Football is a brilliant game to watch and play and although the rules have changed little over the years, the game itself seems to have evolved into a faster paced and much more exciting sport. With the introduction of slicker moves, more lightweight balls and quicker athletes on the field, there’s little wonder why the game has developed into what we know and expect from handheld and larger console platforms.
If you like FIFA and PES type games then you will feel right at home with this. First Touch Soccer is by far one of the best football games I’ve played on the iPhone/iPad market and what makes it even better? It’s only $0.99! So comparing this to others on the scene, it’s an absolute steal!
True, it’s not endorsed by the authorities so the names of the teams are more like what you’d find in PES with ‘London Red’ being one of the clubs being up for grabs to play with. This to one side, it’s got all the usual players names and a whole variety of leagues to choose from.
For those who want a quick game, simply pick your squad and pick the opposing side and it’s time to kick off. Otherwise if you enjoy delving deeper and really managing your team, you can do everything you could wish for, changing formations, players and anything else you could probably imagine.
The controls are simple enough, with a virtual D-pad on the left side of the screen and shoot, pass and lob buttons on the right. If you want to pull off some skilled dribbling moves, simply press anywhere on the right half of the screen and watch you move smoothly beyond the opposition.
The best bit about the controls which I would like to see adopted on other titles is the further you move the D-pad the faster you move which seems much more intuitive than having to tap a sprint button.
The controls are only a little sloppy when you decide to shoot or pass the ball and swiftly the direction changes with the new player being selected. This makes it all too easy to blast a shot wide or pull off a bizarre move you didn’t intend, this being said, it doesn’t really detract from the game and I’m sure with a little practice you will be slotting balls passed the keeper in no time.
There’s a lot of depth to this game and plenty of playing time to be had and enjoyed. I can only hope that this game will become more popular so it becomes possible to play multiplayer games over the Wi-Fi network (but at least you can play your friends using Bluetooth!)
Ultimately, it’s a sure winner and definitely well worth adding to your collection. I would even go so far as saying one of 2011’s must have games! It appears as though the developers made the game around the player rather than the other way round (they even give you live updates from BBC Sport so you know the scores and news on and off the pitch). Could this be a modern version of Sensi-Soccer? Only time will tell!
Pros:
- Utterly brilliant and superb value
- Very realistic
- Good movement around the pitch
- Intuitive controls
Cons:
- Not endorsed so there’s no proper names or flags and player’s resemblances are not accurate
- Switching between players can be more miss than hit
