Football Life Simulator
Preview
The exciting life of a football professional
EA SCOUT the last line of defense for buying on Steam's Early Access
by Howie Howard
previewed on PC
No need to take the dog out for a walk
This game kind of reminds me of the old Electronic Arts social simulation title The Sims where the goal is to control people in a suburban setting by taking care of their every daily need. In Football Life Simulator, the action is generally the same as The Sims without the need to take the family dog out for his daily walk. Well, actually you can take the dog for a walk only if you want to because you can have a pet! Football Life Simulator is played in a first person perspective, but satisfying the characters daily personal needs is a still the main goal. This star needs to be both a bright sports star and an up and coming social celebrity, he also has a lot of personal needs.
Players be required to do other things than just scoring goals for the team. You will need to score with personalities of the female persuasion which will enhance your social status and personality! So the night life part of a star athlete is fully explored along with the training and other team related stuff. This is where most of the fun lies because there really is more to being a superstar athlete than just being able to excel on the field. You need to rule life on both the field and all other aspects of actually running a life in your quest to gain fame and fortune!
Is there really a tutorial about life?
Sure there is, but how does a relatively unknown new athlete that possess nothing more than the potential to be a superstar go about gaining fame and fortune? Well, he starts by going through a well-done tutorial, where set objectives are presented as a way to learn how things work in game. After picking a nationality, where I was disappointed at not being able to be American because it wasn't present in the list, I picked Brazil as my nation of origin - after all Brazil has produced some wonderful stars.
After selecting my player, I went through a question and answer period with the media. Questions were presented with a choice of answers provided. Your answers after being chosen will then project a personality of being either a self serving selfish star athlete or one that will be a caring team oriented athlete that is loved by his fans for that reason. Many games have used a similar process in order to build up a beginning personality but the way it is done in Football Life Simulator is very effective indeed. It allows you to set the stage for the type of superstar you intend to be, either a nice guy or a nasty self-serving jerk bent on gaining as much wealth and fame as he can!
Lots of perks contained in the first pro contract
After signing the first contract as a pro athlete, which includes being provided with a nice little two room studio apartment I started working my way through a list of requirements. I guess my character was hungry because he needed to prepare something to eat. He then needed to buy some items such as a coffee pot and other kitchen related items. Then an entertainment system and television was required and there are three choices based on cheapest to most expensive. This is a way to manage finances because money is limited in the beginning and you need to be careful. The TV is actually very nicely done because you can scroll through different channels to get action, comedy and other types of movies which will enhance the comfort aspect of the apartment.
The next part of the game that needs discussion is training. When initially starting the character, you need to add some points to the skills and attributes that might be necessary to make a good football player. Then while attending on field training sessions with the team you will practice the various soccer shots and moves necessary to be able to play an actual game. In addition to that there is a gym in town that needs to be attended so that physical attributes such as strength, agility, stamina will improve. Building the physical attributes is accomplished by lifting weights, using the tread mill or jumping rope. All of the soccer training and work out activities are accomplished through various key board actions.
Mixing the schedule
One nice feature in the game is the need to interact with various people you might meet along the way. At the gym before taking a required shower a person in the locker room is encountered so you strike up a conversation. The interaction with this person concerns the way in winch you will approach your pending career. Will you be a totally clean athlete or will you turn to the dark side of drug usage as a means to become a better athlete. This person in the gym locker room suggests that he can sell performance enhancing drugs which can give your athlete an easier route to success. It could also turn out to be your down fall but you can change your mind by meeting up with him at a later date.
After an encounter with the teams captain at the apartment and then the gym experience my budding star soccer player whet out for a night on the town. The night club is where the athlete can build a social reputation by again choosing a wholesome path or the notorious bad boy persona path. In this part of the game at the night club is where you learn the ropes of being a star sports celebrity, because you need to meet fans, rival players, women and on and on. Every contact that you make will result in a cell phone number being placed in your phones address book. Then at a later date you can further personal relationships with them which will build the type of person and athlete that your character eventually will become.
The result is a complete soccer package
There is a lot to this game and the discussion above should give you an idea of what game play will be like. After the night club, my soccer player walked home where he chatted with a perspective girlfriend he met at the club. He used the rest room facilities and went to bed after having a very active day. In closing, this is a game where you are required to partake in all of the activities that a professional athlete might come across. Some of the game features were not present in the game yet because this was an early access version so it is a work in progress. In the future the goal is to be a star on the sports field and also a rich and connected swinger when not on the field.
Developer Ludu Arts would seem to have a winner on their hands in what I will call a situational real life experience. I say that because the in game activities not only advance status in the world of football, it could bring your character riches beyond ones imagination, or not. As it says in the developers promo literature, because I couldn't find the words to say it better myself: "Live the life of a professional footballer both on and off the field. Train, play matches, manage your social life, climb the career ladder, and spend your earned money. Decorate your life with luxury while managing your relationships and finances." Keep an eye out for this one to make it's full release appearance in the coming months. It shouldn't disappoint...
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Recommend
There are no guarantees - but we'd bet our own money on this one. If you're going to take a chance with yours, odds are good this one will deliver.
