Developer: Cyanide
Publisher: Nacon
Platform: TDF2020 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. PCM2020 on PC.
Tested on: TDF2020 on PS4,PCM2020 on PC.
Tour de France 2020 & Pro Cycling Manager 2020 – Review
Another year, another release for sports games. Of course, you can expect a new FIFA even before the year started, but other branches release their games some other time that’s actually related to the year in the title. In 2020, digital sports games became even more important than ever as they seemingly replace the fields that are struck down by the Coronavirus. So especially for something like the Tour de France being canceled (or delayed), it makes sense that the real fans seek a digital refuge to forget about such real-world issues.
Story
Both games do not involve any premade stories. What they do involve is a reality-based roster of athletes to pick or manage so you can play as your favorite competitors and country-representatives. The Tour de France 2020 game allows you much more to actually actively partake in the cycling itself though, where Pro Cycling Manager 2020 really relies more on the overall managing as well as other regions and rides beside the Tour de France. In both games, when you start a campaign, this means following a calendar that brings new challenges and routes as you progress based on which date it is.
Pro Cycling Manager 2020
Tour de France 2020
Graphics
When playing, the graphics of Tour de France 2020 initially look laughable. The riders have more or less the same face, and the supporters on the side actually do a weird gliding thingy where they just slide over the road depending on how close you are. Not to mention their poses and general animations. It’s a bit like looking at cardboard cut-out figures with a 3D model on top. That being said, TDF 2020 somehow manages to make the movement of the entire group of cyclists feel rather natural, and the environments that you go through might look a bit simple but do feel like they represent actual maps, including the long hills you go up and down. Also, one of the best additions to this new installment is that you can (finally) play from a first-person point of view.
Tour de France 2020
Pro Cycling Manager 2020 is a bit more confident in its modeling and polishing and doesn’t look as laughable, but we should stress that the most interesting visuals are when you simulate a ride, with the emphasis on simulate. Watching Pro Cycling Manager 2020 is a bit like watching the toy train that you got for Christmas move around the tree. It feels static, attached to a rail. And in no way is the map as interesting as the Tour de France 2020 game. The managing screen outside the simulation is full of information and daunting for new players, where some learning and tutorials definitely need to take place before you can grasp all the information on-screen. And note, the game takes large quantities of time to load new information as well as simulations, which feels a bit weird as not much is going on.
Pro Cycling Manager 2020
Sound
It’s nice to hear how Tour de France 2020 implemented a lot of voices of bystanders who are cheering you on as you cycle past them. The French language is heard a lot (allez allez!) but we thought we heard some German as well, so there are probably more languages there depending on the real consistency of Tour de France supporters. In both games, the commentary is a bit depressing as it’s barely heard or variated but on the other hand, when the sound of many bikes moving as one soft humming, well-oiled group is the only thing you hear, that also has something nice and feels kind of real.
Gameplay
The gameplay pans out a bit different for both games, and this is where fans would have to choose between which experience they want to have. Tour de France 2020 is really a Tour de France simulator, where the focus is all on the long rides that have to make you feel like experiencing what you normally see on TV or while standing beside the road. Pro Cycling Manager 2020 is really all about the management including small details and pretty much plays exactly like the previous games. This starts out with planning ahead and managing a team with training and research on a dashboard overview. After that, you can handle a 3D simulation of a competitive ride and try to get your team to the first place. You do this by, of course, managing what they should do.
Pro Cycling Manager 2020
This is where Tour de France 2020 and Pro Cycling Manager 2020 overlap mostly. You get to do about the same in both games during the rides themselves. With some minor differences, you get to decide tactics such as letting teammates protect each other, attack (going faster to go to the front), or making sure you stick around the main group and save your energy. On top of that, you have your water bottle, and there are some tweaking options in your effort. Effort means how much… well, effort, you put in trying to get ahead. It’s comparable to speed and trying to break away from the main group. If you don’t manage your effort/energy properly in either one of the games, this will surely mean you won’t take the stage.
Tour de France 2020
Both games have their negative points, but they also both do something great. Where Tour de France 2020 really seems to give you the experience of viewing AND/OR joining the Tour de France. Don’t be mistaken, riding a single ride takes long and this is one of the reasons why it feels realistic. You will have to plan your energy ahead for the upcoming hills and properly adjust your speed to take corners. The weird thing about this experience is that you don’t have to play. You can also put the race on autoplay until you want to pick up the controller yourself again. This option makes your planning and playing feel a bit useless, but it’s a nice change that offers more possibilities for all types of players. Pro Cycling Manager 2020 offers a lot of options to really manage a team which is great if you like those things. Both games don’t let you fall down though, so riding feels a bit like an arcade, but that also makes it more accessible for all fans and all ages.
Conclusion
Despite some obvious minor aspects of Tour de France 2020 as well as Pro Cycling Manager 2020, both games are different and also do something good in their own ways. Where Tour de France 2020 actually makes you feel like you are a part of the Tour de France route, Pro Cycling Manager 2020 gives you a lot of (micro)management to handle, from planning and managing players in your team to following the ride and making sure your team gets the right advantages at the right time. Both games are about equal in their bad vs good contrast, and therefore both deserve a 6,5 as their final score.
Tour de France 2020 & Pro Cycling Manager 2020 - Review,
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