We’re currently at the time of writing smack bang in the middle of the World Cup, and I couldn’t be less excited about it. I enjoyed playing football vaguely as a kid, but as a sport it does nothing for me. The same can often be said for football video games, unless they do something over the top and ridiculous. The Super Mario Strikers series is an absolute all timer for me, because it combines a beloved sport with silly powerups and my favourite characters. Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is another outlandish take on the beautiful game, inspired by an anime.
I didn’t actually play the first Captain Tsubasa game, but based on this preview I’m pretty sure I’d have enjoyed it. It follows young hotshot footballers Tsubasa and pals, who in this entry are ready to compete on the World Youth stage. This means a whole lot of new international characters to kick a ball around with, as you get to experience the World Youth Arc of the anime as part of the action.
For this preview of the game I was able to compete in three different matches, as Japan tried to make their way through the tournament with Tsubasa at the helm. The first of these matches was against Thailand, a nearby rival in the continent of Asia who were all about physical force. With martial artists making up the team there were plenty of cutscenes showing off motivations, player rivalries, and all manner of soap opera drama. It’s a very story heavy experience for a sports game, but it’s exactly what I was looking for.
Eventually though the time for talking ends, and it’s time to play ball. At first this feels like most football games, as you run across the pitch, pass and take shots at the goal. It doesn’t take long to see the other systems at play though. There’s the chain system for example, where you build up shot strength by passing and dribbling around without the enemy team getting the ball. Once you’re ready to shoot you’ll enter battle with the goalie, where you need to choose a shot direction and if you choose well you’ll deplete more of the defence meter. Once it’s empty from enough shot attempts you’ll score, and from my years on the pitch that’s generally considered a good thing.
My favourite part of Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is using special abilities though. These are the anime nonsense part of the game, where you’ll do things like summon up the power of an eagle to score a really cool goal. Each member of your team has a different one of these abilities that slowly powers up, which they can use to dribble the ball perfectly into the box or perform a tackle from halfway across the pitch. You’ll have to manage these properly in order to win the big matches, and they’re as fun to use as they are ridiculous.
Because Captain Tsubasa 2 is a football game with a story focus, you also get given side objectives to complete that help your players enact little cutscenes. Sometimes you’ll need to tackle a specific player with a special move, or maybe you’ll have to really make a player a star by having them score a hat trick. I enjoyed trying to accomplish these goals mainly because of the little story rewards, and they grant extra rewards on top of that.
Between matches you’ll unlock ways to make the team better, like new special moves you can equip that work better for your playstyle. Not all the customisation is for practical reasons either, you can change appearances and make the footie team of your dreams too. This’ll be mostly appreciated when you want to take on other real players, where you’ll get to show off that swag as you score goal after goal.
Alongside the actual gameplay, it’s worth mentioning how gorgeous Captain Tsubasa 2 looks. The anime aesthetic is captured perfectly, and the character designs are especially delightful. There’s a real dedication to naff retro footballer hair that I find both endearing and amusing, and it makes this more than just another game with anime visuals.
From my time with Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters, I’m almost certain the full game will be a real Bobby Dazzler. The matches walk the line between football action and anime nonsense perfectly, and the story is delightful whether you’re familiar with the source material or not. Regardless of if you’re World Cup mad or World Cup sad, this is one sports game that you should have a keen eye on.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is coming to PS5, PC via Steam, Switch, and XBOX on August 27th.
