Nacon and Eko Software release Handball 21

Handball has always been a minority sport, despite being a completely minority and marginalized game most of the time, many times in a misunderstood way since it is an explosive sport in which physical strength and aim are linked hand in hand. A game with a rather poor niche of players that highlights EKO Software's risky bet to create a video game for minorities.

Main highlights

Hanball 21 has benefits among its ranks that other more renowned games do not have, such as the licenses of the teams and the players. We understand that being a minority sport, there are fewer problems to obtain the licenses of players and teams, and Handball 21 has 129 teams from 8 European leagues and more than 2,000 players with their statistics updated at the time of the video game launch. For this reason, in Handball 21 we will be able to enjoy the main figures wearing the kits of this magnificent sport. The graphic section looks spectacular in this respect thanks to the more or less faithful recreation of the players and the stadiums, which shine more than ever in this edition of the new EKO Software video game.

Several game modes are found in the main menu of Handball 21: alone, online, quick game, league and the new My Squad mode, where in the purest style of the two most important football games that we are not going to name, we can create our own template thanks to the envelopes that can be purchased with the in-game currency.

Handball is a difficult game in itself, with many different stunts that Handball 21 tries to capture quite well, but where the “casual” player will enjoy it the most is in the arcade mode, with simplified controls and three different shots: hip, simple and chopped, being the first of them with which we will score goals more easily. Speaking of the gameplay, if we focus on the aspect of artificial intelligence, it is not without controversy, since the goalkeepers sometimes seem insurmountable barriers and sometimes it simply seems that they are not even looking at the ball because they become authentic sieves. Collisions between players are also relegated to the background, while in this edition at last the ball, the most important element, is captured in the video game as a ball, not as a stone, as I mentioned in the analysis of previous editions . Dribbling the ball and passing it, as well as taking shots and the consequent punts and rebounds now enjoy a physics that borders on realism. Moreover, if we are able to correctly perform the rehearsed plays that handball players know as superiority, artificial intelligence will react correctly and the winger will be free to be able to score with pleasure from his position.

When we attack we have direct control of the ball as you may have understood with the previous explanation, but in defense things change and we limit ourselves to using the left stick to try to stop the opponents in their attack. If the opponent attacks while we have the correct player marked, we will have the opportunity to try to stop the future goal.

The animations in Handball 21 are crude

They are somewhat mechanical; For example, the speed with which in real sport a pass is made to the pivot and he turns quickly to fit in a full-fledged goal, it is overshadowed by a pass to the pivot, it is wrapped in a somewhat crude and unreal animation and it is almost impossible to throw the ball into the goal, so you have to return to your partner or try a futile shot on goal. Yes, it is true that in some movements the capture of movements is noticeable, but we already told you that this franchise still has to improve a lot in this aspect, perhaps another of the pillars that make Handball 21 not finish properly in the mind of a person who has played this sport for many years. We also understand the difficulty of recreating all the possible movements of a handball player in a video game, but saving the differences, 2K achieves it every year with its legendary basketball saga. Although of course, we cannot compare a small studio like EKO Software with a giant like the one that the spectacular NBA 2K gives us every year.

One of the drawbacks that this franchise can never get rid of is that it is too focused on lovers of this sport, and therefore it will never stop being in the background on the shelves of video game stores, where copies of this game they will remain as beautiful ornaments while the annual editions of other games such as soccer or basketball will come off these shelves like hotcakes. In this regard, it is necessary to praise the courage of both EKO Software and Nacon for betting on a title that they know from the outset will never become a global bestseller. As a title to play with friends who are lovers of this sport, Handball 21 fulfills its social function, but fails in many other aspects mentioned above. We could calmly say that it has almost the same level of light as it is of shadows, since all the benefits such as the graphic representation are eclipsed by a gameplay that does not exceed enough.

Like the game it represents, Handball 21 represents a real challenge for all types of players, although it is possible to master the game, many hours of patience are what you will have to invest in this interesting game.