The sports genre of video games can be hard to stand out thanks to the dominance of franchises like FIFA, Madden and NBA 2K, which dominate some of the biggest sports on their own. However, every now and then, a unique IP comes along that cleverly mixes in an unconventional aesthetic like anime, 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 gamers flock to consoles and Steam to try out the demo for the latest sequel to the series.
For those who don’t know, Inazuma Eleven is an acclaimed soccer-themed video game franchise series created by LEVEL-5 that has been around for over a decade, debuting its first installment back in 2008 on the Nintendo DS (although it didn’t make it to the U.S. until 2014). However, it has remained under the radar in the West for much of that time, as the success of the series remains largely in Japan while only releasing two of its games in the United States. “Victory Road” is the second of those two, so it’s no surprise that there’s so much curiosity surrounding it.
The demo for INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road has been available since July 18th, and while some planned modes like Chronicle Mode and Victory Road in the Main Menu are not available to try out, Story Mode is a great place to start. If you choose to dive into the demo on Steam, the game is highly recommended to be played with a controller, so try to have one handy.
Keep in mind that although it has an undeniably beautiful anime aesthetic, “Victory Road” requires good strategy while on the soccer field. Fortunately, there is a ‘Help’ guide available in the Main Menu where you can browse the fundamental mechanics of the game (eg Kick, Control, Technique, Press) as well as a Tutorial Mode which shows you animated images of different aspects of the playing We highly recommend doing this to get a good grounding (aha) in the basics before going into Story Mode or especially Competitive Mode.
Story Mode is a great way to get to know the game’s characters and, well, the story itself. If you are someone who regularly enjoys watching anime, the various animated scenes will definitely appeal. This mode puts you in the shoes of an introverted school boy named Destin, who hates football (soccer for those in the West) for some reason and just wants to start the new school year off easy.
The gameplay starts out much like a traditional anime sim, as you have Destin explore his new school, interact with classmates, and even engage in some hilariously weird “battle” activities with them. They range from turning down an invitation 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 work like an exaggerated version of rock-paper-scissors, and if you succeed, Destin gains stat points that might come in handy later, especially for some soccer-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 polling place 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 soccer video game we’ve seen in a long time, and its compelling anime aesthetic is obviously appealing to gamers everywhere. Almost 9,000 concurrent players have already downloaded and tried the demo on Steam, while it has a solid 4.85 rating from over 1,000 players on the. PlayStation store.
INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road has not yet revealed an exact release date, but it is still scheduled to debut in 2024. It will also have the most diverse global release for the Inazuma Eleven series to date, as it will be available on PS4, PS5, Nintendo. Switch, and computer (per steam).
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