Despite barely watching any football or caring too much about it beyond how Leicester City are doing, I find football games to be perfect to play in the background while listening to a podcast or watching something on another screen. But this year has changed us all.
If I were to give this award every year, it would go to FIFA for the last seven. I could have switched to Pro Evolution Soccer if it weren't for FIFA 17, 18 & 19 providing a large narrative campaign called the Journey which involved Alex Hunter and followed by his half-sister and on-again-off-again friend/rival. While it wasn't anything groundbreaking, it made you feel somewhat invested.
This was replaced by a street football campaign of Volta which felt more like some cutscenes between picking which region of the world you were going to win with flip-flaps and step-overs while meeting famous street players like *checks notes* Jayzinho?!
Ultimately, it didn't carry the same human-interest that The Journey had. With continuing drive towards FIFA Ultimate Team's loot box driven play and Pro Evolution Soccer also taking a year off with only a roster update 2020 may point to a nadir in football games in recent history.
Until...
Winner: Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Challengers
Why do a one-two and tap-in goal when you can do this?
Taking place during a Middle School tournament - a highly abridged period from the manga that began in the early 1980s - Tsubasa and his team face against rivals of each team who eventually join Japan's national team with Tsubasa.
This game excels in making the players matter. FIFA's The Journey, places you in matches with teammates and opponents that have no bearing on the story happening to you other than the overall theme of football. Tsubasa's campaign has the feeling of being part of a saga that I may actually look into.
It's a shame it's taken so long - this is the 16th full-game based on the franchise and only the 1st to bear its name in the UK (the first ever game was re-branded Tecmo Cup Soccer on the NES with none of the other releases making it to the West).
Gameplay feels absolutely wonky with players seemingly skating slowly across the pitch, like pedaling a bike on a low gear. But when you realise it's all in service of building your charge to score ridiculous goals and calculating the risks of dodging defenders who can knock your players back 20 feet and out of commission for 10 seconds is when this game clicks in a way that makes it both challenging and the hyped-up goals worthwhile.
I'm going to start the other campaign creating my own character soon which I have read involves a lot more written dialog but I feel alot more motivation there than checking-in to build my Ultimate Team in FIFA.
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