The debate over which is the best soccer video game has raged for decades.
There wasn’t really much to choose from on the Switch until now. There’s EA Sports FC (which thankfully is already worth getting), but with Konami’s eFootball (formerly PES) nowhere in sight, the other options are arcade-style indie games that vary wildly in quality.
On the face of it, Sociable Soccer 24 – which was originally tested for a possible Switch release seven years ago – is another of those arcade indies, but to dismiss it would be to score a huge own goal, because there’s real pedigree here.
For those who don’t know, Sociable Soccer is the brainchild of Jon Hare, co-founder of legendary UK developer Sensible Software. For some, his soccer game Sensible Soccer – affectionately known to legions of Gen X fans as Sensi – and its massive sequel Sensible World of Soccer remain the best video game interpretations of the sport, EA and Konami be damned.
With the name Sensible Soccer seemingly out of reach for Hare, he opted for a similar-sounding title. However, the game itself clearly takes inspiration from the series that made his former studio one of the biggest names in Europe during the 1990s.
Like its spiritual predecessor, Sociable Soccer focuses on arcade soccer gameplay enhanced by a brilliantly exaggerated aftertouch system that lets you deflect shots with gusto. Aftertouch has even been added to ground passes this time around, allowing skill players to bend passes that roll past defenders to get to blockers.
However, despite the obvious source material, the game differs when it comes to dribbling. This was one of the hardest things about Sensible Soccer – and one of the things that made it a joy to play when you mastered it – because a sudden change in direction would cause the ball to escape, whereas here it’s practically stuck to your player’s feet. Players run much slower than in Sensi, even with the addition of a sprint button. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just different.
Sensible fans will also be hoping that Sociable Soccer’s default side-scrolling camera angle, which is perfectly serviceable, can be changed to something more like the game they grew up with. Fortunately, it’s possible: of the five camera options available, the second is a clear attempt to recreate Sensible Soccer with a vertical camera that makes pulling off bending shots much easier.
It’s a success on the pitch, especially when playing against a friend, but it’s in game modes where Sociable Soccer is more of a mixed bag. The main career mode is a strange team-building affair that feels a bit like FIFA Ultimate Team (or the Master League of the classic PES games) combined with a mobile gacha game.
After you’ve chosen your team, their usual players are replaced by a bunch of complete wimps – each represented by a card – and the goal is to work your way up the many divisions, winning matches and facing challenges in winning and the like. way. Along the way, you’ll occasionally unlock new player cards that can be used to replace the weaker ones on your team. Alternatively, if you don’t like the new player you’ve acquired, you can “spend” them on upgrading an existing squad player of the same nationality or position (probably in some off-screen human sacrifice).
While the idea of ​​building a team over time is nothing new, the random nature of it feels a little off-putting, especially considering the game creator’s past work boasts arguably the best career mode in a soccer game ever in Sensible World of Soccer. Something as simple as the transfer market would make the process of improving your team more appealing, but as it is, you literally have to play with the cards you’re dealt.
If you’re after something a little less cheesy and just want to enjoy some no-nonsense football then World mode will thankfully make up for the career. Here you can choose from a bunch of real competitions (albeit with fake names), pick any participating team you like and try to win that trophy, with the overall goal being to completely fill the locker with all 78 trophies.
There are seven national tournaments (such as unlicensed equivalents of the Euros, World Cups and the like), seven club tournaments (Champions League etc), 37 separate leagues and 28 domestic trophies to win, so there’s a lot to play for. to be here. Crucially, this mode can be played offline, while Career requires an internet connection for some obscure reason, so you’ll be playing this mode while commuting.
You’ll also find the game’s awesome database here. Like Sensible World of Soccer before it, the sheer number of clubs and players here is ridiculous, with a total of 237 international teams and 1,195 club teams from around the world, meaning you can finally have a Kashima Antlers vs Al Ahly match. I’ve always dreamed of it (although here it would be Kashima vs Cairo instead).
That’s the only real disappointment, by the way: the game doesn’t have any real team names, so if you’re not familiar with a particular league, you might have trouble finding a specific team. Things like Glasgow Hoops vs Glasgow Blues should be obvious, but if you don’t know your Mexican geography, you might not be able to tell that Aguascalientes is actually Club Necaxa. Easy to make a mistake, remember.
Fortunately, the vast majority of player names are real, thanks to the presence of the FIFPro license. They claim there are over 13,000 licensed pros in the game, and we’ll take their word for it (we were pretty tired of counting teams). Many of them also have photos that add some personality to the otherwise rather basic character models.
The only other major downside to Sociable Soccer 24 as it stands is that there’s no online multiplayer on Switch that we can find, despite the eShop and the back of the physical box claiming otherwise. [“Online play coming to Console soon,” according to PR.] For now, be aware that despite the name of the game, any socializing you want to do with this game must be offline. Which it’s great for, to be clear, given its pick-and-play nature.