Football Manager 2016

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 137 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 137
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 137
  3. Negative: 24 out of 137

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  1. Woolee
    Sep 28, 2021
    8
    Redesigned interface and wealth of various small improvements make Football Manager 2016 much more accessible to newcomers without sacrificing even a bit of its astounding depth
  2. Wiebe
    Feb 26, 2020
    2
    Football manager barely changes anything and republishes their game for full price. Greedy cheap basterds. The game database is great, but if you play for long enough and understand the mechanics the game becomes easy to beat, because it requires little adaption to the opponent and the scouting system is easy to game. There is also always some game breaking problem, such as crossingsFootball manager barely changes anything and republishes their game for full price. Greedy cheap basterds. The game database is great, but if you play for long enough and understand the mechanics the game becomes easy to beat, because it requires little adaption to the opponent and the scouting system is easy to game. There is also always some game breaking problem, such as crossings working insanely well.… Expand
  3. Gamercritic777
    May 12, 2019
    0
    I have been a fan since 2002. I skipped 2015 so i must say 2016 has better graphics than 2014. That is all that is better. 2016 is a juggling contest between, randomness and unexplainable tactics. When you are losing, simply reload the game and the outcome will be different. You can go through the whole season unbeaten following this advice. Just rinse and repeat. Its a joke. Worst FMI have been a fan since 2002. I skipped 2015 so i must say 2016 has better graphics than 2014. That is all that is better. 2016 is a juggling contest between, randomness and unexplainable tactics. When you are losing, simply reload the game and the outcome will be different. You can go through the whole season unbeaten following this advice. Just rinse and repeat. Its a joke. Worst FM ever.
    As it is so random there is no way to get a feel of whats better, change tactics? why bother. It won't make a difference, the game result is scripted from the start.    … Expand
  4. 85220david
    Nov 11, 2016
    7
    In some ways this game is better than its' predecessors but with some reservations. The graphics on match day are, in my opinion, nowhere near as good as previous versions, but the main criticism is the way in which in-match tactics are amended which is now a slow and laborious process especially as some instructions are not in a logical place. This makes such adjustments, althoughIn some ways this game is better than its' predecessors but with some reservations. The graphics on match day are, in my opinion, nowhere near as good as previous versions, but the main criticism is the way in which in-match tactics are amended which is now a slow and laborious process especially as some instructions are not in a logical place. This makes such adjustments, although deemed necessary, a bit of a pain.… Expand
  5. SoulBackUp
    Aug 22, 2016
    3
    Even though I enjoyed most of the 2016's features, the cheating a.i is getting worse. If it is a cup game, I dont even play it. I know I'll lose. In matches I'm strong favourite! After defending a set piece, ALL MY PLAYERS simply RUSH FOWARD to midfield, but one stays behind, so the opposition can have 4 entirely free players staring at my keeper... While my team has 78462 ccc's, allEven though I enjoyed most of the 2016's features, the cheating a.i is getting worse. If it is a cup game, I dont even play it. I know I'll lose. In matches I'm strong favourite! After defending a set piece, ALL MY PLAYERS simply RUSH FOWARD to midfield, but one stays behind, so the opposition can have 4 entirely free players staring at my keeper... While my team has 78462 ccc's, all blocked, missed or fantastically saved by their keeper. And if the opposition is slightly stronger than me, it's 4-0 by half time. Defenders simply dont run when chasing long balls, and the opposition strikers gets it and goes for a easy one-on-one with my keeper... Of course, none of those happen with the opposition... And only in cup games, league games are clear.… Expand
  6. Xstream
    Jul 31, 2016
    1
    This must be the most frustrating and most annoying FM to data. Have been playing since CM '93/Italia, but the last few editions made me lose my interest. I feel a passenger in this game. Out of control, just following the story as it unfolds. There seem to be no tactical depth left other then formation, some shouts and a ton of statistics that are hard to figure out and don't seem toThis must be the most frustrating and most annoying FM to data. Have been playing since CM '93/Italia, but the last few editions made me lose my interest. I feel a passenger in this game. Out of control, just following the story as it unfolds. There seem to be no tactical depth left other then formation, some shouts and a ton of statistics that are hard to figure out and don't seem to reflect what i see in the 3D engine.

    Team talk, the super boring and never ending repeating press talk that still isn't adding anything of value or immersion to the game, have way too much impact on the performance of your team. So your team is much better on paper than the opponent, on a roll, but because i make one wrong comment they lose all morale and ability to pass a ball over 2 meter? Suddenly they behave like imbeciles? And it's not an incident. It's the "law" if you choose the wrong team talk pretty much. There's no freedom in approaching this. So why even offer it?

