despelote

 Switch
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Nintendo News PL
    May 14, 2026
    50
    A successful portrayal of how football can captivate an entire nation. It's great that they tried to recreate this using old photos and sounds recorded on location. However, this game will remain graphically poor, and this attempt to recreate football within the game is abysmal. It's essentially an experience where there's not necessarily much to experience, and after an hour and a half, there's nothing left.
  2. NintendoWorldReport
    Jan 5, 2026
    70
    The game wants you to feel the living, breathing town, meet your neighbors, and understand the importance of this cultural moment. Otherwise, you could blink and miss what makes Despelote truly fascinating. You have to engage with the game on its terms; otherwise, you’ll miss everything the developers are trying to show you. This is Despelote’s most glaring weakness and its highest strength. It’s ability to ferry you to another place and time, if only to experience what it was like living during the Ecuadoran hype of the World Cup. To help you understand why Soccer and sports in general, really traverse cultural barriers and bring people together. United in a search for representation.
  3. Final Weapon
    Jan 4, 2026
    70
    Despelote is a great autobiographical narrative that will likely strike a chord with you if you grew up watching events such as the World Cup. While the repetitive gameplay and strange controls are frustrating, the presentation, story premise, and charming moments are more than enough to immerse you in a specific and unique era in history. Plus, with the short runtime and small price, if you like short and sweet games and have a passion for football/soccer, then this is a must-buy.