Game: Championship Manager 2010

by Evening Chronicle

THIS year’s Premier League season looks like it might spring a couple of surprises, with moneybags Manchester City and Harry Redknapp’s Spurs side ruffling feathers early on, but you can bet the usual suspects will be up there come May.

In the virtual football management world, it’s been a two-horse race for some time, and Championship Manager has invariably ended up on the losing side.

This year, however, the major new signing for the series is a superb 3D match engine, which is remarkably realistic and really states the aspirations of the developers to provide serious opposition to Football Manager.

Excellent presentation, navigation, depth and detail is backed up by an altogether meatier challenge than the games that have gone before. It may just cause management sim maniacs to give this a whirl before the reigning champion is released.

::CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER 2010

Platform: PC

Price: £34.99