Football Manager 2008

Pros

• Meticulously authentic approach to football management
• Incredibly comprehensive roster database

Cons

• Complex enough design to be intimidating

Football Manager 2008 gives you a new perspective on football by moving your perspective from behind the pitch to the office of a team manager. And while it might not be as thrilling in the moment to moment game play experience, there's a whole lot of depth at work here and tons of customization options for fledgling team managers who think they've got what it takes to win.

Of course, this game isn't going to have the immediate appeal and broad fan base of more visceral games like FIFA, it's a dream come true for simulation and management fans. In fact, the options here are staggering. You're going to spend the majority of your time with this game clicking your way through menus, but strong measures have been taken to make it more accessible with this edition. The simple act of sprucing up the sterile menus to resemble a web browser adds a surprising sense of identity to the in game experience.

That's a good thing too, because there are a lot of menus to sort through. Whether you're looking to set individual training schedules for your players, boost your resources by upping ticket prices, or negotiating a trade, the options are there, and they're authentic. What Football Manager 2008 delivers is an experience. It may not be the experience that the traditional football fan is looking for, but it's serious in its devotion to the game. Fortunately, 2008 does a great job of iterating in a way that can draw in rather than turn away new players. This game certainly hasn't lost complexity, but the smart design decisions make it seem a whole lot less intimidating.

Pros

• Meticulously authentic approach to football management
• Incredibly comprehensive roster database

Cons

• Complex enough design to be intimidating