Game Reviews

Big Win Soccer

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| Big Win Soccer
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Big Win Soccer
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| Big Win Soccer

Remember those packs of football trading cards you used to covet in the local corner shop?

Of course you do. Who could possibly forget the spectacle of blowing one's hard-earned paper round wages on rectangles of cardboard emblazoned with overpaid Premier League footballers?

Exchanging these cards with friends during school lunch time was no doubt a highlight for many youngsters back in the day, with rare variants attaining the same degree of interest as the Holy Grail or the Fountain of Youth.

Big Win Soccer attempts to recreate the buzz of tearing open a fresh pack of football trading cards, but with a digital twist - here, the cards you receive can make all the difference in your matches against other players.

Sick as a parrot

Big Win Soccer is part management sim, part Pokémon. Your game begins with the opening of a starter pack, which contains the players you need to field your fledgling soccer team.

The object is to play against people from around the globe, picking up coins along the way to spend on more packs of cards.

The thrill of opening a fresh pack and not knowing what wonders are contained within is replicated quite neatly here: you might find more skilled players, a new kit design, skill-boosting cards, or Big Impact powers - which allow you to influence the course of a match.

In terms of presentation, Big Win Soccer rarely puts a foot wrong.

The cartoon-like visuals are fantastic - especially when viewing a game in progress. Sound effects are also incredibly effective: shots, tackles and saves are all accompanied by the appropriate audio cues.

Even the menu music is infectious, and never outstays its welcome - despite the long periods you have to spend listening to it.

Football is money mad these days

Where Big Win Soccer falters slightly is in its freemium mindset. To get the best cards you usually have to spend real-world money.

Also, your team has an energy gauge which depletes with each match you contest - after this is expended, you have to wait a short period of time before you can participate in any further matches. Predictably, this limitation can be removed via an in-app transaction.

Despite its overt freemium leanings, Big Win Soccer is still immense fun to play. While it doesn't boast the same level of complexity as a game like Football Manager Handheld, its simple focus and short matches are arguably better suited to mobile play, and the card-collecting system adds an level of addiction that's usually only present in Nintendo games featuring pocket-sized monsters.

Android version reviewed.

Big Win Soccer

The need to resort to in-app purchases does take some of the shine off Big Win Soccer, but it still offers hours of light-hearted soccer entertainment
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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.