FM20 - Any Honest Reviews?

[phd_angel]

After religiously pre-purchasing FM for over 15 years in a row, I'm now wavering about purchasing FM20 now or later. It looks marginally better to me. Most YouTube reviews I've seen thus far are from highly biased fanatics spending hours praising every minor feature tweak...

Any objective reviews (video or written) about FM20 that you can share the link please.  TIA.

 

 

[FrazT]

9 minutes ago, phd_angel said:

After religiously pre-purchasing FM for over 15 years in a row, I'm now wavering about purchasing FM20 now or later. It looks marginally better to me. Most YouTube reviews I've seen thus far are from highly biased fanatics spending hours praising every minor feature tweak...

Any objective reviews (video or written) about FM20 that you can share the link please.  TIA.

 

 

You have been around the forums long enough to realise that this type of question will rarely give you any sort of consensus as it will attract comments from the positive and negative sides of the spectrum.  Most users appear to be reasonably happy with the bulk of the game but have raised issues about the ME, which is always a work in progress to get the balance right and will be worked on right up to full release.  To be sure, I would as always suggest that you wait till the game is released, try the free demo and make up your own mind.

[Pattric_b]

I'm not going to write a full blown review or anything because its still only the beta but I have been really enjoying the game so far. I'm enjoying it much more than last years edition. Being a long term save kinda guy I really like the board vision. It isn't a huge feature but still nice to have and it gives you something to build towards. The development center is also a nice addition, being able to quickly see how players are progressing and who my staff think deserves to be promoted or needs to check up on, is great. Also the pre youth intake information is something I found myself constantly checking to see if anything changed in terms of my youth intake. Everything is very smooth and load times and delays are minimal when changing screens (at least on my computer).

Something else I have noticed that makes a big difference for me is that transfer fees aren't as exaggerated as previous years, which is something I personally love. The massive transfer fees and insane wages alienated me from not only FM but the sport in real life. The ridiculous amount of money is getting to be too much for me (I could write an entire essay about this subject but thats for another time lol) but as things stand now the fees haven't been completely outrageous.  So far I was able to sign Tonali for 35m, Alaba 67m, Rice 57m, Reuben Dias 37m and Zaha for 45m. Still, a lot of money, no doubt. But much more realistic and less inflated, apart from the English players (but that will always be that way) 

Another big thing for me was the new gen faces. Things seemed to have gotten worse from 2016 onwards and I never understood that but it seems like the faces are finally looking a lot better. Having newgens who look like real people was always something that I felt was in the best interest of SI. Having realistic looking newgens helps players immerse themselves in the save and the easier it is to immerse yourself the more that player will actually play the game. It's a win win for everyone!

Now obviously the match engine has some problems. I don't agree with anyone who is saying that the game is unplayable, but yes there are noticeable issues with it and reoccurring problems. The things I've seen the most so far are; 

1) my striker missing a 1v1 clear cut chance

2) the hesitation to cross when wide open on the wings and generally slowing the pace for no apparent reason 

3) my players are not converting 2v1 opportunities when a winger is cutting in towards the post and my striker is available for an easy tap in yet the winger will take the shot and miss the net entirely. So the decision making seems to be off in my opinion.

4) Long shots seem to go in too frequently. I've scored plenty of them but also conceded a few. 

Keeping in mind this is the Beta still I am not going to overreact because I know the game can and will only get better, which is exciting! In my opinion this years game is the best in years. There was something about the past few games that I never really felt attached to the save but so far FM20 has reignited my love for the game and I find myself thinking about my save during work lol. So if you asked me if you should buy the game, I would say yes. 

[sporadicsmiles]

Is it bug free? No.

Is it better than FM20? Yes.

Is it worth buying? Yes.

Is it worth buying now? If you have a save you want to finish on FM19, finish it and buy in the winter sales (I did this for FM19).

Still unsure? Play the demo on release day to check out what you think about the new features.

[tyro]

It is really each person's own opinion.

For me, FM19 had huge overhauls but due to time constraints I never got into it.

FM20 is just more mature and those features they added, while many might say they are cosmetic, they change the way you approach the game completely.

Previously, you would choose any side and do whatever you wanted. Now with vision and development and the promises in contracts all is much more long term and you have to think and plan ahead. If this is something you like, FM20 is for you.

Also the new individual training options are great.

[KUBI]

vor 12 Stunden schrieb phd_angel:

After religiously pre-purchasing FM for over 15 years in a row, I'm now wavering about purchasing FM20 now or later. It looks marginally better to me. Most YouTube reviews I've seen thus far are from highly biased fanatics spending hours praising every minor feature tweak...

Any objective reviews (video or written) about FM20 that you can share the link please.  TIA.

Playing the demo is the best way to find out, if you like the game.

[kiwityke1983]

The new features are as always excellent and things I couldn't live without now if I had to go back to FM19. 

If you play long term the club vision revolutionises the game IMO. It's just so much more immersive. 

The ME is in parts is much better than FM19 and in others has fairly obvious glaring issues.

All in all as long as the issues with the ME are sorted then it will be for me the best FM yet. If they don't get sorted then it's still pretty good. 

