With a cracking new tactical feature and dedicated UI “strike team”, Football Manager 27 is a huge step back towards FM’s best form
By Welcome back, Football Manager. I’ve only engaged for about half a day, breezing through my orientations, executive meetings, and initial transfer window, but already the encouraging indicators are present. Football Manager 27 represents a significant, highly-valued advancement in the right direction. In a sense, it’s a regression – this is fundamentally the experience I hoped FM26 would provide – but at times that’s essential. One step back, two steps forward. At the very least, it’s authentic progress. This is a Football Manager title once more.
If that “title I hoped FM26 would provide” remark has raised an Ancelotti-like eyebrow, allow me to clarify: FM27 has eliminated most – if not nearly all – of the cards-and-tiles user interface that gave FM26 its infamy. It’s considerably simpler, quicker, and more logical to navigate, although I still believe there are areas for enhancement. Nevertheless, it has preserved the finest aspects of last year’s edition, particularly the extensively revised in- and out-of-possession tactical frameworks. Moreover, it has cleverly built upon that system: components have been adjusted and clarified; other sections have been expanded, and a completely new system introduced, known as “tactical effectiveness”. This may sound almost absurdly dry but, in true Football Manager style, that’s the excellent part. This is a remarkably intelligent system, one that provides a substantial boost to the role-playing aspect of the game. Coupled with the reversion of various UI components to more classic FM elements, it fills me with a level of optimism for this series that I haven’t felt in quite some time.
It’s worthwhile to emphasize last year’s game for a moment. “We faced numerous technical difficulties to address,” shares Rémy Boicherot, FM27’s design lead, during an interview at Sports Interactive’s headquarters in East London. Part of that challenge involved adapting the interface to the new engine itself, with last year’s game transitioning to Unity for the first time, necessitating that unprecedented year-long delay as a consequence. The other challenge was with “new graphical data,” as Boicherot articulates. “It’s a monumental effort to transfer technology,
