Review: eFootball Kick-Off (Nintendo Switch 2)

eFootball Kick-Off is a sports title for the Nintendo Switch 2. It comes from Konami, and I can’t help but compare it to the likes of EA Sports FC and its annual outings. With slick visuals, easy controls, and a nice price point, eFootball does a lot of things right in standing up to the competition.

Let’s get one thing clear – by “football”  here we mean soccer. The sport of kings. The passion of the people. To be fair, soccer really is proper football; your hands can’t touch the ball as part of the rules. But I digress. eFootball is here to bring the game to life on the Switch 2 by keeping things clean and straightforward on the surface while providing a robust experience under the hood.

The game features a particularly clean interface. It’s easy to find your way through the menus, and everything looks slick and polished. The first thing you’re introduced to is the gameplay. eFootball takes you through a series of simple tutorials that leave you feeling rather pleased with yourself. Again, it’s well-structured, making you feel accomplished and never overwhelmed. This is partly due to the basic controls; B to tackle, Y to shoot, ZR to run faster, and B to pass. That’s all you need to get going. The tute finishes by placing you in a test game, and, what do you know? I won! I’m not hugely into sports titles, but this is the kind of intro that makes me want to keep playing.

There are actually two types of controls: easy or regular. Regular is as described above. Easy is maybe too easy, but it’s great for accessibility, allowing players of all ages and skill levels to enjoy themselves. Easy controls can be toggled on or off at any time, which I appreciate. It features things like a Matrix-style slowdown mechanic when the ball is near you, along with a handy indicator of which button to press to attempt scoring a goal. It’s a gentle way for newcomers or younger players to feel more comfortable handling the ball.

Another impressive feature is the sheer number of teams available. They’re all here. Whether you want to play as your hometown of Australia, or assume the role of the world champions in Spain, there’s a team for everyone. They’re real players, too. When Adam Taggart was my constant VIP I looked him up. Yeah, he exists. I think that’s cool, too.

There’s plenty to do in eFootball. There are three initial modes to choose from: Match, Minigames, and Encyclopedia. Starting from the end, the Encyclopedia provides details of all the players in the game. Minigames are a neat addition of two alternate soccer games to try for fun. Match is where you’ll spend most of your time, though.

In the Match section, you can jump into a local or online session, or play through the solo World Tour or International Tournament modes. Locally, you can play with up to four players. This works really well, and feels just like a proper co-op title should: one game, one television, four people shouting at the screen to score that goal already. It’s an absolute blast.

The International Tournament reflects the World Cup structure. You choose your country before playing through multiple rounds until you make the finals. Well, hopefully. There are a whopping six difficulty levels to choose from, again keeping things accessible. You can also save your progress and continue later. World Tour, on the other hand, allows you to create your own team and take them to the top. Along the way, you’ll travel the world and recruit classic or current players to your team.

Graphically, everything looks great. This title truly takes advantage of the Switch 2’s capabilities, with smooth framerates and minimal loading times. I was constantly impressed by the game’s performance. The cutscenes are also enjoyable. You can even choose how your player responds to their goal. Everything is skippable if you want to get straight back into the action, however, anyone who enjoys capturing images will love the replay feature. You can pause, rewind, and step frame by frame through the replay, rotating the view to catch the perfect angle. Then, hide the toolbar and take a snap. It’s really cool to tinker with.

Overall, eFootball Kick-Off is a fun sports title that took me by surprise. It presents a clean user interface that welcomes players of all abilities. The visuals are great, the controls straightforward, and there are plenty of modes to keep you busy – all for a decent price. If you’re looking for a sports title to enjoy with friends and family, and you miss the World Cup, go ahead and enjoy this one.