The Free2Play successor to Pro Evolution Soccer “eFootball” has been released today. However, the first feedback about the competitor to FIFA 22 looks not good at all.
This is eFootball: eFootball is the free downloadable successor to the Pro Evolution Soccer series and aims to score with crossplay among other features. While crossplay is not a factor in FIFA 22, eFootball runs on PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and also on mobile platforms iOS and Android.
A year-long pause was intentionally placed on the originally regular annual PES releases to complete the new game in Unreal Engine 5. Now, the game started a day before the official FIFA 22 release in version 0.9, which is expected to expand with upcoming updates adding modes and content.
However, the first feedback on the new title is anything but favorable.
eFootball receives terrible ratings on Steam, community is upset
These are the reactions: On Steam, eFootball is currently rated “very negative.” Out of currently 4,842 ratings (as of September 30, 6:00 PM), only 9% of the ratings are positive.
The reviews of the game reflect this. There is criticism of many parts of the game, from gameplay to graphics. Previously, it was actually always the gameplay that players praised compared to the FIFA series. Many players compare it to a mobile game – and suspect that the problem is that the game is designed for all possible platforms, including mobile platforms.
In the PES subreddit and the new eFootball subreddit, the feedback is negative. PES players are discussing images and videos from the game or posting memes about how they expected something completely different:
Meanwhile, criticism on Steam is focused on:
- “It’s just a mobile game. The ball weighs 100 kg, the collisions between players are chaotic, nothing feels right. It’s a shame” (User GaryTheSnail via Steam).
- “I have always been a big fan of PES and have always seen it as the best game because the gameplay has always been unmatched for me. But what eFootball 2022 offers is by far the worst football game I’ve ever played. Unrealistic body movements, passing is incredibly difficult and some unrealistic and unpredictable. Defensive duels also rely on pure luck. Even as a PES veteran, it feels like you’re playing a football game for the first time,” says user “TTV | Dento” (via Steam).
- “Listing which aspects have massively deteriorated compared to previous years would take too long. Despite the F2P status, I would advise everyone against trying this software experiment. The online servers have potential since they are dedicated for the first time. Everything else is hopelessly outdated,” says user Ma77es (via Steam).
Such and similar are the first reactions to the game. Positive feedback is currently scarce. At best, players are asked to give the game a longer chance.
Whether a turnaround can be expected with further updates and expansions in the coming weeks remains open for now. As it stands, the PES community is disappointed with the new direction the series is taking.
Meanwhile, FIFA 22 is heading towards its complete release. However, another competitor for the EA series could emerge in the future: In the summer, “UFL” was introduced, which is also said to be free to play and aims to come with many licenses.
