Sociable Soccer 24 Review (alanscottmacdonald)
When I grew up I had SWOS 95/96 European Championship Edition. I played it to death and it was brilliant.
I'd have been happy if this game was literally that game with updated players and on a modern platform.
I started with career mode which seems to be some equivalent of FIFA ultimate team. Played my first match and I won 6-0 despite getting two men sent off and the goal keeper was absolutely pathetic. Oh no.
I changed the difficulty to hard. I still dominated the next game but the keeper could now make actual saves. I only won 1-0 which was more promising. However quickly I didn't fancy playing game after game, winning without much of a fight so I switched to World Mode.
I started a Scottish Premiership season as Dundee (one of the worst teams). I got beaten 2-0 in my first game which was delighting. Maybe this wasn't the pushover I feared. As I played more I got better though and started winning games. Then a defeat by Celtic. Excellent. More wins and I realise,what I thought was a screen explaining the controls could actually be used to switch to Expert Mode. Bring it on.
On hard mode with expert control settings, the feel of the football is great and very much an evolution of the sensi we know and love. Frantic. Having three buttons for pass, chip and shoot vs one is good. It still feels the same but gives more variation. The after touch is more granular than in sensi. This is like an evolved version which ultimately is very satisfying. I had to get used to having a sprint button, but since it tires your players out the more you use it I think it is a good addition as well. Hacking players is just as fun as sensi and always a temptation despite the risk of cards.
I was still getting better and winning most matches including against Rangers but the football was great fun. I was closing the gap on Celtic and Rangers. I was behind going into game 11 but won it and was just top of the league. For some reason it turns out the league ended then and we only played all the teams once and I'd won. Hmmm I kinda wanted to lose so I had to rise to the challenge, but it had been great fun.
Let's try Scotland in the world cup. Group stage: spanked 3-0 by Saudi Arabia, lost 3-2 to Argentina and then a last minute 2-1 loss to Poland. Eliminated with 0 points. Yes! This is how it should be.
Tried Rangers in the champions league. Group stage and Manchester City comfortably win the group but I scrape through in 2nd with only 7 points with 2nd, 3rd and 4th all having 7 points. Next round it's 2 legs against PSG. I almost lose the game several times but get a draw across the two legs and ET. A penalty loss. Brilliant.
And that's where I'm at. The gameplay is brilliant, world mode is great fun. If you're a sensi veteran immediately switch to hard mode and expert control settings. Don't even bother with anything else. If you go a weak team you'll have fun trying to win the competition.
This game isn't top dollar and I'm happy with my purchase. Plays easily at 60fps on the steam deck ok handheld mode and does not tax it.
The worst part is career mode. How I wish this was like the old career mode where you could do proper seasons involving multiple tournaments like the league, cups and europe, with transfer windows etc. It's an odd situation as you pick any team in the world and the game is officially licensed with real player names in world mode, but in this mode suddenly your team is full of random tat that has nothing to do with your real life team.
I gather it's meant to be a case of work through the leagues but the fundamental issue is this will be be a grind of absolutely hammering teams because it's far to easy and it's not interesting picking your team only for all the players to be swapped for dick heads you don't care about that have nothing to do with your club. Bizarre decision given they have the licence for the proper players.
I really hope this gets renamed to ultimate team mode or something and a true career mode is introduced. If it was, this game would be outstanding.
I haven't played any humans yet which is is presumably also great fun.
I'd recommend buying because the touch and feel of good old sensi is there in a well evolved form. The world mode, whilst not as good as the old career mode, is good enough to have a blast.