2005 Real Football E3 2005 Hands-On Report

2005 Real Football (Real Soccer 2005 in the US) is the next iteration of Gameloft's well-regarded mobile soccer series. The build of the game we played in the booth wasn't done yet, but it was already looking strong enough to compete with Electronic Arts' flagship FIFA series, which currently sits atop the mobile soccer heap.

Gameloft's new soccer game puts the French company's goofy sense of humor--as well as all its development talent--on display. This version of Real Soccer will be an accurate simulation, right down to the streakers who frequently rush the field during big European contests. We didn't see any of these guys during our time with the game, but Gameloft representatives told us that streakers will boost the morale of the home team and cause its hometown crowd to go nuts in the stands. Morale is a new feature in 2005 Real Football, and it'll play an important part in gameplay, just as in real life. The higher your morale meter, the faster your players will run and the better they'll aim their shots. So it'll pay big dividends to play within the flow of the game.

2005 Real Football will also introduce instant replays after particularly notable shots. During our demo, we dribbled our striker through three opposing defenders and shot a goal from 50 feet out. Immediately afterward, the game replayed our triumph in slow motion, and it even cut to our player ecstatically sliding on his belly, along the boundary line, in celebration. In addition, 2005 Real Football still features the standard accoutrements of a top-shelf soccer game, including 32 famous European teams to choose from.

2005 Real Football is right on the verge of its American and European releases, so the game should make it to both markets by the end of this month. We'll have a full review up as soon as it goes on sale.