Konami’s free-to-play game eFootball 2022 is back, and, for some reason, labeled “Psychological Horror†on Steam - here's why.
eFootball 2022 made its comeback on September 29th, bringing with it a new name and a new set of upcoming clubs.
However, limited features and questionable modelling quickly turned the game from an anticipated release to a disappointing one. Players were quick to compare it to EA's FIFA 22, and the negative reviews came in one by one on Steam.
Now, the game bizarrely has the "Psychological Horror" and "Horror" tags on Steam, ahead of "Sports" and "Free to Play."
EFOOTBALL 2022 - PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR?
All in all, eFootball 2022 has quickly become one of Steam's currently most-hated games. Out of roughly 17k reviews, nearly 15k are negative at the time of writing.
One particular review by Steam User Hypnora called eFootball 2022 a "psychological horror game," starting a trend on the platform. They continue, "If you love those moments where you have your head in your hands and you consider breaking the key-board or throwing the controller out the window you'll love this."
From Steam Community eFootball 2022 reviews, by user Hypnora
Firstly, the game's growing list of clunky gameplay features endlessly frustrated players, leading others to write similar reviews. As a result, "Psychological Horror" came up as Steam's top user-defined tag.
Following that, reviews commented on crowds of angular NPCs and disproportionate not-quite-likenesses of the game's popular footballers. Moreover, players even went as far as drawing comparisons to the infamous Cristiano Ronaldo statue.
At the same time, they noted the game's limited 9 club choices at launch. Most strangely, Lionel Messi's current team, Paris Saint-Germain, is absent, despite Messi's prominent feature in all of eFootball 2022's advertising.
As a result, international Steam users also took to labeling the game "Psychological Horror":
Although still impactfully negative, it's a more comedic form of review-bombing compared to last week's Genshin Impact Anniversary incident. For instance, it references Konami's horror game legacy, poking fun at the company for their lackluster release.
Also, the focus on the game's tags changes the way Steam interacts with the game. Labeling it as "Psychological Horror" takes eFootball 2022 out of the "Sports Simulation" category - perhaps in an effort to prevent others from finding it.