    In the simple version you don't have the teamtalk (yay!), but then you even feel less in control sadly when things go sideways since that tactic side of the game is the weakest to date in FM history. Nothing seems to make sense to me using these "Shouts".

    The 3D engine in general is much better then before, but still far away from anything realistic. Playing on the highest leagues seeing players frequently unable to pass a ball back to their keeper, run the ball over de sidelines or other imbecile behaviour is just plain annoying. In fact, that the 2D view still is the most valuable says a lot about the lack of improvement of the 3D engine. Because come on guys, it's been years to improve. Like i've been saying for years: just work together with Fifa or PES to get anything going. This is just pointless.

    I just miss any feeling of control. I have to cope with the 101 psychology that FM put into the game. Being different from that view seems to be always wrong and it's still the same multiple choice as years ago. Just learn the system and follow the rules FM gives you. I'm trying to get it - which is hard, because it's sometimes far from what i consider logical. The bottom line is that you just look up the "rule sheets" from the community to "crack the code". It's far from what once was a fine Football Manager.

    Tactics have been rendered down to plain shouts. Which would be fine if it gave you some feeling of control, but it's agian more of trial and error until it "clicks", which is just the same as the slider era, without any real logic. How come i have towering defenders that keep conceding goals from crosses by losing headers and setting more pressure and a highter line, even though they are slow as sh*t and don't even have high position or anticipation rating, seems to be working much better? It's just hopeless. A quest to "the click". Not common sense. And any good idea can still be rendered completely unsuccesful because of a wrong answer on a press conference or team talk. Because ofcourse, all of your professional players (and yes, my squad has a "professional" character), are a bunch of babies in this game and turn into complete imbeciles after 1 bad comment.

    Also i seriously hate the micromanagament this FM suddenly adds. And i don't mean in terms of the usual slider management and that stuff, but application issues. Why do i have to reset all set piece takes after i load a saved tactic from the same team? Why can't i not load any set pieces files (ffm files) etc? There are serious bugs in the game, and it's almost a year and a lot of updates later. Very annoying. It would give me so much more patience by a much more improved interface and functionality.

    Worst of all, if you have issues there is nobody from SIgames willing ot listen. My account was from the forum was gone, it existed, but it didn't send a forgotten password mail. Creating a different account i wasn't able to report bugs and stuff. Just a circle i couldn't break. So i gave up, and the game as wel. No fun, at all!

    Anything with the set piece managing is just very annoying and very badly done. I keep tweaking it. Especially if you change a lot due to the insane high amount of injuries. It's like a never ending micromanagement cycle before you can start your next game. It makes the game and the gameplay flow so slow.

    I'm just very dissapointed. I've purchased all versions to date, haven't played most of the latest editions, and gave 2016 a serious go, but it's just not fun anymore. It will be my last FM untill i read more possitive feedback from the community (because i'm luckily not the only one dissapointed). Most of my friends and group i used to play with lost interest by now.    … Expand
  7. johanb
    Jun 28, 2016
    0
    This game is so **** **** sometimes. I win 3-0 against Manchester City (3rd place in BPL) and then the game after i lose 4-0 to bloody Aston Villa (19th place in BPL)
  8. flyingmanticore
    Apr 22, 2016
    8
    I have played each version of Football Manager(or Championship Manager) since it was created on the Amiga and each iteration has improved little by little.

    The biggest issue in years gone by has been the tactical aspect. So often, someone managed to figure out a be all tactic that was a plug and play win all trophies. But now with FM16, that is definitely not the case. Now, you truly    I have played each version of Football Manager(or Championship Manager) since it was created on the Amiga and each iteration has improved little by little.

    The biggest issue in years gone by has been the tactical aspect. So often, someone managed to figure out a be all tactic that was a plug and play win all trophies. But now with FM16, that is definitely not the case. Now, you truly have to adapt your tactics based upon your players skills and attributes. What works for me at Portsmouth FC may not work for another person as they have bought different players.

    The ability of the modding community for Football Manager means that no matter how small the country might be, you can play the leagues for that nation to a certain level. There are people that have made the English Leagues to level 23( the game only ships to level 6) and others doing similar to the Italian or Spanish leagues.

    I get great joy in the pure challenging nature of making this game your own with bizarre rules. The number of people that I know are starting game where they cannot buy any players and only use the products from their youth academy. Or can only buy players from a certain nation.

