Small improvements for a series that largely fails to evolve
Each rider can fail to adequately keep himself fueled up. All these real-world problems are present and can cause the same amount of trouble in Pro Cycling Manager 2021. And, just like in real life, when the player overcomes them and gets to the line first there’s a tremendous joy. The title is created by Cyanide, which has long worked on the franchise and published by Nacon, on the PC. In the small world of sports sims, the two companies tackle cycling, delivering a game that mixes management and actual racing. Gamers can pick a team and then decide how and where its riders will race. The player has full control over objectives, selection, tactics, contracts, scouting for future talents, eventually, even sponsor and equipment choice. Anyone can set their objective and build a narrative around it, which means that knowledge of real-world cycling, its stars, and its stories, is a requirement. The management element is important for success but the important action takes place in the 3D races. The game mostly does a good job of simulating competitions and rider attributes are pretty well chosen (the fan community will deliver more detail and granularity relatively quickly).