[extremeskins04]

I already am loving this version over FM19.  Club Vision alone makes it so much better.

[Rashidi]

To be perfectly honest, no one does reviews on beta releases. They usually wait for the full game to release then a proper review is done.

[gunner86]

4 hours ago, sporadicsmiles said:

Is it better than FM20? Yes.

 

I do love a game that's better than itself 

In my opinion, it is better than 19 in a number of ways, most are listed above.

To me, it just feels polished. It feels much more like a complete product than 19 ever did, and it's still in beta.

Is it far enough better to make you stump up the cash? I played close to 1000 hours on FM19, so that was 3.5p per hour. If I get the same amount of hours out of FM20, I'll be a happy customer (the wife, less so)

[bigmattb28]

Why would there be reviews of a game still in beta? Surely a game only gets reviewed once it's been fully released?

[emil_sbn]

I just love the new development centre it just makes its so much easier to keep track on how your youth is progressing and club vision is also a very welcome feature that lets the game get that little extra more immersion imo.

Otherwise its not that big difference then fm19 I actually like the ME more this year even thou its still in beta phase. Sure the ME has its issues right now but its still in BETA so its only normal that it has some issues.

I´m sure by release date a majority of the issues will be fixed anyway.

 

[Nonlondoner]

It's Beta so there are bugs. On that basis I'll say that FM2020 is more of an evolution than a revolution. If you're not sure and you don't want to try the demo I'd say stick with FM2019 for now, you're not missing out on any huge new features. However, despite the freakish number of long shots going in which will be rectified in good time before full release, I'd say the new game is even more absorbing than the last version as I'm spending much more time playing it. 

[sporadicsmiles]

2 hours ago, gunner86 said:

I do love a game that's better than itself 

In my opinion, it is better than 19 in a number of ways, most are listed above.

To me, it just feels polished. It feels much more like a complete product than 19 ever did, and it's still in beta.

Is it far enough better to make you stump up the cash? I played close to 1000 hours on FM19, so that was 3.5p per hour. If I get the same amount of hours out of FM20, I'll be a happy customer (the wife, less so)

I would edit it, but then it would make your comment redundant! We can all have a good laugh at me! I agree with what you say, FM20 is very impressive already, and will only get better with time (SI have a good track record with patching well). 

[nicko]

Been reading most the feedback on these forums and to me it's more like a polished update and nothing I'd pay more than £15 for from my local Football club, until they completely give it a re-haul and I do mean massive new interface that makes it feel like a new game, I wouldn't pay any more 

Just my personal opinion 

Edited November 6, 2019 by nicko
.

[dubaRA7]

1 hour ago, nicko said:

Been reading most the feedback on these forums and to me it's more like a polished update and nothing I'd pay more than £15 for from my local Football club, until they completely give it a re-haul and I do mean massive new interface that makes it feel like a new game, I wouldn't pay any more 

Just my personal opinion 

it's not realistic to expect completely new overhaul every year. Best for people like you is to skip a few versions and you will notice the difference.

[gunner86]

12 hours ago, nicko said:

Been reading most the feedback on these forums and to me it's more like a polished update and nothing I'd pay more than £15 for from my local Football club, until they completely give it a re-haul and I do mean massive new interface that makes it feel like a new game, I wouldn't pay any more 

Just my personal opinion 

It sounds like you're basing your opinion on other peoples opinions though.

Best thing you can do is try the demo when it's out and see for yourself. Club vision and player pathways are certainly making a difference to me.

It will take a while to see for sure, but personally, I'm expecting player pathways to play a part in improved AI squad building.

Edited November 7, 2019 by gunner86

[99]

Em 05/11/2019 em 23:52, phd_angel disse:

After religiously pre-purchasing FM for over 15 years in a row, I'm now wavering about purchasing FM20 now or later. It looks marginally better to me. Most YouTube reviews I've seen thus far are from highly biased fanatics spending hours praising every minor feature tweak...

Any objective reviews (video or written) about FM20 that you can share the link please.  TIA.

My completely transparent stance on FM is this: If I spend thousand hours playing the game, even "just an update" is worth the price for me. It's a good investment on many many hours of playtime.

That's why I pre-ordered FM20 even before being announced any features. Because FM19 was a high point for me so any update was well worth it. A new version being worse than the previous one is something I never saw happening with FM. A person can argue that a new version kinda takes down expectations, if you wanted more / more impacting new features than the ones actually announced. That's a fair point. I mean, no doubt the new features on FM19 were much more impactant than the new ones in FM20. But worse, it never is. So even "just" that it's worth, if you play that many hours (in my view).

As for an actual review of FM20, like others pointed before, it's not fair to be doing that about a Beta version. I'm enjoying it, tho.

Edited November 7, 2019 by 99

[theballstopshere]

I have read a lot of the feedback so far. To me, I am giving the feedback a pinch of sale as the beta is available to those who have bought the game, which means these are mostly the die-hard fans.

And I also notice that the positive feedback are usually from those who buy the game year after year because they like how many hours they can put into the game (even if it has flaws). They don't really care or even notice the glaring flaws in the match engine or players' AI. They are more bought over by the new features. 

