The Best Video Games To Play As Crystal Palace

The new Premier League season has just kicked off, and Palace fans will be hoping for more of the same.

Last season, many thought Patrick Vieira’s questionable appointment would be a road to disaster, but instead, the Eagles soared. 12th was a solid finish and an improvement on the previous two seasons, whilst an FA Cup semi-final was the best return since 2016. Football London called the season ‘promising’ under Vieira’s watchful eye and predicted more of the same in 2022/23. So far this season, the 1-1 draw with Liverpool is hopefully a sign of better things.

Football fans often take these moments to play their way through a season on video games. At the beginning of every new campaign, a raft of games presents you with a chance to be in Vieira’s shoes or emulate Wilfred Zaha rampaging down the wing. They fuel fans’ fantasies, and the selection of games can be staggering.

Football games can be found everywhere, on mobile devices, home consoles and PCs. Not all of them allow you to play as Palace; games such as Big Win Soccer and Mini Football are fun to play without the simulation. There are themed football games to enjoy as well, such as the Gala Spins online slot 11 Champions which appropriates football within another genre but remains dedicated to the imagery associated with the beautiful game. Some mobile games, such as FIFA Mobile, are watered-down versions of big releases.

Those games might not satisfy your inner Vieira, but they will keep you amused. However, if you want to truly get behind Palace and bring digital success, you’ll need to pick up one of these three current titles. Remember, the new versions of these will be out this autumn, so you might even bag a bargain.

FIFA 22

FIFA 22 is the penultimate official release from EA Sports; their association with football’s governing body ends after the new game. It’s still the benchmark for football games, with multiple game modes to enjoy. The most popular, Ultimate Team, features Crystal Palace players you can buy and trade to build the perfect squad. There’s a season mode to play through, where you can seek to guide Palace to their first piece of silverware since 1994.

Football Manager 22

The Football Manager brand originates in the early eighties, but the current game is very different to the Kevin Toms original. It puts you in the dugout, managing everything from transfers to tactics, press conferences to training. It can be overwhelming for first-time players, but those who persevere discuss losing days trying to perfect their team. Palace are a decent one to start with as expectation is relatively low, but with the right approach, the Premier League isn’t as challenging to manage as some might think.

eFootball 2022

If you want match action, you go to FIFA. If you want to manage, you go to Football Manager. Why would you turn to eFootball? It’s a good question; eFootball is the distant relative of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer, once the best football game on the market. They had the best match engine but were devoid of licenses. You can now play as Palace in the game, and whilst it isn’t quite in the same league as FIFA, Konami is focused on improving their title. The benefit here is the game is free-to-play; you pay for features and add-ons, but you can download and get going immediately. That’s enough to give it at least a try this autumn and see if it’s improved over the summer break.