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What Despelote's developers have to say about their memories specifically - and the creative sacrifices they might have made, and the new frontiers that took them to - is worth waiting to discover yourself, but the end result is utterly unique. A kind of hybrid crossing of autobiographical documentary with fantasy retelling. A world where Cordero's ideal childhood - and ideal family, neighbourhood, and nation - are layered over the real ones (even down to the telling omniscience of its characters; how do these people know Ecuador is on the edge of a shock World Cup qualification, after all, when it still has five points left to win from matches against the likes of Argentina and Columbia?).

Ecuador did not win the 2002 World Cup. They didn’t even make it out of the group stage. But for a short time, football was all that mattered. And in the brief time that it will take you to complete Despelote, it’s all that will matter to you too.

Despelote is a moving and masterfully rendered game about soccer, growing up, and so much more.

Despelote is a very unique narrative that appropriates the language of the video game world to write a poem to childhood. Personally, I believe that those of us who grew up playing video games are gradually connecting much more with this type of narrative that puts us in a contemplative place. A place that invites us to rediscover ourselves and be amazed by the encounter with those things that we had long since given up for lost.

Despelote is a nostalgic first-person exploration of childhood, time, and play. This short story is emotionally gripping while the playstyle of kicking soccer balls and listening to conversations is relaxed and contemplative. Despelote will capture the hearts of many, in similar ways to how soccer did for the people and communities of Quito in the early 2000s. An artful experience that made me feel sad, hopeful, and achingly human.

Una historia contada con la sencillez e insignificancia con la que contaríamos una anécdota de niñez y plasmada en el control con la misma maestría. Correr por las calles y patear “lo que sea” es fiel reflejo de la sencillez con la que la nostalgia nos recuerda lo “fácil” que era todo de niños. Y esa misma simpleza esta plasmada en nuestro game pad con tan solo dos botones y el stick de control. Una nostalgia que también se plasma en un apartado gráfico haciendo que todo se vea distinto, difuminado por la niebla del recuerdo y en donde todo es más irreal de lo que seguro era entonces.  Elementos simples con los que recorrer todos lo rincones de nuestro barrio, jugar con los amigos, ir a clase, hacer pellas o simplemente pasear mientras hacemos tiempo para que nos recojan del parque. Una vida sencilla rodeada de una realidad que nos era tan ajena como complicada.

Despelote was a bit of a personal one for me, and I can see why some players may not love it due to it being a walking simulator where you kick a ball around. But for anyone willing to give it a chance, you’ll find a snippet of pure sentiment to engage with as you put on the shoes of its developer. You see Ecuador for its authentic self as a child and witness a moment that you probably never batted an eye at before. But you leave with a fuzzy feeling, wanting to reminisce about your own memories you had as a child.

In the core, it's a short sketch of happy childhood memories, a slice-of-life video game, but somehow it manages to take a place in the heart - and make heart warmer.

Tal vez describir despelote como 'jugar dentro de nuestros recuerdos infantiles' no sea realmente acertado ni seguramente apropiado. Aunque sí hay algo de eso, y realmente de muchas más cosas. El director del juego se traslada al joven muchacho que vivirá durante varios meses uno de los fenómenos sociales de la historia de Ecuador, sin pretender calcar momentos personales sino saber usarlos y proyectar alrededor de ellos. Seas de donde seas, despelote muestra capas y facetas que te permitirán entrar en él, añadiendo que los hispanohablantes deberíamos tener un puntito adicional con los lazos que nos unen a través de continentes.

Despelote è un documentario interattivo su un Paese, su uno sport, su una vita. È la storia dell'Ecuador alle prese con la sua prima qualificazione a un mondiale di calcio. Julian Cordero racconta Quito, la città in cui è nato, e l'estate del 2001, quando tutti erano parte di un evento collettivo che ha portato la nazionale ecuadoriana tra i campioni, e ha trasformato lo sport non più in una presenza sussurrata nella vita dei bambini, ma nel protagonista assoluto delle giornate dei grandi. È un'opera sincera, delicata, con cui è difficile non emozionarsi. Anche e soprattutto se non si ama il calcio.

Despelote is far more than a football video game. It is a profound and human narrative experience-a heartfelt portrait of a childhood that feels both distant and universally familiar, an ode to the strength of community and to the power of sport to forge bonds, meaning, and hope. It invites us to see the world anew-or rather, through the eyes of a child-and to recognize, in the simplest of gestures, the enduring possibility of telling stories that belong to all of us.

Whether or not you're a football fan, Despelote has a lot to say about the sport, its fans, and the impact it has on them, and much of it is worth listening to.

Despelote is an emotional leap into childhood, among soccer balls, dreams and nostalgia. As little Julián, we relive the excitement of 2001 in Quito as Ecuador, in the midst of an economic crisis, dreams of World Cup qualification. The game blends deliberately retro digital photography, hand drawings, and ambient sound design to render a touching and well-directed autobiographical tale. Part of the gameplay includes Tino Tini's Soccer 99, a purposefully crude demake of Kick Off that perfectly reflects the nostalgic and messy tone of childhood. It lasts a bare couple of hours, but will stay with you much longer.

Despelote se convierte en un retrato de la cultura de un país que se alegró por un mundial, pero que tuvo que convivir con otras realidades fuera de eso. No es un título que divierta por su jugabilidad, sino que busca jugar con ese bichito nostálgico y la experiencia tan realista que muchos hemos vivido de pequeños (y adolescentes).

En definitiva, Despelote es una muy bella aventura gráfica con una duración menor a dos horas por lo que es una gran recomendación para todos aquellos que quieran experimentar una historia muy emotiva y contada de una manera muy creativa.

À mi-chemin entre le jeu et le récit autobiographique interactif, Despelote est une expérience aussi courte que captivante sur l'insousciance de l'enfance. Mais c'est aussi un solide exposé de la place vitale que le football occupe pour toute une société et dans toutes ses formes. Des discussions de comptoir, aux personnes regardant les matchs sur les télés dans les vitrines des magasins en passant par les mariés forcés de mettre une télé dans la salle des fêtes, le foot est partout.

You’re presumably capable of kicking the ball and hitting a bottle perched on a fence post, but it feels apt that you miss time and time again, until one of the other, better kids steps in to take the shot and does what you can’t. At which point, you keep at it, because the world goes on.

Despelote is, above all, the struggle of a people. Of people who, even in the face of adversity, carry on with pride in their country. Who found refuge in football, and who over the years embraced not only the British sport, but many other passions. Even though it took place in Ecuador, the game brought me nostalgia. Latin American experiences are shared – after all, who has never heard an old man complain that you are playing football in the street? Although it is not a perfect experience, Despelote was certainly one of the most memorable I have had in recent times, leaving me slightly emotional at the end. Long live football!

Despelote beautifully captures the mundane but rich childhood experience of play and sport through its gentle slice-of-life narrative. Via its stellar first-person soccer mechanics, intimate scope, and outstanding hand-made visual stylings, it succeeds at capturing a personal autobiographical sense of Ecuador and the quietly affecting experiences of youth.

Despelote es, sin exagerar, una de las experiencias interactivas más sinceras, auténticas y artísticamente valiosas que he tenido el placer de jugar recientemente. No es un videojuego en el sentido clásico de desafío mecánico o narrativa lineal compleja, sino una experiencia sensorial y emocional condensada que utiliza el medio para evocar la poderosa sensación de la infancia y explorar la naturaleza de la memoria.

despelote is a work with a strong cultural identity, which aims to tell a personal and meaningful story through video games. However, by prioritizing its documentary aesthetic, the title compromises the gameplay and doesn't deliver a satisfactory interactive experience.