I watched the unveil video a week ago, as well as videos from those who are playing the beta version, and kept a keen eye out on the player movement, AI and such (so that it mirrors real life as much as possible), and to me, there still reamins a lot of work on the ME and AI. In fact, I think the ME needs a huge overhaul. 

May be I am old and jaded from playing so many versions of the game. I feel that as I get to appreciate the finer points of football (tactics, movement, pressing, counter pressing, setting traps, passing lanes...) I realise how many flaws there are in FM, and that just turns me off as I can no longer afford to spend so much time on a game so flawed as this. And one that prides itself on actual football manager simulation. 

I think the management aspect of the game is trucking along well especially with player pathway and club vision, just not the football ME, which to me makes or break the game. I understand that it is perhaps the most difficult part of the game to get right. Unfortunately it is to me the most important as well. 

For a start, I would like to see:

- improved goalkeepers' reactions to second and rebounded balls

- more one on ones

- keepers charging out of their line and playing a high line like i want them to (and these keepers have high rushing out stats)

- players tussling for balls

- more accurate player movements, reactions and AI

- more realistic goals 

Once the above is sorted to a decent level, we can then talk about raising the tactics to reflect more of the modern game. 

I don't know, I think they are very reasonable requests for a game as old as this. 

I will give the demo a try and get back. 

[Snorks]

I like @tyro turn of phtase.

 

Fm20 is more mature.

 

Not a big leap forward, but the added bits have really developed the game for me. Dev Centre for one I really like, Code of Conduct and the additional training options (Crossing!!!)

 

[53bast1an]

Am 6.11.2019 um 12:12 schrieb sporadicsmiles:

Is it bug free? No.

Is it better than FM20? Yes.

Is it worth buying? Yes.

Is it worth buying now? If you have a save you want to finish on FM19, finish it and buy in the winter sales (I did this for FM19).

Still unsure? Play the demo on release day to check out what you think about the new features.

Totally agree.

If you skipped FM19 than FM20 is a must have. Compared to FM18 the FM20 nearly looks like a different game. If you're not sure about buying it yet just wait a few days and try the demo.

FM20 is far from perfect (Hey, it's a BETA!) and the step from 19 to 20 is not as huge as the one from 18 to 19. But FM20 is yet a step forward

[golo]

its quite buggy but also has a lot of positives, generally its not too different from fm19. if you have a good save on 19 i'd continue it until the game is released fully and everything is polished, but then again the beta is one of the most fun parts

[MINTED BLOB]

I've not played long but I am a bit disappointed so far to be honest. 

I like the fact that FM20 has been tethered more towards long-term planning than FM19 was, with the addition of features such as the club vision and the promised playing time paths. However, the game to me feels largely unchanged from the previous year besides this. 

The development centre is a nice addition which makes tracking player progression slightly easier but in my view the match engine is quite honestly horrendous. I know it's a beta but there's just so much wrong for me. 

Highlights are extremely repetitive and predictable, with a ludicrously high number of long balls to the flanks. One-on-ones are also just a ****ing joke. I was recently playing as Manchester United against Leicester, with Martial and Vardy up front for their respective sides, and the keepers must have saved about 10 one-on-one situations combined, some of which should have been fairly easy to score. This has been a regular fixture in all my matches thus far, and given the number of one-on-ones that now happen as a result of the match engine's emphasis on long balls it is to some extent understandable, but there has to be a balance and that just isn't struck in my view. 

I wouldn't exactly say FM20 is a bad game thus far; it's slick and well designed, but I was hoping for a slightly bigger improvement on FM19 if I'm honest. 

[Cassius99]

For me the non-match aspects of the game are improved and the general world of football feels more immersive than it has before. 
 

I am by no means an expert on the Match Engine and often find people’s criticism of it obsessive and unnecessary but even I feel like there are things not working quite right with it. Some odd behaviour and defenders being constantly caught out by long balls leading to one on ones, and defenders appearing to run towards the location of a ball which is in the air and clearly going to go over their heads leaving them out of place. 
 

The ME doesn’t seem broken. It works  decently enough but it leaves me feeling as though when I lose I have lost for some unfair reason (I must be in the 1% of people on here who is not a success at the game every year so it is not something I am unaccustomed to). 
 

So it is good enough to be worthwhile buying. However that endorcement is reliant on SI tweaking the ME a bit which I am sure they will do. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by Cassius99
Typo

[KUBI]

vor 11 Stunden schrieb Cassius99:

So it is good enough to be worthwhile buying. However that endorcement is reliant on SI tweaking the ME a bit which I am sure they will do. 

They did already, update your beta to 20.1.0.

[phd_angel]

Thanks everyone, for the excellent commentary!

I guess I'd still need to download all the face and logo packs on my own, and fix those name masking edits?...

[Hovis Dexter]

8 hours ago, phd_angel said:

Thanks everyone, for the excellent commentary!

I guess I'd still need to download all the face and logo packs on my own, and fix those name masking edits?...

If you’ve downloaded graphics packs for FM19 then you can simply move the packs over to the equivalent folder for FM 20. You don’t need to download graphic packs again.