Football Manager 2013 New Modes

Football Manager 2013 is said to mark "a seismic shift" in the series, and one of the ways it's doing this is the brand-new classic mode, or as it's being referred to at the studio 'FMC'.

For the first time in the franchise's history, the mode gives players a "less time-consuming way for players to approach the game". It simplifies the game to a degree, allowing you to focus on winning the league.

“The introduction of FMC is a major step forward in Football Manager’s evolution,” says Miles Jacobson, Studio Director of Sport's Interactive. “In recent years it’s become clear that there’s a large group of people who would like to play Football Manager, but simply can’t devote the time required to get the most out of the game – in fact, now that they have families and other commitments, even some members of the SI team have found themselves in this position. We decided, therefore, to try to find a way to accommodate players with limited free time, without significantly diluting the experience. We believe that FMC achieves this beautifully."

Now you'll be able to play through an entire season in eight to ten hours. You can also embark on an open-ended career or play the game's new challenge mode – it'll test your managerial know-how with real-world circumstances usually over the length of half a season.

But if you're a devoted fan of Football Manager, don't worry. Nobody is diluting the experience you love. Jacobson goes on to say, “I would, however, like to stress to our many, many fans around the world that the introduction of FMC will not impact in any way on the game that they’ve come to know and love. For those who still want the full, ‘hands-on’ experience, FM13 offers exactly what they’re looking for – a bigger, better and even more immersive version of the world's greatest football management simulation.”

The game also boasts a new improved 3D engine, new staff roles including the introduction of those bothersome 'Directors of Football', refreshed interactions with the media, and worldwide leaderboards.

Football Manager 2013 will be out on PC and Mac sometime before Christmas 2012.

Daniel is IGN's UK Staff Writer. He supports Blackburn Rovers, who are mainly rubbish. Follow him on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Captain Marvel #2 Review

The second issue of Captain Marvel is a pretty dramatic shift from the previous issue. This is a straight up time travel story that throws Carol into a World War II setting. That might seem a bit strange, but Kelly Sue DeConnick and Dexter Soy make it work. This issue doesn't quite have the same heart and heft that the series started out with, but it's still a great comic book with a tight script and some gorgeous artwork. Captain Marvel is quickly becoming the Marvel title to watch. Or read, I guess. You know what I mean.

The use of time travel is an interesting choice, and once you get about half way through the issue you realize why it works for this story. Carol says it herself, when she notes why time travel is taking her out of her comfort zone, "You can't blast it, punch it, outrun it or throw it into space." This is not business as usual for Carol Danvers. This is a story that looks to grow the character and make her a different kind of hero. The dialogue is great, but the inner monologue is even better. The time we get to spend in Carol's head is worth the cover price alone.

The change in setting really suits Dexter Soy's art. Every page in this issue looks good, but it looks even better once we shift back in time. Once a group of female commandos burst on to the scene, you'll be sold. It looks absolutely awesome and it's the kind of thing that is really enhanced by Soy's dark, washy art style. If you didn't think he was a good fit for Captain America fighting Absorbing Man, then you might want to give his work a second chance here. It looks stunning.

This is a dark book, not in tone, but rather in style. Soy's art is heavy on shadows here. Blackness seeps into every page, covering the world and characters. It's a credit to the artist that after only two issues, it's hard to imagine anyone else drawing this series. I'll admit, I had originally been expecting a light and bright comic with Captain Marvel, but what we get is better. It looks better with Soy at the helm and all you naysayers need to suck it up and give this comic a look. I'm calling it; Dexter Soy is going to be a superstar.

If Captain Marvel continues on this path, DeConnick and Soy will have created one awesome new title for Marvel. It's engaging, fun, beautiful and different. This is not your typical superhero book, and that's exactly what makes it so great. It's nice to see a different kind of monthly title from Marvel. I have never been a Carol Danvers fan, but as long as Kelly Sue DeConnick and Dexter Soy are handling her adventures, I'll be picking up every issue. Marvel needs to take more chances like this, because -- in the case of Captain Marvel, at least -- it has totally paid off.

Benjamin is a writer and storyteller. He owns many leather-bound books and his office smells of rich mahogany. Follow Benjamin on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Scarlet Spider #8 Review

Scarlet Spider suffered a significant blow recently with the departure of artist Ryan Stegman. Luckily, the series is weathering the creative team shift as well as can be expected. The book is no longer the looker it once was, but it still offers a fun and enjoyable look at the newest member of the Spider-Man club.

Having set up shop in Houston, it was probably inevitable that Kaine would bump into the Texas Twisters sooner or later. Christopher Yost offers up a fun battle between Scarlet Spider and this obscure little team. While this issue offers a textbook case of heroes battling each other before agreeing to unite against a common foe, Kaine's tendency to duck and run and subverts the usual outcome. His aversion to all other superheroes is a continued source of amusement.

On a deeper level, the involvement of Roxxon offers Kaine a much bigger and more looming threat to deal with. His quirky, slightly dark relationship with new fling Zoe Walsh isn't as much a focus of this issue as I would have liked, but it does come into play again towards the end. Any attempt to force Kaine to deal with human ties and personal drama is a good one, at the moment.

Khoi Pham is doing a serviceable job replacing Stegman. Certainly, his work lacks the fluidity and energy of Stegman's pencils, but the storytelling is generally clear and presentable. Tom Palmer's inks help smooth the normally jagged edges of Pham's work, and the overall stylistic shift isn't as dramatic as it might have been. As long as Yost keeps steering his hero in interesting directions like this and dragging him into uncomfortable situations, the series can withstand a few visual snafus.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and various other IGN channels. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com