Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters Review
When a franchise as storied as Captain Tsubasa comes to consoles, the expectations are high. As can be seen in the manga and anime, players would expect spectacle and extreme visuals, exciting systems and gameplay, along with an actual game that balances arcade thrills with meaningful systems.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters, the direct sequel to Rise of New Champions, largely delivers on all three fronts. This installment offers an improved package that still features the seriesโ signature โsuper football actionโ but now with more teams, more characters, and more moves. It’s not quite the hat trick, but it is a marked improvement from the first game and enough to get the good times rolling.
Supercharged Story and Action
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters leans into the World Youth arc, and, as with anime titles from Bandai Namco, the expectation is that it faithfully recreates the chosen media in game form, and that’s the same here. Working with series creator Yoichi Takahashi to reconstruct the narrative, the story mode hits the same beats as you control Tsubasa (or a created character) as he goes on a journey to win the World Youth Championship.
Visually, Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters leans into anime aesthetics, with cut-ins, dramatic camera angles, and character art that evoke the manga and anime. The action sequences really bring the spectacle, as there are super moves galore that you don’t normally see in a football/soccer title, so it succeeds in this aspect of bringing the manga/anime to a screen where you can control the outcome.
You’ll get to face off against many of the World Youth teams like Thailand, Saudi Arabia, China, and much more. In fact, you’ll experience original storylines, such as European and Asian teamsโ participation, that werenโt depicted in the manga. That’s great for fans, and it comes with benefits too, like unlocking new moves and hidden abilities for your created character.
It’s great, but of course, you can expect copious amounts of tutorials (frankly, you’ll need them) that can really break momentum, as the story mode of these types of games is typically extended tutorials before you actually hop into custom versus games.
That said, Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters‘ improvements don’t stop there, as it now offers 33 teams (up from 21) and more than 110 playable characters (nearly more than half than the previous). The story mode itself can take upwards of 20 hours, so that alone is a meaty endeavor in itself. On top of that, there are also side and link scenarios that are little story snippets that are nice to go through if you want to immerse yourself more in the World Youth arc.
It’s Really a Fighting Game
What I didn’t expect was that Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is really a fighting game mixed with soccer. No, it’s not like you’ll perform quarter-circle motions and combo inputs, but there aren’t any “rules” in the game for performing a Muay Thai move against the opponent. In fact, you can technically parry opponent moves to counter them and avoid the tackle.
But even with this, there’s a tactical layer to Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters as well. The flow of the game is not too hard to get familiar with because there’s always a back-and-forth for ball possession, and depending on your timing, you can pull off some plays that can cater to newcomers and even Captain Tsubasa veterans. And, as mentioned, this is all backed by an ultra-flashy art style that raises the spectacle level to 11.
The tactics part comes in because of two new systems: the goalkeeper tactical battle and the chain system.
Taking a shot at the goal triggers a mini-battle against the goalkeeper where the shooter selects from six directions, and the goalkeeper guesses a dive direction. The outcome affects the goalkeeperโs stamina and can even cause a โbreakโ that reduces the keeperโs maximum stamina; the lower the stamina, then the shot at goal will be successful. This system rewards variety, enticing players to mix trajectories, adjust distance, and time shots.
The other is the chain system, which accelerates play by linking dribbles, S-moves, and pre-shot actions. Higher chain levels increase shot power and charge speed, making momentum feel meaningful. But chains can transfer to the opponent if you lose possession, which keeps matches dynamic and punishing in a good way.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters also has super moves across all categories (super shots, super dribbles, etc), but the most interesting one is called Miracle Moves. These moves add another layer of spectacle because they are moves that trigger when certain conditions are met, producing story-like, dramatic reversals. These moments are faithful to the source material, where a last-ditch save or an ultra-powerful team action can swing a match due to how powerful they are, as they usually result in a sure goal.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters also offers a robust suite of modes: versus matches (regular, offline, private), practice, training, collection, movies, music, and character galleries. The versus suite supports both local and online play, and the ability to use your edited player in PvP adds a personal stake to competitive matches.
Verdict: 8/10 Buy it!
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is a love letter and a compelling arcade sports game for fans of the well-known series. It expands on its predecessor in meaningful ways, such as a much larger roster and deeper systems. The goalkeeper tactical battles and chain system give matches a satisfying pace, while super moves and miracle moments deliver the dramatic highs the series is known for.
Despite the onboarding, newcomers may find that they’ll need to really engage with its systems to get the most out of it. Playing the game like you would a regular soccer game may not be the best approach, so the moves and systems are actually there to be used extensively. That said, it’s a good improvement compared to the first game, and fans of the anime will have an entertaining time with Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters.
*Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters was reviewed on a PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.
