Game Review: Football Game (Xbox One)

Football Game is an old school point-and-click experience from Ratalaika Games. A short (around about an hour long) story based around high school football star, Tommy.

Tommy is planning to go to the big college football game to meet up with his girlfriend but things are nowhere as simple as they first seem. There’s a dark tone to Football Game, one that leaves you on edge as the mystery surrounding Tommy begins to unravel.

The story is decent, the plot unravelling to a final twist that is effective but to say it’s thrilling or exciting would be false. The issues surround the lack of interesting characters to interact with. There are plenty to talk too but no-one stands out.

Then we have the visuals…

Designed to look like it comes from the late 80s, Football Game certainly nails the tone of what it is going for. However, it is an ugly game with bland, dark colours and the giant heads that pop up during dialogue are unnerving.

You won’t struggle with most of the puzzles here, Monkey Island this isn’t. The puzzles, the few that the game has are pretty straight-forward and most have a very logical step by step process. Speak to a character who drops a hint about what they need then go find it on another screen. Most of the puzzles amount to find an item and use said item elsewhere. Nothing too taxing or particularly exciting, it’s a basic point-and-click adventure. Something that is reflected in its length too.

With the credits rolling after barely an hour, there is next to no replay value to Football Game either. Pick it up cheap and it’s worth a run through but few will find massive satisfaction here.