With lots of football, coming next year
The first-person slice-of-lifer explores football’s impact on the city of Quito, or rather its impact on the people who lived there as excitement bubbled and kicking balls was a way to come together. You’ll be running around the city, dribbling balls, playing games with other kids, and generally having a super chill time exploring stuff, by the looks of it.
And boy oh boy, Despelote is a looker. The distinctive style was created from reference photos, as well as “actual textures captured on-site in Quito,” according to Panic’sblogabout the game. The same technique was used for the audio too. The city’s ambient soundscape was mostly recorded on location, from the cicada’s chirps to the mumbles of passersby. The game’s also fully voiced in Spanish, for an extra level of authenticity.
Everything here has a painfully nostalgic, almost hazy dreamlike feeling that I love. And theming the game around football culture is a really smart move. I’m a terrible footballer, but I do love watching people play, and talk about, and bond over football. Total strangers become instant pals when asked about their favourite teams. I’ve moved past language barriers with family by kicking a silly little plastic ball. It’s kind of beautiful.
