Welcome back, Football Manager. I've only played half a day or so of it, whistling through my inductions, board meetings and opening transfer window, but already the positive signs are there. Football Manager 27 is a big, much-appreciated step in the right direction. In a way it's a step back - this is essentially the game I wish FM26 had been - but sometimes that's necessary. One back, two forward. At least it's genuine progress. This is a Football Manager game again.

If that "game I wish FM26 had been" line has raised an Ancelotti-eqsue eyebrow, here's what I mean by it: FM27 has got rid of most - if not quite all - of the cards-and-tiles UI that gave FM26 its notoriety. It's dramatically easier, faster, and more sensible to navigate, though I still think there are places to improve. But it's also maintained the best part of last year's entry, in the majorly overhauled in- and out-of-possession tactics systems. And it's built on that system smartly: elements are tinkered with and made clearer; other parts are expanded, and a new system added entirely, in something called "tactical effectiveness". This sounds almost comically dry but, in true Football Manager fashion, that's the good stuff . This is a really smart system, one that brings with it a huge boost to the role-playing side of the game. Combined with the rolling-back of various UI elements to more traditional FM fare, it makes me feel about as optimistic as I have been for this series for a little while.

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