Football Genius Review

Your favorite sport now in trivia form!

A Soccer (football) trivia game may not be very high up on the priority list for many people which is understandable, partially due to the lack of games in said genre. Football Genius attempts to fill the void and does so successfully. 

Football Genius has two game modes, full time or half time, and the difference between the two is the length of the game played. Various minigames are present and each is a series of multiple choice questions like identifying the blurred image of a player, etc. The minigames borrow their names from various soccer phrases and each game attempts to recreate a soccer setting faithful to the source material. The game features roughly 3,500 questions so Football Genius will definitely last you a while. Achievements with longevity are also present and those with a moderate knowledge of soccer will have a great time unlocking all 200 gamerscore.

Points are awarded for each correct answer and deducted for each incorrect answer. The goal is simple: when the game ends, the player with the most points wins. Playing alone will always result in a first place win so the real thrill comes when you’re competing with others or attempting to beat the clock.
 
The menus look nice and the game runs at a solid frame rate which is a must for a game of this type. There are a series of different play backgrounds but these are nothing to write home about. Between each minigame is an animation, but the animations don’t serve much purpose other than recreating the feel of watching a soccer game on TV.
 
Avatar support is also present although your avatar is mostly used to differentiate you from other players. There are a few neat animations that display your avatar reacting to finish places or unleashing a particular taunt, but again, these touches are mostly superfluous. While avatar support isn’t groundbreaking, it is nice to see it included in the package. Vision camera and voice support are also included and allow you to view other players or simply chat with them through your headset.
 
The title also includes multiplayer options. You can choose to play the game locally with three other players or take your game online to fill the spaces. A trivia game is usually always best played with friends and while you can play by yourself, your enjoyment will only increase with other players.
 
The game can be played with the four Xbox 360 controller buttons (A, B, X, Y) or with the use of a Big Button controller, but regardless of which controller you choose to use, the interface is simple and the game is ready to play in seconds.

To help differentiate between players, you can choose different sound effects to replace your buzzer choice, and these choices range from horns to dog barks. The game music is minimal but still enough to get the job done, and the soundtrack fits well with the overall tone of a soccer game.

 
I wouldn't consider myself a huge soccer fan but I do know enough about the sport to appreciate the game to a certain extent and to appreciate the appeal this title will have for fans of the sport. If you consider yourself a soccer fan, Football Genius will do more than enough to satisfy your needs. The game won`t be of interest to those unfamiliar with soccer though, as you will simply find yourself mashing buttons in the hope that you will select the correct answer. For mad soccer fans, however, Football Genius is a must impulse buy!