with the exception of the improved user interface on the surface not much else seems to have changed however there have been a lot of changes under the bonnet as well things like the manager mindgames which let you talk to the media about the opposition bosses the match engine is also much improved and it is more of a joy than ever to watch in fact just about every area of the game has been tweaked and it leads to an ever more immersive experience with a game that is so complex and so openended there are of course a few glitches but nowhere near the sorts of problems that have blighted previous releases with so many calculations to perform the game can take some time to process in between matches though there have been improvements in this area and a sport like football which is so high profile and unpredictable itself can never be modelled quite to everybody s satisfaction but this time around a great deal of hard work has been put in to ensure that any oddities that do crop up are cosmetic only and do not affect gameplay and if there are problems further down the line sports interactive have indicated their usual willingness to support and develop the game as far as possible in all there are many more tweaks and improvements if you were a fan of the previous cm games then fm2005 might make you forget there was anything else before it if you are new to the genre but like the idea of trying to take margate into the premiership spurs into europe or even putting rangers back on the top of the tree fm2005 could be the best purchase you ever made just be warned that the family might not see you much at christmas football manager 2005 out now for the pc and the mac