It’s been a breathlessly exciting year for Liverpool supporters, and one that has kept everyone on the edges of their seats right up to that final magical moment in the European Cup final on 01 June, long after most teams had shut up shop for the summer.
Still, now the final curtain has fallen, it seems like an endless wait till the new season gets underway. Many fans will be turning to the virtual world and reliving the magic of 2019 – or maybe rewriting history – in FIFA or PES. But football is the most popular game on the planet and gaming is bigger than it has ever been. As such, it should really come as no surprise that there are plenty of alternatives to these two world famous, but premium priced, football games, some of which don’t have to cost you a penny. Let’s take a look at what’s out there.
Football Champions Cup
When it comes to slot-style games, NetEnt is the most famous developer in the business, and always seeks to add some variety to its games. Available on sites like Winningroom, Champions Cup is more than just a slot machine with football symbols. It includes some neat bonus games such as the free spins tournament, scoring wilds and the penalty shootout, in which you can either try to hit the back of the net or take on the role of the goalkeeper. For those interested in the tech specifications, the game has five reels, 20 paylines and medium variance, meaning there is a good chance of financial rewards in addition to the football fun.
This is Football
As the new millennium brought in a new world of gaming on the PS2, This is Football was the serious player’s alternative to the already dominant FIFA. It felt like a walk on the wild side – two footed tackles were commonplace and you could even distract the referee to get away with all sorts of things. The power of FIFA and PES meant the game disappeared after 2005, and these days, you can pick it up for next to nothing. Give it a try and find out how virtual football was played back in the old days!
Red Card
Once you’ve given This is Football a try, you could graduate on to Red Card. The clue is in the name, and this is a game in which full-scale fights break out in the middle of the action. There is an option to disable the fighting, but if you’re going to do that, you might as well go back to playing FIFA. Red Card is a bit of fun escapism for those fans who like to occasionally throw the rule book out of the window.
Score! Hero
If mobile gaming is your thing, look no further than this offering from First Touch Games. Simple, intuitive controls, 520 levels, an engrossing career mode and the ability to play against friends. This game has it all and in an age when some are predicting that console gaming is on the way out, it’s the one that will have FIFA creator EA Sports looking over its shoulder.
