Despelote Is a Fascinating PS5 Soccer Game About People

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the first time Ecuador qualified for the major football tournament, and the excitement the country experienced during the qualifying phase has been turned into an incredibly stylish game. Named Despelote, it's coming to PS5 in 2024. From the first-person perspective, you'll dribble, pass, and shoot a football about town and see what happens when it lands at someone's feet.

Set in Ecuador's capital city Quito, you'll play as eight-year-old Julián. A press release reads: "In Despelote, you’ll spend your time getting into mischief with your friends, exploring and getting to know the people around Quito, and of course, kicking around a soccer ball along the way via the game’s satisfying physics and first-person controls." It embraces the culture of Ecuador and uses Spanish voice acting, while the striking art style is based on pictures taken by developers Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena.

On the announcement, the head of publishing at Panic, Nick Suttner, said: "We were really taken with Despelote when it came our way — a deeply transportive love letter to a particular time and place, told in such a wry, charming way that it manages to feel universal at the same time. We’re so proud to be able to help bring it to the world."

At the FIFA World Cup in question, Ecuador didn't make it past the group stage, but it did record its first victory at the tournament with a 1-0 win over Croatia in its final match. Since then, the nation has qualified a further three times in 2006, 2014, and 2022. The 2006 World Cup in Germany was the country's most successful campaign, where it reached the Round of 16, but lost to England.

Do you like the striking look of Despelote? Share your first impressions in the comments below.