The sports genre of video games can be difficult to stand out in thanks to the domination of franchises like FIFA, Madden and NBA 2K which dominate some of the largest sports on their own. However, now and then, a unique IP comes along that cleverly blends an unconventional aesthetic like anime into it, and before you know it everyone wants to strap on their cleats and get on the field. INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road is the latest example of this, as players are flocking to consoles and Steam to give the demo for the series' latest sequel a try.
For those unfamiliar, Inazuma Eleven is an acclaimed football-themed videogame franchise series created by LEVEL-5 that has been around for well over a decade, debuting its first installment back in 2008 on the Nintendo DS (though it didn’t arrive in the US until 2014). However, it has stayed under the radar in the West for much of that time, as the series' success remains mostly in Japan while only releasing two of its games in the US. 'Victory Road' is the second of those two, so it's no surprise that there's so much curiosity around it.
The demo for INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road is available as of July 18, and while a couple of the planned modes like Chronicle Mode and Victory Road in the Main Menu aren't available to try, the Story Mode is a fantastic place to start. If you choose to dive into the demo on Steam, the game highly recommends playing with a controller, so try and have one handy.
Bear in mind that while it has an undeniably cute anime aesthetic, 'Victory Road' requires a good degree of strategy while on the football field. Thankfully, there's a 'Help' guide available in the Main Menu, where you can browse the game's fundamental mechanics (e.g. Kick, Control, Technique, Pressure) and also a Tutorial Mode that shows you animated visuals of different aspects of the gameplay. We highly recommend doing this to have a good footing (aha) on the basics before going into Story Mode or especially Competition Mode.
Story Mode is a great way to get acquainted with the game's characters and, well, the story itself. If you're someone who regularly enjoys watching anime, the various animated cutscenes will definitely be appealing. This mode puts you in the shoes of an introverted schoolboy named Destin who detests football (soccer for those in the West) for some reason and simply wants to start the new school year in peace.
The gameplay starts out much like a traditional slice-of-life anime sim, as you have Destin explore his new school, interact with classmates, and even partake in some hilariously weird "battle" activities with them. They range from rejecting an invite to the school's "muscle club" to trying to shake off your outspoken classmate Cedric who wants to show you around town. The mechanics of doing these battles function as an over-the-top version of rock-paper-scissors, and if you succeed Destin gains stat points that may come in handy later, notably for some football-related activities.
Chronicle Mode also sounds absolutely wild, as it promises a whopping 4,500 possible characters for players to recruit and collect. If this voting post on Reddit is anything to go by, this will be a big selling point for the game on its own.
It's by far one of the most unique spins on a football video game that we've seen in a long time, and its compelling anime aesthetic is evidently appealing to players everywhere. Nearly 9,000 concurrent players have already downloaded and tried out the demo on Steam, while it holds a solid 4.85 rating from over 1,000 players on the PlayStation store.
INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road has yet to reveal an exact release date, but it's nonetheless slated to debut in 2024. It will also have the most diverse global release for the Inazuma Eleven series yet, as it will be available on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Steam).
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Published: Jul 18, 2024 10:54 pm