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When I think of soccer video games, I imagine 20 players moving across the field in different directions. I’ve seen the best-selling titles (like FIFA on PC/Playstation/Xbox), and they look downright confusing to me. The most realistic soccer games are for athletes and savvy fans – those who know the ins and outs of play formations, dribbling, and advanced passing. Recently, I discovered FC Barcelona Ultimate Rush. It’s a casual game that welcomes anyone and everyone – whether you player soccer or don’t know a single thing about it.
FC Barcelona Ultimate Rush is an endless runner. This is a type of game that many children love to play, because there’s ongoing action from start to finish. The gameplay is quite comparable to Subway Surfers, which has been downloaded over a billion times. If that tells you anything, it’s that endless runners are addictive and fun. In my opinion, FC Barcelona Ultimate Rush has more educational value than any of its peers. This is because it features real athletes from Spain’s legendary soccer team. Also, there is a deep skill system that requires basic math to make the best decisions.
The list of available players includes Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Luis Suarez (among others). I did a bit of research, and I was impressed by how much each in-game character looks like their real-life counterpart! Messi has his signature Quiff, Iniesta sports a Mohawk, and Suarez’s face is photorealistic. FCB fans are bound to love playing as their favorite athlete, especially with such authenticity involved.
The skill tree and upgrade system in FC Barcelona Ultimate Rush are simple enough to understand, but deep enough to add great value. There are 10 different types of skills that you can buy and improve at any point during the game. Certain ones reward you with gold just for playing. For example, if you have the Manager skill, you will earn hundreds of coins when you initially load the game each day. Other skills work like traditional power-ups. The Adrenaline Beast skill makes temporary invincibility last longer. Depending on how you like to play, you might choose to max out a single skill for each athlete. Or, you can spread skills evenly across your entire team. You’re the manager, so you get to make every important decision!
There’s also a fun reward component of FC Barcelona Ultimate Rush. Every day, you can collect prizes from the gift box. One of my favorite ways to win prizes is from scratchers. These are scratch cards that make you feel like you’ve won the lottery! If you match three icons (which is very easy to do), you get a special prize, such as coins, energy, or a new skill.
I don’t know much about soccer, but I do know that FC Barcelona Ultimate Rush is an excellent game. After playing it myself, I let my young one try. He loved running down the streets of Barcelona, kicking soccer balls and capturing shiny gold!
My son is a basketball fan but I think he would really enjoy Barcelona Ultimate Rush. My nephews would also have a good time with this game.