Football Manager 2021 Review: 9 Ups And 3 Downs

4. The Match Engine

Football Manager 2021
SEGA

Again not a major improvement, but still a definite positive about Football Manager 2021, the match engine itself has had a nice upgrade.

Beforehand, the match engine of FM20 was great, but Sports Interactive has taken that and made some smart tweaks to what was already in place.

If you're a gamer who prefers to watch the 2D approach or merely rely on text commentary, that's fine. But for those who like to watch each match, or at least the highlights, in 3D then there is a fun and fresh unpredictability about Football Manager 2021.

Without any exaggeration, FM2021 has you on your toes and on the edge of your seat just as much as you would be if you were in your favourite stadium of choice and cheering on your own team. What may start off looking like a guaranteed goal for your opposition, can just as easily switch to a breakaway counter-attack that will have you punching the air - and the dynamics of the 3D view of matches is phenomenal here.

Truth be told, this is coming from someone who usually gets fed up of the 3D style of viewership. Instead, every match is now watched in 3D, with the varying camera angles on offer adding further to the touchline managerial experience.

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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.