Kicker

Random Thought: "I am actually really glad that I didn't perv. out on the cheerleaders."

I'm not a sports fan, but I have found sports adventure games to be surprisingly entertaining, (I enjoyed last year's Fan Interference, despite having some lack of polish), and while I was kind of skeptical about how well I would enjoy Kicker, it sucked me in incredibly quickly. The tone of the game was perfect, the mechanics were well done, and I really felt like I was in the game, suffering the indignity of being the least respected member of the team, like some kind of annoyance they have to tolerate because someone made this dumb rule about kicking the ball. I feel like I now understand what it means to be a Kicker.

I completely got into the spirit and head of being a kicker - being completely bored for long stretches of time wondering what I should do (practice and look at stuff, I guess) and then getting incredibly excited when it was my turn to do those basic 4 steps of run on, signal, kick and run off. I got that pang of guilt when I messed up, the feeling of relief and accomplishment when I succeeded, and ended up I wondered if there was a game mechanic that made it if I practiced more or perhaps did something else, would I get the kick? Or was it just random? And that possibly superstitious line of thinking really contributed to what it must feel like to be in that position.

I also enjoyed the descriptions of the fans and other nearby interactables, the "wisdom" of the coach was fantastically baffling, and I have to wonder if there was a real-life inspiration for this guy. While I can't say that this was my "favorite" game or kind of game, it perfectly accomplished its goals and was incredibly enjoyable, and I can find no fault.

10/10