Tokyo Game Show 2024 - Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Hands-on

You can find all of my Tokyo Game Show 2024 coverage here

Metal Gear Solid. Like a Dragon. Monster Hunter. Dragon Age. My choice of demos at Tokyo Game Show was very predictable. Very me. So I thought I'd mix things up towards the end of Day Two and try something a little different. And that's how I ended up playing Level 5's Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road.

To be fair, there were other motivating factors. For one, the demo booth was seated - a rarity for higher-profile games - and my legs were sore. More crucially, I wanted to have another go at Professor Layton and The New World of Steam, having failed miserably at solving the first demo puzzle the day before. Level 5 were smartly offering a priority system where, if you tried one of their demos, you could join significantly shorter priority lines the rest of the day. This was an excellent way to get punters to try multiple demos, which is exactly what I did.

Inazuma Eleven had the shortest line, around a twenty-minute wait, so that's where I went to claim my priority wristband. Now V.I.P'd, I only had to stand in line for fifteen minutes for some Layton revenge, instead of eighty, and could literally walk straight into the demo for Fantasy Life: The Girl Who Steals Time. Not stealing my time though, because I had a priority pass!

Professor Layton and The New World of Steam was excellent. It's not what I'd call innovative, it's just Layton with nicer graphics and slightly more modern gameplay mechanics. To be honest, that's exactly what I'm after, as I find myself developing feelings of nostalgia for a series I mildly enjoyed fifteen years ago and a handheld (DS) that came a distant second in the battle for my 7th Gen portable affections.  Also, I really liked the Layton key fob that was awarded post-demo, regardless of how badly you sucked at solving puzzles. 

I promise I'll get to Inazuma Eleven in a minute.

Fantasy Life: The Girl Who Steals Time wasn't really my kind of thing, so I spent the majority of the demo figuring out whether it would be my daughter's instead. The Haniwa rocks - she loves haniwa - that were scattered across the map sealed the deal, and I delivered a glowing report to her the next day.

Anyway, Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road! Besides being aware of its existence, knowing that it's about football, and is developed by Level 5, I knew precious little about it going in. However, I did some research while I queued and was able to confirm that it's an RPG that has basically been getting delayed for the best part of a decade. I spent the rest of my time in line checking the Fantasy Premier League app, as I've essentially been addicted to FPL the last two months and I wanted to get in a footy mood.

The demo area was set up like a raised football terrace and, if nothing else, I was looking forward to plonking myself down and surveying the show floor. Having been led to the booth, I was told that I could play in English - everything at Level 5 could be enjoyed in English or Japanese - and was given a very brief introduction to the controls, after which I was thrust into a game of football between our heroes and a team from outer space, who fortunately play by the same rules as we do here on earth.

The players emerged from the tunnel, a British commentator introduced the teams and highlighted key match-ups, and then the camera swooped in for kick off. I was immediately struck by the colourful and attractive art style, as well as how immaculately it is presented. In its presentation, it succeeds in feeling like both an RPG and a sports game, and not just an RPG imitating something else.

I had very little idea what I was doing, but the game seemed to flow regardless. I was able to switch on the fly between a manual mode, where I was in control of every little detail, and something a little more automatic, where my involvement was focused on one one battles and controlling the on-ball player.

Football may be a team game, but the main action here is built around one-on-one, and sometimes one-on-two, battles. On-ball, I was trying, and often failing, to break through defenders' guard range, and regularly resorted to triggering special abilities to gain the upper hand, which included summoning tidal waves, aggressive penguins and just catching fire. Exactly like normal football.

Increasing the Tension Gauge gave access to further special moves, the nuances of which were lost on me. But they certainly looked pretty. In possession, you can switch to an attacking stance called Offensive Zone when you want to take a shot, make a pass, put a cross into the box etc. Likewise, on the other side of the ball, you activate Defensive Zone to position defenders, make a bone crunching tackle or form a wall. These modes activate slow motion, so you are better able to strategise, though there's very little you can do when a striker's foot is literally on fire. As for the goalkeeper, there is a Keeper Gauge which needs to be depleted if you wanted to put one past him or her. I can't say for sure, but this seemed to decrease each time the keeper was tested.

FIFA it ain't, but I was certainly enjoying myself.

As for the match, my team of weirdos struck early with a screamer from outside the box that was 90% intentional. Unfortunately, the opposition took control the rest of the half, pulling level almost immediately and then putting away a second just before halftime. With just two minutes to go in the second half, one of my midfielders riffled a volley into the left hand corner, exactly as I had planned it.

Final score: 2-2.

I absolutely enjoyed my time with Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road, even if the win eluded me. Also, it was nice to see Level 5 thriving again, with Layton, Fantasy Life and Inazuma Eleven all pulling in the crowds. Hopefully a sign of things to come.