Developer Panic Barn and publisher No More Robots have announced a brand new entry in the reemerging ‘sports RPG’ genre which will turn the world of soccer games on its head. Soccer Story is a sports-fantasy RPG that takes place in the years after a mysterious calamity ‘tore apart the very foundations of soccer’, banning the sport for everyone around the world.
In this adventure, players will be joined by a magical soccer ball that wants to bring back the glorious sport of soccer. With this ball at your side, you’ll go on wild quests, explore a vast and colorful world, make friends, and re-innovate the global soccer phenomenon.
The action looks delightful, with the game rocking a dynamic 2D-3D pixel art style that is reminiscent of Pokemonwhile maintaining his own sense of personality.
You can check out the trailer for the upcoming game below:
Comparisons to beloved sports RPG games like Golf Story and Sports Story are fairly well-earned here, but this game is not related to the acclaimed, Australian-made series. It does feature similar ideas, however, and it’s likely you’ll enjoy this one if you liked it. Golf Story.
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With gorgeous-looking landscapes, a colorful aesthetic and strong fantasy elements, Soccer Story should stand out in what’s becoming a very crowded ‘niche’ genre.
Like Golf Storyit appears to integrate some elements from the sport on which it’s based, but with a wider world to explore and what appears to be a multi-layered adventure system (classic RPG combat and dungeoneering get a look-in during the trailer), it should also be a wildly different experience from everything that’s come before.
As the Savior of Soccer, it appears you’ll have your work cut out for you – you’ll need to corral ghostly soccer players, tear down the world’s hatred of soccer, and discover long-buried secrets to get your league thriving.
Soccer Story is set to launch in 2022, with beta signups now available on the game’s website. Keep an eye on this adventure – it looks to be a real treat.