom and firmly told to hand in your
car keys and the keys to the executive drinks cabinet. Doh! |
|
|
|
Overall,
Player Manager is not a bad game. It is a complex game presented in a simple
format and is jam packed with a wealth of information and options. There are a
few niggles such as the leagues only containing 16 teams, many facts are
incorrect including Wimbledon still playing in the first division (come on
that's ten years out of date) and the graphics are not exactly next generation.
If you have never played a management sim before then Player Manager will be a
good baptism. Experienced players may choose to wait for the forthcoming
Premier Manager before deciding. |
|
|
|
MARTIN |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Poor |
Warning:-
Soccer management games are highly addictive. There is no way that you could
pick up a game of this genre and dabble with it for a couple of hours. Player
Manager requires patience and PLENTY of spare time, rush it and your unemployed.
You will require a notebook and pen constantly by your side, or else suffer the
slow menu system. e.g. signing a new striker
involves selecting a player from the transfer list and comparing his attributes
with the standard required. To do this you must leave the info screen, check
out the transfer mode, leave the managers office, enter the coach room, enter
the training mode, highlight the skills table, write down the divisional rating,
then return to the transfer screen via the same route. This eventually
becomes boring and you end up 'chancing your luck' on a player. If this
backfires, the game is ruined. |
|
SOUND: |
Poor |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Good |
|
VALUE: |
Average |
|
OVERALL
6/10 |
|
|
JIM |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Poor |
If
you love the thought of drowning in statistics, then you will find this game
very appealing. You will still be playing it for months due to its nature. A
very good attempt at translating a very P.C oriented game onto the Playstation. |
|
SOUND: |
Poor |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
|
VALUE: |
Brilliant |
|
OVERALL
9/10 |
|
|
