What a year to produce a football management game. As the previous season spluttered to a finish, and the current one has crammed in the games (but not the fans) in an attempt to get something like a working season, Sega and Sports Interactive have delivered us Football Manager 2021 Xbox Edition. It’s unclear how much of all the turbulence has made it into the game – whether Covid, a lack of fans, bewildering offside VAR decisions are in the game – but it’s certainly a fascinating time to launch it. At least we’re all at home a little longer to benefit from the long evenings we’ll be spending with it.
Football Manager 2021 Xbox Edition is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Making it on to our list of Xbox games to keep an eye out for during December 2020, zoomed out, not much has changed in Football Manager 2021 Xbox Edition. It looks as pristine and Sky Sports-y as it has always done, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that this was a lean, FIFA-like improvement on the formula. By all accounts, though, there are innumerable smaller improvements that add up to a hell of a lot.
The biggest are in what Sports Interactive call ‘Interactions’. These are when you’re talking to the press, or giving that hairdryer team-talk at half-time. Where before you would often pick from an arbitrary list of responses, Football Manager 2021 encourages you to manage the room more, and with more options. You’ll build up lasting relationships with journalists; give gesture-based responses to questions; and be able to single out individuals in the team for praise. You’ll see more of a reaction on the pitch when you do, too, so it won’t feel like makework.
An overhaul has been made on the UI to make it intuitive to play, particularly on console, but the real winner-winner is the improvement to stats. You can get visual summaries on a player, which is far-cry from the infodumps that you used to get. It’s far more at-a-glance, and, with the new xG (expected goals) statistic, you can have a much more actionable view on whether you’re creating enough chances, scoring them, and much more.
There are cosmetic improvements and finer methods of managing training schedules and your youth academy, too. It’s a comprehensive package, and the focus on detail improvements rather than a mass engine overhaul looks like it might pay dividends. Much of how FM 2021 Xbox Edition plays out will depend on your system too – check out the infographic below for full details…
Football Manager 2021 Xbox Edition is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X and starts at £29.99 from the Xbox Store. It’s also out soon as Football Manager Touch on Nintendo Switch, to join the recent PC via Steam release. Keep your eyes on the review prize soon.
Game Description:
Football Manager 2021 Xbox Edition brings the depth, detail, and drama of the world’s favourite football management simulation series to Xbox. FM21 Xbox is a tailored for console experience based on Football Manager Touch and lets you make your mark on the footballing world, turn wonderkids into world beaters and win the biggest trophies in the game. Take control of your football club and play the beautiful game your way. With more than 2,500 clubs from 117 leagues and 52 nations at your fingertips, you’re spoilt for choice. Will you choose to take an underdog to the top or jump straight in at a club accustomed to success? The choice is yours. Fully optimised for victory with the Xbox Controller on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, you can effortlessly put yourself on the path to footballing greatness with a version of the Touch UI that has been tailored for Xbox consoles and makes navigating through the game world a breeze. Unleash the power of the next generation Xbox Series X|S consoles with the depth and detail that Football Manager is renowned for. Prepare your attack on the opposition with deeper stats and scout reports as well as the ability to have up to 10 of the world’s biggest footballing nations loaded at once. Alternatively, home in on the trophies that matter to you on Xbox One with up to five nations in play. You control every element of your team’s Matchday preparation. Define how they’ll perform on the pitch with ready-made tactical presets that let you replicate some of the most popular styles of play from the footballing world but, if you want even more control, you can create your own tactic and stamp your style on the pitch. When it comes to improving your squad, you’ll have the world-renowned Football Manager database at your disposal which includes more than 500,000 real players and backroom staff. Work with your scouting team to sign superstars or unearth the wonderkids who you can build your team around for years to come. On Matchday, you can kick back and watch the action unfold on our acclaimed 3D match engine in native 4K on Xbox Series X or upscaled 4K on Xbox Series S and Xbox One X|S. Alternatively, skip straight to final whistle and progress through the game faster with the ‘Instant Result’ option. FM21 Xbox takes advantage of Microsoft’s Play Anywhere technology to let you seamlessly transfer your progress between your Xbox console and any Windows 10 PC using the same Xbox Live profile. With Smart Delivery, whether you own the One, One X, Series S or X, FM21 Xbox will work across all of them – and will have a version specific to yours which is optimised to run at its very best. Intuitive UI Navigating through the game and perfecting your route to the top is a breeze with a user interface designed for victory with the Xbox Controller. Matchday Magic A clean and crisp match UI gives you an uninterrupted view of the Matchday drama in native 4K on Xbox Series X and upscaled 4K on Xbox Series S and Xbox One X|S. Win With Data Gather insight that will drive you to the top of the game from a wealth of match stats to pre- and post-match analysis and monthly data summaries. Celebrating Success When your hard work pays off, revel in your glory with spectacular trophy celebrations and post-match hype that will applaud your achievements as you cement your legacy.
