Having been a big fan of a number of these hybrids in the past, I was quite eager to check out Soccer Story to see if this newcomer could continue the trend of well-made, and well-integrated Sports RPGs. While I won’t say everything about it will necessarily appeal to everyone, I am very pleased with the result in this case. After a tragic incident, soccer has been outlawed, and you play as a young man (or woman, the other “twin” will be on your team with you) who finds a magic ball and is determined to bring the game back to the world. Unsurprisingly, given the RPG roots, that will involve a whole bunch of quests, seeking out some items, demonstrating your various core skills for others, and generally having a good time following along. One thing I could see being a bit overwhelming for some is the sheer density of things to find and do literally everywhere on the map. There’s almost a collect-a-thon vibe to things at times, and I can see where that would wear on some people, though ultimately many of them you could try to skip… though when you get to later cups you’ll likely regret that since the quests and coins you’ll find all over allow you to upgrade your own skills as well as those of your team. The actual soccer games, make no mistake, are quite loose in their implementation, showing a bit of shallowness, but they at least control reasonably well and generally feel fair. If you don’t mind that somewhat overwhelming nature of what feels like every pixel having some secret or purpose you’ll likely have a great time with it.