    The diversity of this game makes it a great time waster....although....you always need just one more match    … Expand
  9. FREDJIM
    Apr 11, 2016
    0
    As a veteran football manager player I find this game shockingly bad. It seems the 3D match engine has got worse and all control has been taken from you. Not much has really changed like every year and somehow the game is more buggy than before. To charge 35 pounds for a re-skinned (which also looks worse) version of the previous game is beyond a joke and I expect better
  10. blackbird1
    Mar 13, 2016
    0
    good. no licensec for most of leages no faces nor eal badges BORING every old EA FM Manager was better!
    this game is only playable if you download 40GB of faces and fanmade badges and you need to update this Regular its a joke
  11. enf
    Mar 4, 2016
    0
    Nothing changed really from year to year. Absolutely nothing realistic, in lower leagues especially. I played with England level 23 database, took a team from very bottom, where only grey players in the squads. First season was great, only one lose, over 20 goals in 16 matches from my striker. But next season starts awful, despite nothing really changed in level of rivals, same greys. 3Nothing changed really from year to year. Absolutely nothing realistic, in lower leagues especially. I played with England level 23 database, took a team from very bottom, where only grey players in the squads. First season was great, only one lose, over 20 goals in 16 matches from my striker. But next season starts awful, despite nothing really changed in level of rivals, same greys. 3 loses in a row, 3 goals in 10 matches by same striker with same tactics. It must looks like a senior squad with professional league experience against kids without even football school. Do you think irl that kids have any chance? NO! Even if 1000 matches in a row would be played. But in this arcade **** game this kids can eliminate you, forwards with 4 finishing and 5 pace can easily score hat-tricks against your defence with much more technical, mental and physical attributes. Same with forwards, when they can't score from 10-15 shots in a match against keeper with 3-4 average skills and same defenders. Absolutely ridiculous, this match engine have no future, it must be created from very beginning. So sad that this game have no real rivals. Developers just don't give a **** use same crap like last years, make some cosmetic fixes, update database - make money! But despite this, the game starts with a tons of bugs and unplayable before the big update. Just ****… Expand
  12. DirtyDeeds4Free
    Jan 27, 2016
    0
    90% of score for this game is a people passion for football, SI product itself is a clumsy buggy game with poor and outdated match engine, developing it is a best job ever- same **** great sale every time
  13. MrWilito
    Jan 26, 2016
    9
    Since playing all the FM from the 2007 to 2016 i have to say that this is the most complete and realistic FM to this date. I've read a lot of bad reviews saying that is unrealistic but is very realistic, if you're a big team, you will probably win, if you're a small team, you're probably lose, but with some time and learning how this game works (btw, it's very complete), you will dominateSince playing all the FM from the 2007 to 2016 i have to say that this is the most complete and realistic FM to this date. I've read a lot of bad reviews saying that is unrealistic but is very realistic, if you're a big team, you will probably win, if you're a small team, you're probably lose, but with some time and learning how this game works (btw, it's very complete), you will dominate it and start seeing some changes in the way your team play and perform. The game engine is very good and the variety of statistics thanks to prozone makes the game a very unique and realistic experience. Must buy it.… Expand
  14. paranoid77
    Jan 20, 2016
    2
    Since a fan&player of this style games since championship manager 92/93, every new year it advanced we arrived FM 16. But, is this the best? Of course no. Since FM14, sigames take control from you and give it to itself. Every new version of the game, your control and given tactics are less and less. Just buy player and put pre defined player roles thats all.
    When tactical sliders gone,    Since a fan&player of this style games since championship manager 92/93, every new year it advanced we arrived FM 16. But, is this the best? Of course no. Since FM14, sigames take control from you and give it to itself. Every new version of the game, your control and given tactics are less and less. Just buy player and put pre defined player roles thats all.
    When tactical sliders gone, your hands are tied up, you are not free to create your tactic, especially when individual tactics.
    I think when they made the handheld version and online support for this game, they take too many constant for this game, its easier for them to manage but they couldnt do this well too.
    Play FM 13or FM14; these are the best. After FM14, they all pre defined tactical game.
    And; dont think about the graphics and visiuals about this game. İts nonsense. FM is not a PES or FIFA. New generation players dont understand the sprit of the game this game dont need visiuals(stadiums,supportars,weather condition, etc etc). SI try to attract new generation players.
    To SI; improve the game not visiuals.
    Finally, there are lots of things to improve the game but they are in the wrong way.
    Dont buy this, play FM 13&14, you will be very much satisfied.    … Expand
  15. jackriley2312
    Dec 23, 2015
    1
    I got this game today and have activated and downloaded it to steam, everytime I try to open it loads slightly before going off and skipping back to my desktop. Did anyone have this problem and if so how did you solve it?
  16. LuckyK
    Dec 21, 2015
    8
    this game is brilliant yeah needs some improvements here and there especially with the graphics and designing because they are awful i mean people that manager look like an atari graphic god he is sooo stupid.. the match engine needs a lot of improvement. so stop being lazy people and make it better because the game deserve that.
  17. wimhelsen
    Dec 15, 2015
    8
    For me its much beter then FM15. Interface, gameplay, datebase. The 'searching for players' for me is not so good anymore, the previous versions were easyer
  18. SenshudoTV
    Dec 2, 2015
    8
    Any complaints that I may have about Football Manager 2016 are vastly outweighed by all of its quality and competence. This game is by far the best way to indulge in your managerial fantasies and a huge improvement on last year’s entry. A truly worthwhile purchase.
  19. Creery
    Nov 24, 2015
    8
    Not much can be said, its Football Manager. If you play football management games then this is the one for you. It does exactly what it always has done and provides an immersive management experience which is mostly good.
  20. Tubey
    Nov 21, 2015
    7
    This is an improvement on FM15 - not in obvious ways, but more "under the hood", although the logic of the layout has been improved too (it does take time to get used to, as there's so much to this game that you will struggle to find a page you need at times).

