Football Manager 2017

 PC
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Nov 4, 2016
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. COGconnected
    Dec 8, 2016
    70
    As it stands, fairly little has been added this year, but the developers did fix a number of previous issues. Long-time fans of the series will probably still pick up the game for roster updates, but casual players may be hesitant to pick up 2017 as I don’t believe the changes are great enough to warrant another purchase.
  2. GameSpot
    Nov 22, 2016
    70
    Sure, I still have gripes with the tactical interface, and there isn’t anything new there worth writing about. But if your rear end has ever been entrenched in the virtual dugout or you're just a fresh-faced hopeful looking to begin your journey, Football Manager 2017 is easy to recommend to the budding manager.
  3. Metro GameCentral
    Nov 7, 2016
    70
    Either Football Manager needs a complete overhaul or it should stop producing yearly sequels, because this year’s one is the most inconsequential yet.
  5. IGN Sweden
    Nov 4, 2016
    70
    Football Manager 2017 doesn't reinvent itself with this years version of the game. Not that it really needed to, but there's few surprises here.
  6. PC Invasion
    Nov 3, 2016
    70
    Can’t fault the professionalism in pumping out one of these every year; but though Football Manager 2017 is up to standard and makes some iterative tweaks of note, it’s getting harder to ignore certain systemic issues which remain unaddressed.
  7. Critical Hit
    Nov 3, 2016
    70
    Football Manager 2017 offers inclusive functionality, making sure your decisions as a manager can either win you the trophy, or bankrupt your club. It's fun, but it starts to feel like little more than admin after a while. That, I suppose, is the point.
  8. PC PowerPlay
    Nov 1, 2016
    70
    FM 2017 is the best the series has been, and thus the best football management game around. But the improvements are too incremental and the new features too disposable to make this a value-for-money day one proposition.
  9. Riot Pixels
    Jan 26, 2017
    67
    It's easy to rule an entire genre of soccer management sims when your worst enemy is a weak indie title like Retro Football Boss. But now, Sports Interactive faces a rising threat of stagnation, and as the developers continue to go around in circles, the word "refund" will be cropping up more often in the user comments section on Steam.
  10. Guardian
    Nov 2, 2016
    60
    For those who love the series and have dedicated hundreds of hours to it, purchasing the game is an unavoidable ritual. It’s more of what you want, with a lick of paint and up-to-date player stats...But for everyone else, it may be better to sit this one out, or wait for some sort of mid-season overhaul.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Ars Technica
    Nov 1, 2016
    By incorporating the UK's political landscape, Football Manger 2017 becomes the deepest, most inspiring take on the beautiful game yet.
  2. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Nov 3, 2016
    It’s a much better game than last year’s edition though, the time in between having been spent on significant and healthy rewrites of AI processes at both the tactical and strategic levels. That it is the most visually appealing game in the series, in terms of both clarity off the pitch and improvements on the pitch, is a bonus.

Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Best PC Game of 2016
78
#78 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
84
#84 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 134 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 134
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 134
  3. Negative: 49 out of 134
  1. Tubey
    Nov 4, 2016
    4
    It really is about time people started calling out Sega and SI on Football Manager. Once again, we have a game here which is nothing more thanIt really is about time people started calling out Sega and SI on Football Manager. Once again, we have a game here which is nothing more than an over-elaborate spreadsheet that ignores your instructions.

    What do I mean by that? Well, there's a plethora of options here - you can tweak pretty much everything and anything you want - but none of that really matters when you come to a game and you see everything you set being ignored by the match engine, as players float around like they're on ice (again) and 'keepers laughably dive over weak shots, strikers sky over the bar from one yard out and so on. I'm not expecting every player to follow instructions every game - I understand you can get beat and need to adjust etc. - but I expect at least a semblance of it playing out on the pitch. Since they changed the engine a few years back, everything you do doesn't seem to matter.

    And it's not just me being bad at the game, or new to it. I've played these titles since CM97/98. I still win in this game, but it isn't a result of my decisions beyond stumbling across one semi-broken 4-2-3-1 tactic and spamming Continue. Why bother with the intricacies if they make no discernible difference in getting a result and, indeed, are more likely to cost me one?

    The graphics engine is improved in terms of animations and fluency, but as noted above everyone just skates around. It's a completely immersion killer - just stick to the 2D engine unless you fancy a laugh at just how bad the action is portrayed in 3D.

    There's been barely any innovation elsewhere. Press conferences are still painfully annoying. Training settings are still convoluted. A few graphs have been added here and there. The one good addition (yet already repetitive) is the social media feed, except even a no-mark club from the lower reaches of Italian football apparently has the same social media profile as Real Madrid, but willing to let that slide.

    My overall impression is a game that is both stale and fundamentally broken. Every year we get a video from Miles going on about how this is the "best year ever", yet the game barely changes, and what changes they do make add yet another pile of crap to sift through when the reality is they should be fixing things and removing what doesn't work to make the game accessible and accurate on the pitch. As it stands, this game is not fun - it's work. It's like a job you pay for and clock into because habit tells you to.

    Yes, blame can be placed on SEGA for forcing the yearly releases, but SI don't escape it - for a good three to four years now, they've went down the FIFA path of releasing what basically amount to patches, and not good ones either. Get a grip and get back to basics.    … Full Review »
  2. knolddasker
    Nov 4, 2016
    3
    Unfortunately the game hasn't evolved much since the fm12-13 edition. Like another user wrote these yearly editions seems like nothing moreUnfortunately the game hasn't evolved much since the fm12-13 edition. Like another user wrote these yearly editions seems like nothing more than a patches. Yes the match engine keeps getting a little better by each year, and yes they added a social media profile, but it is not enough to justify the pricetag.… Full Review »
  3. p0p0c4t3p3t3l
    Nov 8, 2016
    1
    Don't buy it. Get FM15 and you have the same game without all the useless 2new" feature.
    Dev is not taking into account what the players    Don't buy it. Get FM15 and you have the same game without all the useless 2new" feature.
    Dev is not taking into account what the players want. A horrible cashgrab.    … Full Review »
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