Out now, Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is an outrageous football game
Whether you’re a fan of the hugely popular anime, or simply want a football game that’s actually fun, you’ll get a kick out of Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters. Available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC, this is a football game with anime sensibilities, meaning not only is it enjoyable to play, but it’s also wonderfully presented.
Sequel to 2020’s Captain Tsubasa: Rise of the New Champions, Captain Tsubasa 2: World Champions offers a new story based on the series’ World Youth arc. Needless to say, those diving into the game’s single-player story mode, the meat of this package, will likely get the most out of it if they’ve played its predecessor, or at least are familiar with the events it covers. Though it has to be said that work has been put into making this sequel accessible to newcomers.
In any case, jump into the story mode of Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters and you’ll find that it’s full of drama. After creating your very own character you’ll watch fully voiced story scenes (though only in Japanese), occasionally making dialogue choices along the way. And of course, you’ll also get to play plenty of games of football.
The good news is that the actual act of playing football is both engaging and rewarding. While the action is anime-inspired, it’s pretty traditional at its core. It’s important you master the basics here, then, such as dribbling and passing the ball between your teammates. It’s when it comes to things like tackling and shooting that Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters becomes a little more outlandish, with you able to really lay into the opposition and perform flashy charged shots that can wear a goalie down.
Outside of the meaty Story mode, which offers additional content to complement its main episodes, you can take the action online if you wish, competing against other players from around the world. Local multiplayer is available, too, making Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters great if you enjoy playing football games that aren’t too serious with those that are like-minded.
If you’re a fan of the first game and want to continue its story, it’s safe to say that Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is definitely worth a look. And while it doesn’t have the most generous selection of modes or options, you might also want to consider it if you’re a football game fan that wants something a little more fun to play than EA’s yearly FC series.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC.
