Game review: Sociable Soccer 25 (Nintendo Switch)
When it comes to soccer/football games, the top franchises that come to mind are EA Sports FC, and the free-to-play titles eFootball and UFL. Most of these games have realistic graphics and simulation-style gameplay.
However, if you're looking for something more casual, you may want to play Sociable Soccer 25 instead. The game is a spiritual successor to the Sensible Soccer franchise that some people might remember from the early '90s.
What surprised me most about Sociable Soccer 25 is the fact that the game actually has over 13,000 real-world football players. Usually, unlicensed games feature fake player names and teams, but this game tries its best to add some authenticity. Some real-life players and teams are missing, but stars like Chris Wood, Mbappe, and Harry Kane are all here.
While the game may have some licensed teams and players, it sadly does not include any real-life stadiums. Sociable Soccer 25 only features one generic stadium, so the environment and atmosphere get boring when playing in the same place all of the time.
Another thing that this game is missing is any commentary. The only type of audio you can hear is the crowd, the referee's whistle, and some grunts of the players. The reason I feel this game has no commentary is because matches don't last that long anyway.
Speaking of presentation, Sociable Soccer 25 may have one of the most outdated-looking graphics I have ever seen on the Nintendo Switch platform. Sure this game was released in 2025, but the graphics belong in the PS2-era in the early '00s. The players aren't recognisable whatsoever, and everything lacks detail and depth.
The graphics might be horrible, but thankfully the arcade-style gameplay of Sociable Soccer 25 is surprisingly addictive. Other football games might be too realistic for young players because the goalie will block everything and the defenders usually steal the ball of the time.
There are only three buttons that you have to remember in order to play this game. You can sprint, shoot, and pass. There are no fancy dribbles you can do on offense nor can you do any type of lob passes. If you are on defense, you can also sprint and tackle other players. You have to be careful with tackling though because attacking players from behind can result in an instant red card!
What I don't like about the simplistic gameplay is that you cannot really control the amount of power you want when you shoot. Most goals I have scored in this game came from beyond the penalty box, but you cannot do delicate touches or tricks like in other soccer games.
One thing that will also upset some gamers is that matches are all very short. Each half is only 90 seconds meaning all matches are just three minutes long! Not to mention this game has no stoppage time so the match immediately ends right on time.
In terms of game modes, Sociable Soccer 25 has many trophies that you can collect from both international and domestic competitions. For example, I can play as New Zealand and try my best to win the World Cup or Oceania Championships.
Club competitions are also available so I can be Chelsea to try and win this game's version of the English Premier League or something like that. There are so many trophies to win in this game that it will take hours for you to earn them all!
You can also play non-important Friendly matches while a second player can join in to play. If you have friends abroad, you might also want to try playing some of this game's many Online modes too.
Online adds an extra mode called Career, and this is where you create your own club to try and beat other players from around the world. However, console players will still need to pay a subscription in order to play online multiplayer matches.
Overall, Sociable Soccer 25 may have bad graphics and basic gameplay, but it's approachable for gamers both young and old. If you don't like simulation-style gameplay, you may prefer this game's simplistic approach to the sport of soccer/football instead.
Verdict: 7.0/10
