In 2021 Konami released a game that critics universally derided, eFootball. Poor graphics, lack of content, and a ball that moved as if it was filled with granite. After two years of updates, is eFootball worth playing in 2023? With eFootball 2023 being released in April, it can finally be considered a game worthy of the Pro Evolution Soccer lineage.
Rebranding to eFootball
Back in 2021, Pro Evolution Soccer completed its rebrand to eFootball as Konami wanted to go in a new direction with its series. The plan was to stop annual releases and replace them with a continuous DLC system. Hopes were high as Konami postponed making a new game in 2020, giving the company two years to work on this project. It came with a new game engine, and best of all, it was going to be free.
eFootball broke records in the worst way…
Unfortunately, the record Konami managed to break was being the lowest-rated game ever released on Steam. Screenshots were shared across social media of crowds looking like they came from a PS2 game. On top of that, the facial expressions were all kinds of whacky, as if the players themself were aware of the fact they were participating in a comedy show.
Many knew before release that there would be minimal content, but there was even less than that. The Master League players knew their mode was missing, but even for friends who wanted to play together, that wasn’t an option. You would think on debut, Konami would, at minimum, put divisions in because this is a game solely focused on the online aspect, but it wasn’t there.
Along with those already mentioned, another issue was the UI that people considered to look amateur. Though, these issues paled in comparison to the gameplay. A ball that moved like it was in the mud, defenders running away from strikers moving towards the goal, and lag input for just about every action you want to take.
Has eFootball improved?
Being a PES fan since the mid-2000s, I kept coming back to this game and repeatedly checking in after certain updates. Each time I could see slight improvements, but it was still a long way from being what I’d consider a good football game.
Season 5 is where I’d now recommend eFootball to people. Yes, there are a few things still missing, like Master League and online co-op, but for those of you who live and breathe online divisions, you will enjoy this game in its current state. Pro Evolution Soccer was never competing with FIFA through having more modes or better presentation, and it was always the simulation-style gameplay that drew people to choose it over the competitor’s arcade style.
That doesn’t mean it’s totally fixed. There still exists those good ol’ PES’isms we have come to know, such as awful first touches and dodgy goalkeepers. Though, with that comes the authentic feeling of moving the ball around in a tactical manner as you wait for your moment to make a mistake, then you hit that beautiful pass that takes apart the defense. On the other side of that, it’s also fun to defend in eFootball. The slide tackle animations have been polished, with the ref now letting play continue if you put in an aggressive challenge and get the ball. Lastly, I don’t know how it has happened, but the quality of matches has improved. Previously you would face the same players game after game, but now you will see more variety.
Master league and co-op
Konami’s roadmap stated that master league would be added in 2023, but there is still no timeframe on which month. Co-op has not been mentioned at all so don’t get your hopes up with that arriving any time soon. I won’t say eFootball is amazing, but it has come a long way since its debut in 2021, and anyone who enjoys online divisions should give it a try.
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