    However, it isn't a significant enough step to be able to say that the series has turned the corner. Players still skate about    This is an improvement on FM15 - not in obvious ways, but more "under the hood", although the logic of the layout has been improved too (it does take time to get used to, as there's so much to this game that you will struggle to find a page you need at times).

    However, it isn't a significant enough step to be able to say that the series has turned the corner. Players still skate about in the 3D match engine like the pitch is made of ice, and at times the engine itself shows itself to be still inherently flawed and breaks immersion (one player skied over from 2 yards out as it was clear the engine had rolled the odds, set him to miss, and had to contrive a way to make him miss).

    So it's the best FM in the last three years, that is without question. Maybe the best since FM11, but that might be a stretch. In my view, the series now needs to have a solid 12 months where they leave the navigation and features alone (except maybe remove the god-awful pointless press conferences) and just focus on getting that match engine 100% up to scratch. No more change for the sake of change.    … Expand
  21. condythug
    Nov 17, 2015
    5
    If someone had given me this game without knowing the title, I would never have guessed that it is a new FM 2016 game. It is almost entirely similar to FM 2015 with the majority of the interface, features etc unchanged or majorly improved. People are just paying for a data update on the same **** from previous years.

    Save your money. FM 2016 is not worth it if u have FM 2015. The    If someone had given me this game without knowing the title, I would never have guessed that it is a new FM 2016 game. It is almost entirely similar to FM 2015 with the majority of the interface, features etc unchanged or majorly improved. People are just paying for a data update on the same **** from previous years.

    Save your money. FM 2016 is not worth it if u have FM 2015. The only benefits are the data update and some minor improvements which are definitely worth the $50.    … Expand
  22. FCP
    Nov 15, 2015
    6
    Simplistic, luck-based, arcadey crap made for casuals. Defenders are mentally retarded and there's nothing you can do about it. Stick to FM11/12/13, they are by far the best, most challenging and realistic FM's ever. This is just another crappy plastic FM.
  23. Kharm
    Nov 15, 2015
    7
    After the madness of Football Manager 2015 when every goal you conceded was from a corner or cross which frustrated a lot of players because there was nothing you could do about it since it was a match engine issue (it was sorted out a few months after release in a patch) i welcomed the release of FM16 expecting everything to be fresh and issue free and after 20 hours of playing FM16 i seeAfter the madness of Football Manager 2015 when every goal you conceded was from a corner or cross which frustrated a lot of players because there was nothing you could do about it since it was a match engine issue (it was sorted out a few months after release in a patch) i welcomed the release of FM16 expecting everything to be fresh and issue free and after 20 hours of playing FM16 i see no issues at all.

    One of the main reasons why i love this game is the "Create A Club" feature. After doing a load of seasons on a real team i go into the FM editor and create a team Like Jersey FC (Jersey Channel Islands UK football team) which isnt on the game and start in Vanarama Conference South and work my way up the leagues so this new feature was something i was really looking forward to and it works really well.
    The always yearly changing interface isnt something i like this year, it just seems that on most occasions theres way too much information being thrown into your face but this isn't really a problem as there are many interfaces created by people on the steam workshop and its pretty easy to find one that suits you best.
    The match engine is showing its age slightly now and before you think I'm going to say it should look like FIFA graphics i dont think it should but more importantly there are no issues with it that i can find this year and watching the matches in 2D or 3D is enjoyable once again.

