eFootball, the spiritual successor to Pro Evolution Soccer, genuinely looks decent in this new gameplay trailer – but many of the highlight worthy features are not going to be available at launch. In a frankly bizarre trailer, small-print stresses that core gameplay mechanics, like being able to trap the ball, will be added at a later date. Exactly why the publisher is committed to releasing this half-baked effort unfinished is beyond us.

DualSense haptic feedback and adaptive triggers will also be added later, as will more technical shots and crosses. A new Duel camera mechanic will bring you closer to the action when you’re taking on defenders from wide positions, while tactical logic has been reworked allowing you to develop your own playstyle and tailor it to your team’s strengths. There seems to be a big emphasis on one-on-ones, with developers playing more physical while attackers leverage feints to beat them.

But this trailer, for as good as some of the gameplay clips look, borders on parody. That so much of the core experience is being added later, with the selection of teams and modes at launch already being threadbare, is an embarrassment for Konami. There are genuinely sequences of gameplay here that look more authentic and realistic than anything FIFA 22 has shown, but at least EA Sports can boast it has a finished product. It’s a good job eFootball is free, eh?

[source youtube.com]