Soccer Kings: World Edition Review

Trivia games often have the problem of being detached from their source material in some way. Being bombarded with questions is all well and good but often it's a somewhat cold experience, even despite the satisfaction that can be gained from being correct. Soccer Kings: World Edition takes a different tact, making answers to soccer-based questions dictate exactly how well one does in a soccer match that plays out in front of them. It's a neat idea.

Each game is played out like a turn-based soccer game. Starting at kick-off, players are given the choice of one of two questions. One is much harder than the other but also allows for the player to be nearer the goal so there's a pay-off between whether to take that risk or not. Questions are multiple-choice but often quite tough even for those, such as myself, who consider themselves relatively knowledgeable when it comes to soccer. Get a question wrong and the ball is kicked nearer towards one's own goal and the risk of conceding.

Each match is played over 90 virtual minutes with winning taking the player to the next game in the tournament. It might be simply done but it works well in making it seem as if more is at stake than is usually the way with soccer games. It's possible to use assists to simplify the process, but these come at a cost of virtual coins that are better served being used to unlock new Cup levels. It does at least ensure a fair amount of longevity here.

Questions wise, Soccer Kings: World Edition isn't for the faint hearted, being that it's quite challenging, but there's a plentiful supply here that should ensure it will entertain many sporting trivia fans for a while to come. It'd be nice to see a little variation in terms of scoring animations or even just in the look of the pitch, but window dressing aside, it's certainly a fun twist on a familiar format.