I've played Football Manager for 24 years – this is my honest opinion of FM26

FM26 is the most significant change in Football Manager history

There are few things I can think of which have spanned around 85% of my life. It's a long old time – longer than I rather care to admit, actually – and, as such, many hobbies, interests and facets of my personality have come and gone in that time.

But one constant has always been the iconic Football Manager franchise. Actually, it wasn't just that series – I've turned my hand to Championship Manager before it became Football Manager, as well as forgotten rivals like LMA Manager and Alex Ferguson's Player Manager.

Now, the reigning champion of the series is back with its most impressive update ever. Football Manager 26 is built on a brand new gaming engine, with a totally redesigned user interface. I've been playing the beta for the last few days to get a feel for what the new game is like.

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Loading it up for the first time left me pretty giddy. After a two year wait from the last iteration – Football Manager 25 was notably cancelled after delays in the production process – there was a lot to love.

The opening screens feel familiar, but it's quickly obvious that there's more under the hood here. That starts with a much more in depth manager design window, which allows you to get really into the details.

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Impressive though it is, the real magic starts when you get into the game properly. First up, the Match Engine. That's been the subject of a lot of chatter, as arguably the most significant change this time out.

I have to say, I've been really impressed with how it works. There's no denying that there's still a Football Manager-ness to the way players move, but it's much more lifelike than before. Watching players do things that feel sensible and realistic is such a refreshing feeling.

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I'm also a massive fan of how the game flits between the 3D engine and a more efficient 2D screen. It's a clever implementation, and one which ensures you're only using power for the really important sections of a match, while offering a nod to the older game style in the process.

Another big inclusion this year is the ability to manage women's teams. That has been promised for a long time, and is finally available to play.

Now I can't profess to have played on that side of things yet – I've stuck with more familiar ground for the beta testing – but having had a quick peruse around, it looks like another well-implemented feature.

Last, but not least, lets talk about the overall user interface. That's had a significant change this time out, with a more modern, social media-influenced design.

That certainly does take some getting used to – if you've played through many generations of this game, you're going to find it tough to find the right buttons for a short spell. I'm sure I'll get more used to it over time though.

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I'm pleasantly surprised, though. There has been a lot of discourse about the game in this early beta phase, with lots of criticisms flying around. I'm not here to dispel any of those, either – mileage will vary from player to player, and there's definitely a few creases to iron out prior to the game launching.

But from my experience, Football Manager 26 has all the hallmarks of a classic. If this is what the franchise will look like for the next generation, I'm certainly going to remain a happy fan.