Venus Eleven is a new gacha-style soccer game on iOS and Google Play that features anime girls and a dating mechanic. Unsure of what to expect, I hit the download button and after less than 200 MB of updating, I was thrown into my first game.

A short tutorial revealed that the game is played through decisions, as the player watches their team march across the field. When your offensive player encounters a defender, the player will need to choose to dribble or pass through the opponent. The stats of the players will decide if there is success or not. That is mostly all there is to it.

After the small glance at how to play ball, a few freebies are given to the player, followed by an unlimited re-roll. I was delighted by this, as players can access a high rarity character in any position besides goalkeeper immediately. There is no need to re-roll, making this one of the few gacha games I was able to just turn on and play.

The game’s presentation isn’t anything remarkable but it certainly isn’t offensive. The menus aren’t full of clutter, which is always welcome with games like this. The menu music isn’t anything overly catchy, and a few of the songs don’t loop well, but this can be forgiven. The gameplay features chibi versions of the players, which are cute and easy to animate. The players dribbling around each other is adorable and made me chuckle a few times. The games are fully voice acted Japanese audio.

Venus Eleven runs well, even without the low graphics setting. There are quite a few loading screens, but most of them are short and don’t prevent the player from enjoying the game itself. Every button click is quick and responsive, which is admirable when this game is compared to some of its peers.

The gameplay itself is enjoyable for those who like to make decisions. Players will need to manage the in-game stamina of their team in order to find success on the field. Every action expends stamina. On defense, the player is playing a game of rock-paper-scissors, guessing if the opponent will pass or dribble. These actions take stamina, but players can opt to do nothing and hope that RNG favors them. The game might be a bit too slow for those who want something fast-paced, but those who like slow, turn-based games could find plenty to like.

Early on, the game isn’t overly difficult, and thanks to the free six-star recruit, players should coast through their first few games. The beginning is a bit too easy, but playing through the first game or two is recommended for players to get a feel of the game’s mechanics. Fortunately, there is an auto-mode, as well the ability to speed up games.

Unfortunately, there is a stamina system that artificially slows down the game. Luckily, the player level-ups are frequent enough to keep players stocked as they feel out the Venus Eleven. There are also quite a few modes for players to enjoy, making this game have more value than it appears at a glance. There are leagues, character stories, gifts (And dating), and more. If you like the gameplay, I can see Venus Eleven going far for you.

The game gives out a decent amount of freebies to players, making this game in the middle of the gacha road as far as generosity goes. Of course, with the game just launching, there is currently a welcome campaign. It’s very possible that the currency will slow down in a few weeks. The premium units pull at a 1% rate, while the lower tiers are at 6%, 18%, and 75% respectively.

I’ve enjoyed my time with Venus Eleven so far, and I will continue to try it for a bit to see if it is worth keeping in my gacha rotation. It isn’t for everyone, but it does feel like a breath of fresh air, just because its a little different.

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