14 DAY TRIAL // I don't know why EA Sports still introduces the Manager mode in FIFA, its main football simulation title, when it has a serviceable game that includes much more in terms of simulation in FIFA Manager 2012, a game that would have a good chance of getting a bigger audience with a little promotion here and there.
The game delivers in, some ways, many more options than its main rival, Football Manager 2012 from Sports Interactive and SEGA, but a number of them are poorly presented and there's hard to see exactly how they are linked to the actual success of the team on the pitch.
The big big problem that pops up with FIFA Manager 2012 when coming from FM 2012 is that there are a lot of options and potential choices that have little to do with the actual work of a manager, like working directly with the fans and choosing how to develop the space around the stadium or creating an actual weekly training routine for players.
Thankfully quite few of them can be delegated away and the game delivers enough customization options to allow each type of players to create a niche that he feels comfortable with.
And some players might be interested in all these extra aspects which break up the actual management work, which seems to have less depth than in the rival franchise (be sure to always activate the more advanced tactics mode).
One element that I always found odd about FIFA Manager as a series is that it offers quite a few options linked to the supposed personal life of the manager, sometimes throwing up appointments and interesting that clash and forcing some choice.
It feels artificial and just another way to pad the game experience and offer options without actually making them meaningful in any clear way.
Here's a look at FIFA Manager 2012 in action:
