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For almost everyone, playing for or owning PSG, Barcelona, Arsenal, or any other major football club is only a dream that comes true in their PC or console. FIFA has long been the favorite football video game. The first game was launched in 1993. It has since gifted us at least 28 games, available for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Impressively, they roll out a new version each year.
Yet sometimes, FIFA gets too obvious. It’s not like the yearly releases translate to an entirely unique experience. Sooner or later, things just get too boring with your FIFA, and you know you could use a fresh gaming experience even though you find it hard straying from football.
The good news is that soccer is by far the most popular sport in the world. As a result, numerous developers are interested in cashing in with the soccer video games craze. Hence, you’ll be spoilt for choices when looking for the best FIFA alternatives. No worries, though. Here is a brief list of the most engaging football games that do not bear a FIFA logo.
Pro Evolution Soccer
Popularly known as PES, Pro Evolution Soccer is arguably the biggest FIFA series rival. It even releases about two weeks before FIFA every year. It features most of the popular licensed stars and football teams, such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Juventus and Barcelona. However, there are also a few less popular and invented ones.
Its developers, Konami, just recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. They were among the earliest developers to take soccer digital. They started in the mid-90s when the internet was getting commercialized and welcoming innovative gaming solutions. Konami is also famous for its casino games and slots.
The first PES was for Playstation. However, it did not launch until 2001 – they’ve been releasing an updated version every year. The 2021 version has about 18 licensed teams. It costs $29.99, but the club editions will set you back $34.99. PES lowered their club edition price in celebration of the 25th anniversary.
Football Manager
FM is where you go to own it all, from clubs and players to leagues. You get to pick your guys, train them, form teams, and meddle with over 60 leagues, 2,500 clubs, and 600,000 players. You can also voice your players for doing something wrong, bench them, or sell them. It allows you total control of the harmony in the game.
Football Manager is a product of SEGA, the Japanese multinational developer behind hundreds of games. Their best works include Sonic the Hedgehog, Disney’s Aladdin, NBA Jam, Mortal Kombat, X-Men, and Altered Beast.
The game is available for iOS, Android, MAC, and Windows. The PC version of FM21 goes for $20, while the mobile one costs $3.99 and has in-app purchases.
Score! Hero
This is another immersive soccer game. It features exhilarating goal moments recreated in every match. You get to play up the levels, face increasingly challenging tasks, and complete objectives such as scoring in various ways.
The developer, First Touch Games, specializes in football games for mobile platforms. They are the guys behind Dream League Soccer. Score! Hero for Android measures about 94 MB, while the iOS version comes in at 108 MB. Mid-range smartphones can handle the game. It is free but has in-game items and additional content ranging from $0.99 to $29.99.
Football, Tactics & Glory
Another management game, Football, Tactics & Glory, lets you handpick your players, strategize battles, and set player positions that will utilize their full skill sets. Completing a single season takes a few hours of gaming. It also has personal skill trees that eventually bond you to specific favorite players.
Football, Tactics & Glory is a product of Creoteam and Raylight Games. It plays on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Windows and takes up at least 800MB of space. You can get a demo version on Steam. The full version goes for $24.99.
Dream League Soccer
Dream League Soccer is a sort of football simulator that lets you train and grow your team. You get to pick the team’s name, gear, and captain. It also lets you build football stadiums and complete all sorts of objectives as you make it up the leaderboards.
Dream League Soccer is available for free on Google Play and the Apple app store. The only catch is that you may have to put up with ads and make purchases for the ultimate experience. The android version takes up 339.4 MB and requires Android 4.4 and above. The latest version for iOS is 484 MB and requires iOS 10.0 or later.
Kopanito All-Stars
Kopanito All-Stars has been described as a place where the fast-paced world of Super Mario Strikers meets the charming, intense field of sensible soccer and martial arts of Shaolin soccer. The players have various superpowers that may make or break your winning chances. You can play with up to 4 friends locally or go online.
The skill-based game has no lucky wins because you have to learn the mechanics gradually as you play. Its developers, Merixgames, have been upgrading it constantly since its initial release in late 2016. The light game is only 500 MB and will set you back $5.99.
New Star Soccer
Often referred to by its acronym, NSS, New Star Soccer is a product of New Star Games, a developer for football games. It features simple control with the help of a mouse as you work your way up the clubs and score better contracts to become the star.
NSS is available for Android, iOS, and Windows. It is a free game but comes with additional costs, such as removing ads and in-app purchases. The latest version, NSS 5, takes 112.7 MB of your PC’s hard drive space and plays on almost all the Windows. The iOS version requires 133.1 MB (iOS 9 or later) and the Android release comes in at 62.17 MB (Android 4.1 or later).
CONCLUSION
Although FIFA is the most played soccer video game around the world and for a good reason, it cannot offer all of the experiences other football games have in store. From fictional moves to a shot at building your private soccer empire, the market is packed with other football games full of exciting features.
