Released in 2020 for the PS4, Switch, and PC, Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions was an engaging arcade-style sports game that had a blast adapting the Japanese franchise of the same name. While the game was filled to the brim with fan service and fun arcade touches, the underlying sports gameplay didn’t feel like it could quite match the heights of the genre’s best games. Luckily, the sequel has taken everything that worked previously and added some very crucial depth to the experience.
Videos by ComicBook.com
ComicBook.com got the chance to play Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters during a digital preview session and found it to be an easy-to-learn arcade-style sports game, designed with new players in mind. However, the focus on Super Moves and the greater sense of control on the pitch adds new layers of strategy and planning to the moment-to-moment gameplay, adding a much-needed element of depth to the experience. Coupled with the sheer amount of vibrant color and natural charm that comes with the source material, it’s easy to recommend Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters to sports fans — and haters — alike.
In Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters, You’re The Star Player
Originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1981, Captain Tsubasa is what happens when someone gives a die-hard FIFA fan the mentality of Goku from Dragon Ball. Tsubasa Ozora is a dedicated soccer player who is dedicated, above all else, to perfecting his skills on the pitch. The new game serves as an original story supervised by creator Yoichi Takahashi, set during the events of the Captain Tsubasa: World Youth manga. In the single-player campaign, players can choose from plenty of options to create their own avatar within the world of Captain Tsubasa, similar to the previous game. This time, they are joining the Japanese national team known as the NEWSTARS as they seek to claim the world championship.
The story mode is crisply animated and brought to life with all the vivid color and stylization that feels familiar to anime fans, with modern touches that don’t take away from the retro anime vibes of the source material. That applies not just to the player character or the NEWSTARS as a whole but to all their opponents as well. With 22 other global teams in the game — with 110 playable characters planned for launch — there’s a real sense of scope to the challenges players are facing on the pitch. Players can jump into all sorts of teams and play with over a hundred characters. The world is charming in ways that feel perfectly attuned to older anime, befitting the fan-favorite franchise and the way it stands out from other anime-inspired video games in the modern era. The small sections of the story mode made available to members of the press
Captain Tsubasa 2’s Super Moves Add Depth To Arcade-Style Sports Action
At the core of Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is the underlying gameplay, which feels like a combination of classic arcade sports titles with just a touch of the bigger open-sandbox fighting games. The underlying gameplay is designed for players who may not have the most experience with sports games. When the opponent controls the ball, players are shifted to their teammate who is closest to the opposing team. Passing is fast-paced and simple, while a simple shooting mechanic adds a bit of additional timing and challenge to the experience. Moving across the pitch is easy to pick up and adjust to, especially as the pace of the game picks up. Within the first minutes of our demo, we had two goals and had pulled off a close save to keep the score 2-0. Scoring goals isn’t the tricky part, though.
Instead, the real challenge comes from all the different Super Actions that are present in the game. Like the previous adaptation of the series, Super Shots allow players to deploy some flashy maneuvers to blast the ball towards the goal and weaken the goalkeeper enough to score. Now, Super Dribbles, Super Passes, and Super Tackles add more depth and strategy to the gameplay, with players forced to balance their Super Move Gauge while also maneuvering around other players. The challenge comes from countering those attacks, taking advantage of the opponents’ missed attacks while sustaining a competitive edge even as they’re hammering your goal.
This is all brought to life with flashy visuals and vivid colors; the gameplay is simple enough for new players while offering enough depth that more strategic players will find ways to counter their opponents. The gameplay is quick, the action fast, and the movement fluid. It’s easy to learn, with even just the short demo hinting at a greater sense of strategy that comes from managing your Super Actions while preparing to defend against similar styles. Sports game fans will find plenty of classic arcade-style action here. Especially for anime fans who couldn’t care less about traditional sports games, though, the chance to live out your own version of the anime — coupled with tight controls and entertaining art design — makes Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters an unexpected must-play game when it comes out.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is scheduled to launch August 28, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
