Top Eleven has very quickly, and somewhat quietly, become a global footballing force since the cross-platform game launched in 2010. Since those nascent days, millions of football fans over the world have signed up to manage their own team in leagues against their mates or compete against others in a quest to become the best manager in the world.
The newest version, entitled Top Eleven 2015, is the first major overhaul of the game since 2010 and the differences are striking from even the opening sequences. Brand ambassador Jose Mourinho pops up on my phone’s screen in fantastic animation with fun facts about football, as well as hints and tips displayed to capture my attention for the short load time.
A completely redesigned feel and look of the game is evident the moment the home screen loads. As I’ve joined the game while a season is already in progress, I find that my new team has already lost a couple of league matches this week. I’d better get to work quickly!
The first thing that any new manager will want to do is to examine his or her players. A revamped squad screen can be located with just a couple taps of my finger and immediately the issues become clear thanks to a significant upgrade that allows you to view the squad list and formation at the same time.
My new team is bereft of talent, with the majority of my players with just a few stars under the quality headline. Having selected my goalkeeper, I can now scroll through five separate menus of information including rundowns about his skill, stats and personal traits. It says that his contract is due to expire next season, but as he retains a high market value, I decided to try my luck with selling him on the open market.
The Transfers area of Top Eleven is by far my favourite part of the game. Live auctions with deadlines ticking down in real time mean you are never too far away from outwitting other managers around the world by getting in a late bid on a player in an auction. I’ve logged on quite late in the evening and managed to win an auction for a five star player without any real competition. Perhaps other Top Eleven managers are asleep while I’m improving my team!
I decided against any other transfer market activity and aim to improve my team the old fashioned way, hard work on the training pitch. What becomes clear is that this section of the game has improved immensely when compared to the older version. Reduced training times mean managers are able to complete more sessions with their squads inbetween matches without tiring them out. I manage to turn a three star player into a four star one in just a single practice match. Now we’re getting somewhere.
Desperate to see my new team in action, but not wanting to wait for the next league fixture, I arrange a friendly against Jose Mourinho’s team. He’s a fantastic manager, but his team remains a level one graded team to help new managers like me gain critical match practise. The in-game experience of Top Eleven 2015 is a massive improvement. From the moment the match kicks off there is real singing and chanting echoing around the ground, and my headphones. The atmosphere follows the flow of the match, so I was painfully aware that Mourinho’s team was getting closer to a goal as the first half wore on. In the end, my team wasn’t up to the standard required to beat the ‘Special One’, but a number of my players improved due to the friendly, which is a good result for my young team.
Checking back on the state of my team the next morning, I realise that they just aren’t recovering as quickly after a match as I’d like them to. Locating the Grounds section on the main menu bar, it’s obvious why that’s the case. Completely redesigned with 3D graphics, it doesn’t take long on my tour of the grounds to see that my club doesn’t have a medical centre which is unacceptable in the modern game in my opinion. I start building work immediately and using a few tokens, am able to have the physiotherapists and doctors in place and working on my players immediately. I also notice that my stadium is in pretty bad shape, but will leave that for tomorrow.
Overall, it’s easy to see why this wonderfully absorbing game continues to grow in popularity, and the newest version is certainly a stunning achievement. Top Eleven 2015 is a beautiful game on all platforms and on all devices, including an optimised tablet version that fills the larger screen. Unlike other football manager games, the best asset Top Eleven has is still the ability to play against your friends and other real people for bragging rights. Who has the best team? The best stadium? Who won in the last match? One of my friends has stopped talking to me after my team beat his 4-0. An amazing result played on an even better game.
Top Eleven 2015 is available via tablets and mobiles running both iOS and Android operating systems.
Think you have what it takes to be a top manager? Visit http://www.topeleven.com!
