Pro Cycling Manager 2023 Review: Not Much Has Changed (PC)

Pro Cycling Manager 2023, developed by Cyanide Studio and published by Nacon, is the latest installment in the renowned cycling simulation series. As a professional cycling management simulation game, players are given total control over a real-world cycling team of their liking. Additionally, you can control the riders directly while racing, although not in a conventional manner.

However, if you’re not into professional cycling and are just looking for a unique racing game, this isn’t for you. The game isn’t based on thrills and spills; it never tries to be as such. It is a simulation game through and through, designed to replicate realism and grant as much control as possible. Hence, Pro Cycling Manager 2023 is meant for a small but dedicated fanbase who are into cycling simulations.

Pro Cycling Manager 2023 is a PC-exclusive title and is only available on Steam, for $39.99.

Story — There’s None

Pro Cycling Manager 2023 is a simulation game, and as such, there’s no real story here. Cyanide Studio has managed to acquire the rights to use the real names of most of the famous bikers. But several of the biggest events of the year still go by fake names. With Career mode or even Pro Cyclist mode, you get to make your own stories, and that’s about it.

Gameplay — Realistic and Offers Total Control

Pro Cycling Manager 2023 offers multiple game modes to choose from, just like in the previous games from the franchise. The one that most players will want to get the game for is obviously the Career mode, where you can pick any cycling team, and even customize their outfits. However, you can also choose to experience the game from the point of view of a single rider with Pro Cyclist mode. Or you could pick a specific race or tour instead.

The different modes in the game

Every decision affects the outcome of races, from analyzing race profiles and weather conditions to monitoring your riders’ fatigue and energy levels. To succeed in the highly competitive cycling world, the gameplay mechanics of Pro Cycling Manager 2023 demand strategic thinking, resource management, and adaptability.

Career Mode

Career mode is a comprehensive, in-depth experience that may be divided into an off-track management portion and a racing section. Players may choose the training strategy and coach for each rider, and cope with a variety of injuries and even diseases, all while trying to keep the sponsor’s trust.

Career mode dashboard

There is an overwhelming amount of micro-management for those who love that kind of thing. For example, you could set the racing schedule and fitness targets for each rider. You can also do some R&D on bicycle parts. This micromanagement can, however, get daunting for players not used to the genre.

Pro Cyclist Mode

Making your own cyclist and cycling to the top is what the Pro Cyclist mode is all about. It mostly involves increasing your experience points and meeting the goals your manager has set for you, and you’ll get to create training programs for accomplishing this.

Customizing your own rider

One thing to keep in mind is that the list of teams you have access to depends on the nationality of your player. The game has a very clever implementation of adjusting the difficulty. You get to choose whether your rider has the capacity to be a world champion or if he is merely of average skill.

Cons

When it comes to the cons, the issue with Pro Cycling Manager 2023 is the lack of distinction from its predecessor. The game is almost the same as last year’s but with a fresh coat of paint. So while this may be the best option for you if you’re just getting into the franchise, those who own the 2022 version would likely prefer to stay with that game. The only downside to that is the old rosters, and that can be fixed easily with mods. There are minor improvements that don’t really stand out, but it’s not a bad game overall.

Graphics and Audio — Simple but Presentable

As with the lack of innovation in terms of gameplay, the graphics seem to have been given the same treatment. You’ll find that it doesn’t exactly feel like a sports game made for 2023, but you can cut it some slack since it’s a simulation game. The overall graphical quality isn’t bad, although the human models do feel a bit robotic. The UI isn’t that easy-to-use either and you can easily get confused if you’re not paying attention.

The graphics aren’t pleasing, but that’s not the focus here

The race commentary is the same as in previous iterations; you’ll find it interesting at first but it quickly starts to feel robotic. As for the soundtrack, there’s not much to complain about but there aren’t many tracks. When played for extended periods, it can easily become monotonous and you’ll want to change it to a custom playlist instead.

Dead Good PR provided the review key for Pro Cycling Manager 2023.