Game Reviews

Journey to Real Madrid

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Journey to Real Madrid

Although the sport of soccer has a global appeal and an audience of millions, the sad fact is that only an elite few will ever get to experience the awesome feeling of actually being a professional footballer.

To most average mortals, the dream of kicking a piece of leather around a pitch once a week and then spending the rest of the time enjoying your obscenely inflated salary is just that: a dream.

Still, if you're unwilling to accept that you'll never climb Wembley's steps after scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup Final then you might want to try Journey to Real Madrid.

It won't make you stupidly rich overnight, put a Bentley on your driveway, or secure you a super-bronzed WAG, but it does allow you to experience the professional life of a soccer star - from early age right to up the glory years.

Back of the net

Despite the grand nature of the game, Journey to Real Madrid keeps things simple. After selecting your player (choose from Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, or Zinedine Zidane), you're expected to take part in a series of mini-game challenges, with the ultimate aim being to score as highly as possible and unlock the next chapter in that player's life.

All of the games involve kicking a ball from a first-person perspective. You hold your finger down on the ball to charge the shot, and then draw a line upwards to release it. The length of your line dictates the height of the kick, and it's even possible to apply bend by swiping in a curved fashion.

Sometimes you'll be up against defenders, other times you'll be trying to kick the ball through rolling tyres, but the same basic gameplay rules apply.

By keeping the gameplay as straightforward as possible, the developer has ensured that Journey to Real Madrid has a broad appeal and is instantly enjoyable.

The cute 3D visuals and punchy sound effects further enrich the experience, and it doesn't take long for you to be helplessly hooked on the task of taking your respective star right to the top.

Golden goal

What makes Journey to Real Madrid a little less fun is the constant stream of adverts that pop up between sections of the game - a side-effect of the fact that the title is being offered for free.

It's also a little disappointing to see the developer dangling the carrot of in-app purchases that add nothing to the game other than the ability to unlock chapters without effort.

If you can ignore this aspect of the game, Journey to Real Madrid will provide you with plenty of footy-related fun. While its gameplay can hardly be described as revolutionary, the excellent presentation and stern challenge make it an easy recommendation for soccer lovers, and a great way to realise those otherwise unobtainable dreams.

Journey to Real Madrid

Engaging gameplay and appealing visuals combine to make a thoroughly enjoyable game, which is only marred by the persistence of the pop-up adverts
Score
Damien  McFerran
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.