Developed by Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena, Despelote is a slice-of-life soccer game based on the streets of Quito, Ecuador in 2001. You play as an eight-year-old boy in a city full of excited, irritated, busy, and meddling people, as Ecuador climbs out of a burgeoning financial crisis. A single ray of communal hope emerges as the country’s soccer team comes closer than ever to qualifying for the soccer world cup. The developers have described the game as ‘a soccer game about the people.’
You will embody the eight-year-old Julián in Despelote, creating mischief and playing soccer on the streets of Quito. The game has a large cast with whom the players can interact. Not everyone will be happy to find a small kid kicking an unwarranted ball at them but the journey through city streets will also connect you to other kids, excited young’uns, and lots of other people, simply living their lives.
Despelote is a semi-autobiographical game about the life of the developers reminiscing about their childhood in Ecuador. The lead developer, Julian, shared that the game’s idea originated from his urge to materialize his relationship with soccer. It is a sport he’s played his entire life, a sport that’s helped him find some of his best friends, a sport that allowed him to socialize and fully immerse himself in his community. He has worked with graphic artist and musician Sebastian to capture the nostalgic soul of the memories he made in his childhood.
It’s a heavily stylized game that features real-life people and real images from the time period it is set in. The dialogues have been improvised with the help of Julian’s parents, friends, and acquaintances in Quito. The 2D hand-drawn animation offers the game a fuzzy, grainy texture that provides a visceral, dream-like feel.
The game is being published by Panic, Inc., the publisher renowned for their fan favorite the untitled goose game. Despelote is coming to PC, Xbox, and PlayStation in 2024.
Source – Despelote website
