eFootball Kick Off Switch 2 Review

eFootball Kick Off Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Gather around, fellow young people, as I tell you about the golden N64 era of International Superstar Soccer, Konami’s football series that dominated living rooms with its accessible gameplay and focus on fun. It was THE game that had you and your friends yelling “GOALLLLLL!” at the top of your lungs during the school holidays. More importantly, it was the game that introduced me to the cult of football. The spiritual successor to International Superstar Soccer has arrived in the form of eFootball Kick Off, a game that aims to recapture that golden era of football fun while introducing a new generation of players to the beautiful game. What’s It Like? Lace up those boots, do your stretches, and remember to pass the ball as we review eFootball Kick Off on Nintendo Switch 2.

Before we begin, a quick disclaimer. We call it soccer here in Australia, but a few years ago, Barack Obama described Vegemite as tasting “Horrible” and nearly sparked an international incident. Given that more of my readers are from the US & UK than Australia these days, I’ll be calling it football for the rest of this review.

eFootball Kick Off takes football gaming back to its early 3D roots, focusing on quick matches, accessible mechanics, and, of course, scoring goals. It feels almost minimalist in its approach, and that’s a great thing because, for the first time in a long time, I could simply boot up the game, pick a team, and start playing without having microtransactions, team cards, battle passes, and other distractions thrown in my face. eFootball Kick Off focuses solely on football, and it’s better for it. That’s not to say there’s a lack of content. There are three main modes to choose from. Quick Match gets you onto the pitch in seconds for a single game. World Tour lets you create your own club and travel the globe competing in championships, while International Cup sees you representing your chosen nation in pursuit of football glory. There are also a handful of mini-games available, but if I’m being honest, all they did was make me want to get back out onto the field.

While I enjoyed both World Tour and International Cup, World Tour offered the most interesting progression. You create your team, although this is unfortunately limited to choosing a name, with no options to customise jerseys or player appearances, and from there, you’ll challenge rival clubs and recruit new players after each match, gradually building your squad into a championship contender. Both major modes also feature optional objectives such as completing passes, clearing the ball, or taking shots on goal. Completing these challenges helps level up your skills and increase your eFootball rank. While it’s a nice addition and gives you something extra to work towards, it often felt secondary to the football itself.

That’s because from the opening whistle, eFootball Kick Off already feels balanced, responsive, and incredibly easy to pick up. Easy to play doesn’t mean easy to win, however, it’s more that eFootball has an intuitive control scheme that lets you focus on creating plays, finding space, and scoring goals without wrestling with complicated mechanics. Matches remained competitive on the normal difficulty setting, with plenty of back-and-forth action as I looked for openings while desperately trying to shut down attacks at the other end of the pitch. I even took the Socceroos online for an unranked match. Matchmaking found me an opponent in under two minutes and, despite a few hiccups caused by my own internet connection, the experience was smooth and enjoyable. I may have copped an absolute beating, but the online component worked well, and the game’s accessible gameplay made the leap to multiplayer without issue.

eFootball Kick Off features a great graphics engine that looks particularly impressive in motion, with football icons remaining easily recognisable during close-up shots and replays. The game runs at a smooth 60fps and never faltered during gameplay. There are occasional loading pauses between replays and celebration scenes, but they’re brief enough that they never detract from the experience. The presentation package also does a great job of immersing you in each match. From pre-game conversations in the locker room to the slightly awkward lip-syncing during national anthems, everything works together to create an authentic football atmosphere. The replay system is pretty cool to mess with, allowing you to relive key moments, while goal celebrations add an extra layer of excitement after finding the back of the net. Commentary is another highlight. While there is some repetition over time, the commentators do an excellent job of building excitement, reacting to plays as they unfold and adding a genuine sense of urgency as the clock winds down. Whether you’re chasing an equaliser or desperately defending a narrow lead, the commentary helps make every match feel important.

Now, I know you might think I’m heaping on the praise here, and the truth is… I am. The reason is simple: I don’t even like football. Yet somehow, eFootball Kick Off has had me coming back match after match, and it’s started messing with my schedule.

For my Socceroos looking into accessibility, eFootball Kick Off offers several UI customisation options, including the ability to toggle stamina bars, player names, and other on-screen indicators. While these options can help tailor the experience, I always recommend doing a little extra research to ensure a game suits your individual accessibility needs before stepping onto the pitch.

At just $30 AUD, eFootball Kick Off offers outstanding value for money, especially if you haven’t played a football game before or, like me, have been a benchwarmer since the N64 days. Its intuitive controls, absence of predatory monetisation, and overall level of polish make this, in my humble opinion, a fantastic game for football fans and newcomers alike. Sure, customisation options for your own team are limited, but the moment the whistle blows you’ll be too busy passing, tackling, and shooting your way to glory to care. I came into eFootball Kick Off expecting a pleasant trip down memory lane. Instead, I found myself wondering where the last three hours went. For a game about a sport I barely follow, that’s probably the highest praise I can give.

So, What’s it Like? eFootball Kick Off is like ISS 64, but brought into the modern era.

In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t influence my score.

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