Worldwide Soccer/Football Manager 2006

...Is out. I'd advise WWSM to everyone on this side of the pond. For $29.90 USD there isn't a better sports simulation to be found.

I grabbed it recently, and it's still the same addictive thrill. While the direction that SIGames wants to take FM in has had its bumps and bruises (CM4, for instance) and there are still some bugs left to iron out (a continuing moan has been about the preponderance of CPU comebacks, much like last year).

One big change however is that the game is much, much harder. Morale plays a huge factor now, and really affects gameplay. Prior to this iteration, most people I knew were pretty familiar with the old CM way of doing things, that being, taking over some team in a nation's lowest division, and, within five years, sitting atop the World as the most indomitable club there is, scoring in upwards of 150 goals a year.

Not so much this year. I haven't won in any of the first five matches i've played.

That said, it kind of reminds me of Winning Eleven in that manner. Fort he first few games I generally play of it, I can't score for the life of me. Then I get used to it and begin to work things out, and i'm hoping this will follow the same course. If not, i'll probably post again here in a month cursing this game's brains out.

My final verdict is witheld, but for now, it's solid.