    As a fanboy of the FM series and played every FM since 2005 (over 1000 hours on FM12 O_0) I would say this is the best FM since FM12. People are saying that there is not enough improvements or new features to justify the price tag and i do agree which is one of the main reasons why I'm dropping the score down to 7 instead of 8-9.    … Expand
  24. Nifefiend
    Nov 15, 2015
    9
    In my opinion this is the best Football Manager for a while and I have owned all of them to date (not the Championship Manager range)

    New bits: -Create a manager is a bit too gimmicky, not really much of a worthwhile addition -Set Piece Creator is a massive improvement, allowing much more tactical depth -Fantasy League is great fun with friends and if you have nay you should    In my opinion this is the best Football Manager for a while and I have owned all of them to date (not the Championship Manager range)

    New bits:
    -Create a manager is a bit too gimmicky, not really much of a worthwhile addition
    -Set Piece Creator is a massive improvement, allowing much more tactical depth
    -Fantasy League is great fun with friends and if you have nay you should definitely give it a go
    -Prozone analytics are extremely useful if you can put the time and effort. Usually if you are struggling, you can dig into the reasons why and make adjustments
    -Create a club allows you to add a whole new level of personal attachment (although this was never a problem with FM

    There are also a myriad of changes. You won't see these if you just pick up the game, of play a couple of matchers. If you are a life-long fan who has played 1000s of hours you will know the AI transfer make more sense, you will know the injuries are more realistic, you will appreciate that the game is harder now and that all round the UI is more usable and friendly.

    The same old issues around the press conferences are here, the 3D match engine is a lot better but still not amazing but if you are an FM fan, this is the best iteration for a long time.    … Expand
  25. thj1188
    Nov 13, 2015
    4
    BUY FM15 WITH UPDATED DATABASE!!! I love football manager I really do but like most yearly releases you struggle to see the value of purchasing the what is 90% the same game year after year after year. And I am afraid it is even harder this year, The much boasted create a manager feature to put it gently is garbage not many options and when I tried to put myself in the game well I lookedBUY FM15 WITH UPDATED DATABASE!!! I love football manager I really do but like most yearly releases you struggle to see the value of purchasing the what is 90% the same game year after year after year. And I am afraid it is even harder this year, The much boasted create a manager feature to put it gently is garbage not many options and when I tried to put myself in the game well I looked like a very dodgy regen with a creepy smile to be honest I preferred it when I could put my own picture in. A lot of things have been tweaked apparently but after 20 hours of playing can't say I have noticed any. Glaring problems such as the match engine players being badly animated with players seeming to float across the pitch with out moving there legs and goal players doing stupid things, yes I know we get the odd howler in football but it is not this bad.

    Yes I am being harsh with this review and score but I love FM and want it to do better and hold it to a high standard all the way back to when I was playing when I was 13 signing Freddy Adu. To sum up I do not see any value in this installment and my big gripe about general laziness and minimal effort being put in remains from last year e.g same questions in interviews where we they have not even bothered to change the wording is dam lazy where such minimal effort has gone in every where else.

    Final thoughts: A lazy effort and I am dissapointed if you are a fool like me you will buy it every year then moan then buy it next year but if you are sensible buy FM15 and download a custom database for the latest transfers.    … Expand
  26. tstc79tt
    Nov 13, 2015
    0
    Still not fix the old issue since 2014 Match Engine Dumb defender and some glitch Goal keeper

    also unrealistic score result &

    and most of all Injuriesssssssssssssssssssssss PLayerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
  27. TomekCiv
    Nov 13, 2015
    10
    Is the best FM ever? Hmm maybe. New Interface and management my team is so great! Statistics so real, 3D match engine is wonderful! And new game modes too.
  28. FCP
    Nov 15, 2015
    6
    Simplistic, luck-based, arcadey crap made for casuals. Defenders are mentally retarded and there's nothing you can do about it. Stick to FM11/12/13, they are by far the best, most challenging and realistic FM's ever. This is just another crappy plastic FM.

Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Best PC Game of 2015
87
#87 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
31
#31 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 16, 2016
    60
    As usual, it's a great sim of football manager. But this time it differs from previous episodes almost in no respect. [Issue#260]
  2. CD-Action
    Feb 4, 2016
    90
    Redesigned interface and wealth of various small improvements make Football Manager 2016 much more accessible to newcomers without sacrificing even a bit of its astounding depth. [01/2016, p.64]
  3. Power Unlimited
    Jan 27, 2016
    81
    The franchise hasn’t changed much since 2014, or 2013 for that matter, but there’s a reason actual football clubs still use Football Manager as a scouting tool: its realism. Trading tens of thousands of incredibly realistic footballers will simply never be boring. [jan. 2016, page 082]
See all critic reviews »