Hello PlayStation! It’s us, panic! Editors of Firewatch, Untitled Goose Game and the upcoming Nour: Play With Your Food. We’ve got a veritable slew of upcoming PlayStation game news to share, starting with despelote, coming to PS5 in 2024. The game will also be part of the 2023 Tribeca Festival lineup, which we’re deeply honoured.
Despelote is a beautiful slice-of-life adventure about childhood and the magical hold that football exerted on the people of Quito, Ecuador in 2001. From their first pitch, we were immediately transported by the work of its creators, Julian Cordero & Sebastien Valbuena. As a semi-autobiographical story of Julián’s childhood, it feels deeply authentic to a specific time and place – while still managing to feel universal in many ways as you wander the streets of Quito. , letting you get drawn into mischief and soaking up the local culture. .
Despelote’s gameplay relies on many of the verbs you associate with football – to dribble, pass and kick (and all feel great from a first-person perspective!) – but used for a variety of purposes. playful and fun interactions as you explore the city, in addition to affecting the narrative, as you are swept up in the excitement of Ecuador’s first qualifying race for the World Cup.
As you can see from the trailer, the game has a very distinct look – one created in part from reference photos as well as actual textures captured on location in Quito. That goes for the audio too, as Julián and Sebastian recorded real conversations and the ambiance of the city to create the game’s soundscape. And appropriately, the game is voiced entirely in Spanish, complete with subtitles. located according to your preferences.
Whether you’re a casual football fan, someone who loves being immersed in other cultures, or just loves telling good stories, we think you’ll find something special in Despelote when it launches on PS5 in 2024. Thanks for reading and there’s plenty more to come from Panic and Despelote soon.
