eFootball 2022 was released this week, and it would be no exaggeration to say that its release, the successor to Konami's popular PES game series, has been full of twists and turns. Indeed, the game's strange graphics and bizarre animations have been the subject of various derisive memes on the Internet.

While FIFA 22 adheres to the traditional annual release cycle, eFootball 2022 is instead positioned as a constantly engaged "soccer platform" that is free to play and regularly updated with new content and modes . An approach that seemed innovative at the time of its announcement, but now that eFootball 2022 is in players' hands, things are not going as planned.

Controversy was already brewing when it became apparent that the game would have little launch content. Currently, only nine real-world teams are included, and players can only choose to play a single exhibition match or an online mode called "Challenge Event."

Such lack of substance was already looking like a potential killer blow when compared to the feature-rich FIFA 22, but the game's current state is drawing a lot of unwanted attention, irrespective of the expected lack of modes.

Quite simply, there is something off about the game's animation and graphics. Previously, "PES" was famous for its accurate portrayal of real-life soccer stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but in "eFootball 2022," these players look a little ...... strange to see.

In contrast, the Internet did what the Internet does best. Social media sites are awash with images and clips showing a variety of glitches, bugs, and animation failures, from the hilarious to the truly horrific.

To make matters worse for publisher Konami, eFootball 2022 now carries the ignominious honor of being the lowest rated game on Steam. It currently has "overwhelmingly negative" reviews, with 92% of the nearly 11,000 ratings not recommending the game. Many of these are just trendy, but others are from longtime fans who are genuinely disappointed to see the series fall from such heights.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment in all of this is that if eFootball 2022 fails to get its act together, FIFA will have no real competition. In the long run, this could be bad for both FIFA and gamers, as competition tends to breed innovation. We have enjoyed the memes, but hopefully eFootball 2022 will be modified soon to be more acceptable. [eFootball 2022 is currently available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. It's free to play, at least in base!