While the button control in the matches generally works better than the touchscreen controls on mobile (particularly dribbling, where it was difficult to see past your finger) this was a change forced due to the controller input. Cards and drinks can be gained faster by upgrading certain facilities, while upgrading things like the stadium and shops will gain you extra money. If your staff are on a cool down, you’ll instead earn energy drinks. You can also sign staff, who will provide bonus cards that can be given to a player to raise their skill ratings. You are responsible for signing players and picking the team.

Outside of matches this is a management sim with all the features one would come to expect, plus a few extras. Despite a tackle option being included in the game, you will only ever be given control in attacking situations. A slight niggle is that you have no way of preventing goals. Each match will allow you one do-over of a passage of play, so you have a little leeway if you mess up a shot or similar. When the ball isn’t moving the game pauses, allowing you more time to decide on your next pass, or set up a forward run on to a through ball. The controls are very simplistic you won’t find any tricks here, just dribble, tackle, pass, and shoot. Matches are similar, but instead of controlling just your own player you could take control of any player on the team for those attacking moments. This game takes the New Star Soccer formula and extends it to a management sim. It was a super simple and super fun version of FIFA’s career mode. Your actions on the pitch would then impact your career off the pitch. The match would play out via text, and you would be parachuted in for free kicks or scoring opportunities. It is a sequel of sorts to the wildly popular and BAFTA winning New Star Soccer – a game that had you take control of a football player for key moments in a match.

New Star Manager certainly comes with a pedigree that many mobile titles don’t have. At a time when mobile gaming is a bit of a taboo word, and football games are dominated by FIFA and Football Manager, it will be interesting to see whether New Star Manager can make an impact on all those platforms. New Star Manager first released on mobile in 2018, then Steam, Switch, and now PS4. This started with Angry Birds and has become more and more common, with varying degrees of success. It seems to be the trend recently to port free-to-play mobile games to home consoles.

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