5/5 ★ – Wiwa's review of Despelote.

TOTAL WEIGHTED SCORE: 97.4% How's the vibe? 9.5/10 How's it play? 8.4/10 How's it look? 8/10 How's it sound? 10/10 Attention to detail? 9/10 - Despelote has a way of tugging at your heartstrings without you quite realising until it's already happening. The game is set against a context of a country struggling with a collapsing economy, who are rallying behind the successes of their sporting teams, finding hope and unity despite the difficulty of the times. The visuals reminded me a lot of Obra Dinn, with the 1-bit pointillism almost concealing details unless closely examined, evoking the fuzziness of the memories you explore. As you play through the game, you'll be surrounded by an immersive soundscape, drawn towards voices and radios and the sound of footballs being kicked around. You're invited to explore (against the wishes of the adults around you), and listen in on the lives of the people living there. The story is inspiring, warm, and heartbreaking, all at once. It subtly points towards love, loss, family, and strife, with the constant throughout being hope. Play the game if you like artsy short films, probably skip it if you really into that type of thing.