There simply aren’t enough sports RPGs these days, but Soccer Story looks set to plug the gap. Kicking off on PS5 and PS4 later this year, the sprawling pixel art open world will see you solving puzzles and saving the world with a magic football. “Can you remind everyone why there's just no substitute for soccer, or will there be a foul ending?” the press release asks.

The story – which is intentionally tongue-in-cheek – will see a MacGuffin event known only as The Calamity shake the very foundations of the footballing world. “Since then, Soccer Inc has made dang well sure that not a soul has been allowed to even look at a soccer ball, let alone kick it. It's a real Messi situation, no doubt.”

With over 15 hours of gameplay, you’ll need to “use your head” to complete “goal-oriented quests and side missions”. In addition to the core single player campaign, there’ll be a separate four-player local multiplayer mode, “with a full roster of teams and animal captains”. It sounds like an entertaining adventure, with a vibrant art style and quirky characters.

Do you think you’ll be tackling this one come launch?