Review
Championship Manager 2007 Review (PS2)
Another year, and another update to the the evergreen Champion Manager franchise. But now that the games' creators are producing competition in Football Manager, who will be the new champion?
Publishers Eidos Interactive picked Gusto Games to produce a new game for 2007, with a new look and controls and plenty of changes to the available tactics, backroom staff, and transfers etc. And it makes for a complete, if slightly unsatisfying, experience.
For the unititated, Champ Manager allows you to take charge of a club, ranging from the heights of the Premiership to the depths of the non-league. The challenge is to breeed success without ruining the budget or disapointing the Board too much, as they'll soon ask you to leave and appoint a replacement if results aren't up to scratch, or you're plunging the club deeper and deeper into debt.
Before starting it's well worth finding a new memory card for the save file, and settling down with the instructions for a complex introduction. With a huge range of attributes for each player (scored from 1-20), a huge number of tactical choices, and all the backroom staff and training to organise, it's easy to be overhwelmed.
This year also sees you able to create set piece moves on the tactics pitch and then try them in matches, as well as giving instructions to players during the game, as well as at halftime.
From the moment you begin, you need to answer multiple choice questions to gain your coaching badge which affects how you're seen throughout the game. And you can also set your own expectations for the coming season rather than accepting what the Board require. But you'll need to decide whether to start at the top with the likes of Chelsea, or give youself the harder challenge of rising up through the leagues with the likes of Gravesend and Northfleet.
Matches include the now familiar 2D representation, in addition to the traditional text summary of previous games, and everything is nicely represented, even if many screens can give you information overload. Those familiar with the PC version may find the PS2 controller clunky to begin with, but it's impressive how well all of the available options at any time have been mapped to the joypad without losing any functionality. And although a football management game will never have jaw-dropping graphics, the music is good enough to be left on, even if the in-game sound effects seem a bit muted.
There's only one major flaw in Championship Manager, and that comes down to problems with the transfer market. In pre-season etc, you'll see your computer controlled rivals hedging their bets, bidding on several players to cover a position, and always making astute purchases. Meanwhile players always seem to be on offer for exactly what they should be worth, with no way to affect their reputation or artifically boost their prices. That makes it hard for any team without the resources of Chelsea or Man Utd to invest in good players, and also removes the fun of snapping up bargain players who have been failing for whatever reason, and turning their career around.
Without finding unsung heroes and turning them into stars, or a source of decent revenue, it's very tough to change the fortunes of any club, so you're only able to improve a team enough to jump ship to a team with more money as soon as possible. And that removes a lot of the romance for footie fans.
On the whole Championship Manager is the best choice for anyone with a hankering for football mangement and no PC but you may find it a struggle if you're not willing persevere and get the best out of the game mechanics.
Top Game Moment: Securing promotion for a conference side.
Publishers Eidos Interactive picked Gusto Games to produce a new game for 2007, with a new look and controls and plenty of changes to the available tactics, backroom staff, and transfers etc. And it makes for a complete, if slightly unsatisfying, experience.
For the unititated, Champ Manager allows you to take charge of a club, ranging from the heights of the Premiership to the depths of the non-league. The challenge is to breeed success without ruining the budget or disapointing the Board too much, as they'll soon ask you to leave and appoint a replacement if results aren't up to scratch, or you're plunging the club deeper and deeper into debt.
Before starting it's well worth finding a new memory card for the save file, and settling down with the instructions for a complex introduction. With a huge range of attributes for each player (scored from 1-20), a huge number of tactical choices, and all the backroom staff and training to organise, it's easy to be overhwelmed.
This year also sees you able to create set piece moves on the tactics pitch and then try them in matches, as well as giving instructions to players during the game, as well as at halftime.
From the moment you begin, you need to answer multiple choice questions to gain your coaching badge which affects how you're seen throughout the game. And you can also set your own expectations for the coming season rather than accepting what the Board require. But you'll need to decide whether to start at the top with the likes of Chelsea, or give youself the harder challenge of rising up through the leagues with the likes of Gravesend and Northfleet.
Matches include the now familiar 2D representation, in addition to the traditional text summary of previous games, and everything is nicely represented, even if many screens can give you information overload. Those familiar with the PC version may find the PS2 controller clunky to begin with, but it's impressive how well all of the available options at any time have been mapped to the joypad without losing any functionality. And although a football management game will never have jaw-dropping graphics, the music is good enough to be left on, even if the in-game sound effects seem a bit muted.
There's only one major flaw in Championship Manager, and that comes down to problems with the transfer market. In pre-season etc, you'll see your computer controlled rivals hedging their bets, bidding on several players to cover a position, and always making astute purchases. Meanwhile players always seem to be on offer for exactly what they should be worth, with no way to affect their reputation or artifically boost their prices. That makes it hard for any team without the resources of Chelsea or Man Utd to invest in good players, and also removes the fun of snapping up bargain players who have been failing for whatever reason, and turning their career around.
Without finding unsung heroes and turning them into stars, or a source of decent revenue, it's very tough to change the fortunes of any club, so you're only able to improve a team enough to jump ship to a team with more money as soon as possible. And that removes a lot of the romance for footie fans.
On the whole Championship Manager is the best choice for anyone with a hankering for football mangement and no PC but you may find it a struggle if you're not willing persevere and get the best out of the game mechanics.
Top Game Moment: Securing promotion for a conference side.
