Speaking of unrealistic, sometimes the cost of mistakes seems unfeasibly high. And sometimes the locations themselves (especially exteriors) are quiet and empty, giving the scenes an unreal, disconnected feel. Interactions between characters can seem forced, like Alex’s dad storming away from an early game or your rivalry with Gareth. While lead actor Adetomiwa Edun (Merlin, Bates Motel) shines through the performance capture process to offer a vulnerable, determined Alex Hunter, The Journey still sounds the occasional awkward dramatic note. This, in turn, has an effect on cosmetic things like how pleased your manager is with you or how many fans you have, but it doesn’t unlock any significant changes in events. These are clearly labeled-'fiery,' 'cool,' 'balanced'-and rather than leading individually to different opportunities or outcomes, these decisions are aggregated into a binary temperament gauge showing whether Hunter is hot-headed or sensible. But there's less flexibility in the dialogue choices offered during certain cutscenes and post-match interviews. Once you start leveling up, you can directly apply upgrade points to specific skills, enabling you to make Hunter exactly the sort of player you'd like him to be. They happen no matter how you’re performing on the pitch or behaving off it-things like being sent out on loan, or Hunter’s childhood friend and teammate Gareth Walker being inexplicably awful to him the whole time. Certain fixed plot points underpin the story.

Choice within The Journey is, in practice, pretty limited, outside of the initial opportunity to choose which Premier League side Hunter joins. As for the mode itself, hope and romance are what it does best-convincing dramatics and RPG gameplay, not so much.

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