Developer: Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena
Platforms: Mac, PC (Reviewed), PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S
Genre: Adventure, Sports
Publisher: Panic
Despelote is a first-person adventure game that follows Julián, an 8-year-old boy, through Quito (in Ecuador). The story is told through the medium of football and Julián’s memories around 2001, when Ecuador was playing in the qualifiers of the 2002 football World Cup. While football is a huge component of the game, it’s ultimately a coming-of-age story of a boy in Quito and his trials and tribulations of life. The universal language of football is used as a vehicle to tell the story of his younger life, a story that is one of hope and a coming-of-age story too.
I hadn’t heard much of Despelote before I played it, and I preferred it that way; the story unfolded in front of me without any spoilers, and this is how the game should be played. The game is a unique gaming experience, unlike anything I have played in a long time. Being a huge football fan and remembering the 2002 World Cup (hat tip to Roy Keane and the Irish football team), this made the game even more impactful as it takes me back to that period of time when Ireland was in the process of qualifying for the World Cup, spoiler alert, Ireland qualified for the World Cup.
The game starts with a 2D football game, something akin to Sensible Soccer; you take control of Ecuador as they are playing another South American team. This in-game soccer game is a top-down view of pixelated characters with rudimentary controls, run and shoot. That’s it. Julián, like most of those who played football games, were engrossed by these games. Before you know it, you are in first-person view and in the eyes of Julián as he navigates his life in Quito, football underpins the story, but it draws on his relationships with family and friends. You play as Julián, as you live through 2001 during the 2002 World Cup Qualifiers, you start off playing football, but before you know it, you are talking with friends and neighbours, reliving remnants of Julián’s memory.
The distinctive visuals, voiceovers, and soundtrack transform what could have been a standard first-person adventure into something more compelling, giving the story and characters an almost documentary feel.
The visuals in particular take a two-tone colour approach, which varies through different parts of Julián’s life. These background colours at a distance seem vague and abstract. As you come closer to items in the world, you see them in detail, and this is used throughout the game. Both Julián and the NPCs stand out as white, paper-like characters within the game world, a deliberate visual choice that clearly signals to players which elements are interactive. The voice acting is superb and provides the story through the world, giving a truly immersive quality throughout. This part of Quito is full of life, people with hopes, aspirations and living in tumultuous times in Ecuador. The game at times seems like a fever dream as you go from memory to memory according to what Julián remembered.
Despelote is a truly unique game that has various themes running through it and a cast of characters who help drive this 2 – 3-hour story. While football is central to it, it isn’t the main component; it’s a story-based game that follows Julián and gives the player a snapshot of his life in the early 2000s. The football moments are fun, and the exploration of the world flows easily, and before you know it, you are engrossed in a wonderful story and game.
Overall: 9.5/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
