You know those game trailers that leave you in a state of shock, as if you just watched something so outrageous that you couldn’t be that it was true? Well, I’m pleased to report that this very thing happened to me after watching the trailer for “FootLOL: Epic Fail League”, a cutesy but not so cutesy soccer (European football) game. Meteor strikes, airplanes bombing the field…it was “Mutant League Football” all over again and I just had to have more. Along those lines, I’d like to thank Anastasia Skachko from HeroCraft, Ltd. for providing me with a free press copy.
FootLOL: Epic Fail League – Windows
Before digging into the good stuff, I’d be negligent if I didn’t mention the game’s features and modes. It offers both single and online multiplayer, but no local multiplayer from what I’ve been able to tell. The main feature is the game’s tournament mode, which allows you to “level up” your team by spending money and unlocking new abilities. The campaign boasts four different planets and about sixty levels, featuring different terrain as you progress. Besides the tournament mode, you can play against the AI via “quick play” or take it to others online. The quick play offers a bit more variety and flexibility when compared to the campaign, including time trial mode, the ability to set up custom matches, and more. You can earn money and level up your team in quick play as well, which I really liked.
Gameplay is both fast and chaotic…imagine regular soccer but juiced up on steroids, in another universe, and cranked up to 10x speeds. Typical games can take points well into the double digits, a welcome change from the typical 1-0 or 1-2 soccer game you might see on television. Had these games lasted longer than five minutes (games vary between one to three minutes and some are even untimed), I’d have no doubts about point values breaking a hundred. I would have liked the ability to customize match details in quick play, but I think the default times and score goals set a good pace especially with how arcadey the game feels. In fact, you don’t even control the players on the field…rather, your time will be spent activating abilities and attempting to mess up your opponent.
A well-timed meteorite or land mine can work wonders.
In between tournament mode matches, you’ll be able to spend the money you earn to upgrade your team. This includes buying more ability slots (so that you can equip more abilities at the same time), unlocking new abilities, increasing the amount of income you’d receive by default, improving your team’s shooting accuracy & speed, and more. It gave me a sense of progression and a reason to keep playing, as if placing land mines on the field and calling in a herd of cows wasn’t reason enough. You’re also ranked on your matches…the better you do, the more you earn. It’s all very simple yet fun at the same time, though the side objectives can be a bit challenging. Getting the scoreboard to read a particular score can be tough, especially with how quickly the game moves.
I’m not going to spend too much time here, mainly due to the fact that there’s not much more to it than I’ve already written. “FootLOL: Epic Fail League” is the kind of game you can jump into for a few minutes, have some laughs, and turn off to do something else. It’s currently retailing on Steam for five bucks, which isn’t a bad deal all things considered. Had the game been ten or possibly even fifteen bucks, I’d have my doubts about recommending the game altogether…there’s just not enough going on to justify a high price tag (I’m looking at you, “Goat Simulator”). As it stands, “FootLOL: Epic Fail League” is a fun and chaotic game worth checking out, especially if you have a warped sense of humor like myself.
Final Verdict: 8/10
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You can learn more about and purchase the game by visiting the following websites:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/263740/
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOkYcauxw8U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXvKqh0f6CY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maSGsNNrggY