Football Manager 2013

With the biggest database of football players and teams, Football Manager 2013 brings back the best of the previous episode to improve and expand it. The only thing we could complain about is the 3D graphics, which we consider should have been better, but still it leaves us with a feeling of almost perfection.

When you strip away the fluff of the career mode it's one of the deepest, most addictive games around. [Feb 2013, p.67]

The most comprehensive football aim on the market just got a little less comprehensive - and is all the better for it. [Dec 2012, p.80]

Looking critically at the game, its developers probably realized that you can sometimes go too far in your quest for perfection. The result is a mode that brings the franchise back to the essence of a manager game. Football Manager 2013 is all about tweaking your players and humiliating your opponents tactically, and we're loving it.

Football Manager 2013 is more polished than ever – its surface as well as its core. The right things are highlighted, which facilitates gameplay considerably. New games modes, such as the streamlined FM Classic, make for more fast-paced play, suited for those with too little time on their hands to immerse themselves head over heels in the game. That, on the other hand, is the way it should be played, isn't it?

Football Manager 2013 is still the best experience of a football simulator available in market.

Managing a virtual team doesn't get any more fun than this.

Football Manager 2013 is the best Football Manager released at this stage in many ways. New modes arrive just in time to renew interest in the game (with the Challenges) and give an easier access to it for the newcomers (with the Classic mode). GUI improved a lot, every information you need is at your disposal. Forget about playing with the 3D engine by the way : it hasn't evolved since last year, unlike training sessions, which are simpler and more logical to organize. FM has never been so deep, so real and each decision you make will have an impact on your manager.

Football Manager 2013 is an innocent drug that is always in the back of your mind, processing the possibility of a match outcome after another click of the mouse. When you are mesmerised to that level, it's hard to say anything other than this is a brilliant piece of videogame entertainment for fans of the beautiful game.

Sports Interactive probably told each other: If it ain't broke, don't fix it; therefore the main mode has been primarily face-lifted. Thanks to its new look the game is still the football management-simulation video game cream of the crop. Even the series newcomers and novice managers are lured into the football management-simulation experience because of the simplified and sped-up Classic mode.

The new Football managers sparks some controversy - for the first time in the series's history you can use real money to buy things. For a couple of euro/dollars you can lift restrictions in the scouting network, do away with job permits or lock the possibility of being fired. Fortunately, all in all, FM 2013 is still the same, great game. No competition in this genre is a good thing, because SI Games can test and experiment as they please - without having to look at others. The direction of progress is sound and each new game is closer to real world of football.

The implementation of Football Manager Classic is a stroke of genius, as it serves the needs of players short on time, while still providing the core experience in a new and more accommodating packaging. The fully-fledged manager experience remains the star of the show, though.

Football Manager's relentless strive for realism is sometimes its biggest fault, but with new modes and now new ways of playing it's also managed to get that light touch back.

Although some editions of Football Manager are defined by including improvements in dribs and drabs, this is not the case at hand. The new game cares for both traditional users and those who seek an experience equally comprehensive but willing to sacrifice some complexity in exchange for a faster management. Football Manager 2013 is a complete network of choices that allow us to simulate the most realistic behavior of clubs and competitions, ever seen. It should be mandatory for almost every football coach.

The most significant update for Football Manager since its revival, with a suite of options to suit everyone from dedicated veterans to complete newbies.

For 2013, there's more than enough to keep fans happy, and while it sometimes seems worth it to skip the latest version of Football Manager, the overhauled multiplayer and game mode variation makes this an essential purchase as ever.

There's no better opportunity for FIFA fans that are looking for a deeper managing experience to get involved in the Football Manager franchise. The new gameplay additions and a slicker presentation make Football Manager 2013 a much more mainstream and simpler experience, but this will work in the game's favour.

Sports Interactive wins again. Football Manager 2013 renew itself with all-new "Classic" mode to satisfy all type of players. Challenge mode are another great addition.

Football Manager offers the most detailed and in-depth management experience ever made, as it does every year.

Football manager 2013 is a must-buy for all the Josè Mourinhos out there. It's a deep, compelling and time consuming simulation, but thanks to the new and simplified Classic Mode, even new players and old fans will enjoy the game.

At one point I seriously asked myself if Sports Interactive pushed too hard when it came to depth as well as attention to detail. But then my team scored, I saw my tactics work out and I just wanted more. This game will keep you hooked for weeks and months.

Some subtle tweaks make this the most polished, accessible entry in the Football Manager series in years.

The best Football Manager. Being a professional manager never was so close to a video game.

More a game than ever. The dressed down Classic Mode and the playful challenges give the series a nice refresher, without losing the most important Football Manager qualities: depth and size.

Quotation forthcoming. [Dec 2012]

Developer SI has delivered the best manager in several aspects of gameplay, introducing new elements, while simultaneously reinstating some classic, loved features from the past. [December 2012]

The depth and scope of Football Manager 2013 are impressive. I only wish that the developers hadn't taken the 2-in-1 approach where they bundled a traditional version that is in need of polish, with a simplified Football Manager Classic aimed solely at new players. Pleasing old fans while bringing in fresh blood is a very risky balancing act. Sports Interactive should think about where to focus their efforts.

Football Manager 2013 manages to get us out of our coaching routine by providing a real graphical overhaul. We can now immerse ourselves freely in its gargantuan option menus without having the impression to lose our brain. This is still the best football management simulation, but this time with an ever more immersive game system.

Passion of football has materialized into the solid manager – this year even with a better approach to newcomers and improved visuals. [Dec 2012]

Sports Interactive did not exactly hit the bulls-eye with their latest experiments – The Classic and Challenge modes – but the rest of the game is even more ingenious and addictive than last year. [CD-Action 13/2012, p.56]

Football Manager 2013 has inherited its throne as the #1 manager simulator. Don't expect a revolution, but a few tweaks here and there, and the addition of a couple of new game modes mean this year's release does just enough to be a must-buy for fans of the series.

The inclusion of 'Classic' mode is a shred move that is sure to pay dividends, causing many old fanatics to relapse and encouraging newcomers to join the fold, but it still remains miles ahead of its competitors with its sheer level of depth, sophistication and challenge.

Loads of new features, the vast majority good and useful once you get used to the new layout. There are, naturally, some issues.

A host of significant additions make this the most exhaustive, but also the most streamlined, Football Manager to date.

This year's edition is more streamlined and misses some of the more complicated and somewhat unnecessary features that has plagued the more recent editions. Instead, the core focus lies on finding players that fits efficient strategies. Sadly the interface is rather messy and the game is filled with bugs.