Legendary Eleven
Title: Legendary Eleven
Developer: Eclipse Games
Publisher: Eclipse Games
Website: https://www.eclipse-games.net/Games.html
Genre: Sports, Arcade
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Audience: Everyone
Release Date: 21/05/2018
Price: £8.99– Rapid Reviews UK was very kindly provided with a review code for this game.
What the Developers say
Legendary Eleven is an epic arcade soccer game inspired by the golden age of soccer spanning the 70’s to the
90’s .
This is a fresh approach to the beautiful game, with fluid gameplay and unique mechanics. Develop astonishing plays and keep possession of the ball to perform unstoppable Super Shots. Gamble with sliding tackles to steal the ball without the refereewhistling for a foul. Trust in your fans to support you if you’re losing, or usespecial trading sticker to boost the stats in your team. Legendary Eleven is all this and more, an over the top, fun and very accessible soccer game set during the retro World Cups that made history and inspired generations of players and fans.
Playing thecampaing mode unlocks stickers that you can use to boost the stats of your team or improve morale, maybe even obtain other special advantages. Choose from 36 teams full of glorious haircuts, moustaches and legends in short shorts. Lead them to glory and win the World Cup!
Introduction
I’ve always been a keen advocate for game developers to try something new where football simulation is concerned. From my humble beginnings playing FIFA ‘96 on the SEGA Megadrive to 2018 where I find myself playing FIFA 19, my EA fixation on true football simulation has only ever been interrupted by a brief spell between 2004 and 2008. During these years, I purchased the much loved but ill-fated Pro Evolution Soccer. Granted, I bought FIFA too, but that counts doesn’t it?! With that being said, I’ve owned my fair share of ‘alternative’ football games, from the interesting to the downright ridiculous:
- Michael Owen Soccer ‘98 on the Sony PlayStation;
- This Is Football on the PS2 with jumpers for goalposts;
- Red Card Soccer on the Nintendo GameCube with…dolphins;
- Pure Football on the Xbox 360, endorsed by the one and only Steve Gerrard!
At one time or another, these games have been a focus of my attention as I strive to find a game which will offer something different while also keeping the elements which make football such an incredible gaming experience. Long story short, my efforts have gone unrewarded, with fleeting glimpses of beauty often being ruined with poor visuals, unusual game rules or disappointing game mechanics. Queue the national anthem as Eclipse Games make their foray into the football sim market with Legendary Eleven, ‘an epic arcade soccer game inspired by the golden age of soccer spanning the 70’s to the ’90s.’
Gameplay and Replayability
Straight from kick-off, it is clear that a FIFA-esque clone this is not. Gone are the clean-cut visuals and Mo Salah’s afro, and instead international players are vying for the cup with short shorts and gangly legs to boot. Couple this with arcade-like graphics: slightly blurry on the pitch and lacking in detail of it, and you can be forgiven for assuming we have just taken a walk into somewhat familiar territory.
Starting with a friendly match, I selected the 5-star rated Brazil from the upwards of 40 countries and got ready to go. Before kick-off commenced, I had to choose four different cards which offered bonuses in game: endurance, skill, speed, and the inclusion of a permissive referee where my weapons of choice. With a relatively short loading screen, I was then presented with the opening gambit where the players stood for a chorus of ‘Who likes short shorts?” and the crowds waved their flags. The atmosphere felt a little flat. However, the animation was smart enough.
It is fair to say that until this point, it did feel a little like a budget title. With an asking price of less than £10, it would be unreasonable to describe it as anything else. However, it is easy to hold on to hope that you are getting a game worth much more than that and it can prove challenging to disconnect the two. Fortunately, there is no need to here. Full of quirks, creativity and ingenuity, Legendary Eleven is a blast! It handles well, offers a variety of familiar control schemes and is brimming with personality. Everything you’ve come to expect from a football title is here, including passing, shooting, through balls and skills. Additionally, there is the option to complete a skill shot, and this adds something unique to the gameplay mechanics.
Although lacking a career mode – something I place great importance on in a sporting title – Legendary Eleven boasts a Championship Mode which allows you to participate in a variety of cups from the African Cup to the European Cup and of course, the elusive World Cup. Each has its criteria for the games, be it a six-team group stage before the knockouts or a standard four-team introduction.
I did, however, spend the majority of my playtime in the ‘Legendary Matches.’ Here, you are presented with a series of scenarios and required to meet the expectations to win the match. Ranging from winning by three clear goals or entering the game at 70 minutes 1-0 down, there is a lot to keep you entertained. There are 21 different scenarios in total and are just about varied enough to keep you playing them through.
For all it’s moments of joy, be it charging your meter and unleashing four keepy-ups and an overhead kick that ripples the back of the net, or producing that bit of skill which gets you through on goal, there are moments of despair. My understanding is that after a slightly rocky launch, many of the early bugs have been fixed. There is still the occasional glitch present: players sometimes do not kick off where they are meant to and AI teammates can end up taking one of your own out with an ill-placed sliding tackle. Although frustrating, I never found it to be too damaging to the gameplay and the fun that I had with it.
Looks and Sounds
As previously mentioned, the graphics are best described as ‘rough around the edges.’ Although I can see the effect that the developers were going for, I equally believe that these could have been better executed. Playing on my 100-inch projector only served to further highlight the graphical inconsistencies on the pitch, and this is something that I would have liked to have seen more emphasis placed upon it.
Alongside the visuals is some somewhat limited audio. The opening scenes of a game lack in atmosphere and this did extend slightly to the game itself, especially without a commentator to discuss proceedings. Having already alluded to the budget and price of this game, I am aware that some elements of a footballing title would be missing, yet I felt that there were missed opportunities in the sound department.
Conclusion
All in all, Legendary Eleven does warrant a place on the Nintendo eStore. For a spot of sporting fun, either alone or with friends, Eclipse Games have done just enough to justify its price tag and provide an arcade footballing experience that many can enjoy. Visually it could be better, and a career mode would have been a very welcome inclusion. However, Legendary Eleven has enough charm to forgive its shortcomings.
Rapid Reviews UK Rating
You can purchase Legendary Eleven at the Nintendo eShop on the following link, https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Legendary-Eleven-1381583.html
