|
|
|
CAPTAIN TSUBASA: RISE OF NEW CHAMPIONS (PS4)
|
Publisher: Bandai Namco.
Developer: Tamsoft. Released: August 2020. Genre: Football. Other versions: SWI; PC. Posted 15th July 2024. By Tom Clare © 2024 |
|
Rise of New Champions marked a quietly significant release in 2020. A gaming lineage almost as long-lived as the enduring manga series upon which it was based, Captain Tsubasa’s emergence on PS4 marked the footballer’s first non-mobile appearance in the West, a little over thirty years after his series debuted on the NES. Better late than never, as they say, and the evergreen captain’s arrival proved a breath of fresh air. Tamsoft’s arcade-orientated effort isn’t perfect, but its fun brand of accessible football and a neatly integrated story will serve as the ideal tonic for those jaded by the FIFA-PES hegemony of the last twenty years.
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions centres on the eternally youthful, titular midfielder, as he leads his Nankatsu Middle School team against a range of rival youth squads. Succeed at the national level, and the game shifts gear to accommodate an all-star Japanese team comprising the stars of the youth squads, as well as a custom-created footballer. This player can be built up through a mixture of strong performances and the forming of social bonds with domestic and international stars.
Rise of New Champions integrates all manner of dynamic, anime-esque scenes seamlessly into its gameplay, increasing the excitement
Whilst general play isn’t too difficult to grasp, winning games in Captain Tsubasa requires a different approach to more realistic football simulations. Matches favour attacking teams, as you’ll have to wear down goalkeepers to create an opportunity to breach their defences. For this, you’ll need to call on players with special moves, as standard point ‘n’ shoot methods rarely yield goals. Instead, creating space, through clever passing or by taking on opponents with dribbling runs, is crucial to victory as you’ll need a couple of seconds to charge and unleash the most potent moves. Some shots favour brute power, others winding trajectories, whilst Tsubasa’s own Drive Shot sees a vicious, dipping strike that can be used to fox keepers from distance. There are dozens of specialist shots, passes, tackles and combination plays, each showcased in fantastic style by a swashbuckling range of cutaways.
|
|
The story mode is the highlight, taking place across two acts that begin with the nationals playing as Captain Tsubasa, before taking a created player through the school system and then teaming up with some of the best talent you’ll have encountered along the way, to represent Japan at the World Cup. Additionally, there are three routes through the World Cup story, each culminating in a different final. You’ll have to conquer either the German’s power and mountain-like goalkeeper, the attacking flair of Brazil, or the calculated organisation of the United States. There are many other teams with enigmatic heroes, lending each match a different cadence. In a nod to the days of sticker books, the player can amass items and build bonds with players through collecting card packs, paid for with PP gained from various accomplishments in multiplayer and solo play. Initially, these are lots of fun to collect. Gradually, however, they become more difficult to afford and players take far longer to level up, to such a degree that progress rather grinds to a halt. The cards are a lovely idea, just not rewarding enough.
Rise of New Champions delivers a feel-good experience, offering something genuinely new to a genre in danger of creative stagnation. That said, it’s also hindered by a number of small issues. Slowdown is surprisingly apparent with matches often chugging under a staccato frame rate, which has the knock-on of hindering runs as the responsiveness takes a hit. The game’s rigid approach to preventing goals until the keeper’s either out of energy or met by a more powerful striker (in which case, the floodgates tend to open) leads to some turgid matches, particularly when you face keepers with a daunting reserve of defence stamina. There are times when skilful attacking plays go unrewarded, and ‘Ace’ players with special moves are relied upon to such a lop-sided degree, that nearly all your moves will aim to involve them.
Rise of New Champions delivers a feel-good experience, offering something genuinely new to a genre in danger of creative stagnation. That said, it’s also hindered by a number of small issues. Slowdown is surprisingly apparent with matches often chugging under a staccato frame rate, which has the knock-on of hindering runs as the responsiveness takes a hit. The game’s rigid approach to preventing goals until the keeper’s either out of energy or met by a more powerful striker (in which case, the floodgates tend to open) leads to some turgid matches, particularly when you face keepers with a daunting reserve of defence stamina. There are times when skilful attacking plays go unrewarded, and ‘Ace’ players with special moves are relied upon to such a lop-sided degree, that nearly all your moves will aim to involve them.
|
|
Interestingly, the online multiplayer shows gamers capitalising on some of the RoNC’s quirks, namely some bizarre custom formations that pack players into the central channels of the pitch. This is seemingly to take advantage of the game’s inability to deal with chaos and crowded spaces. It’s difficult to make runs or string passes when you get swamped by opposition players, as the game tends to prioritise tackles over shots. Despite this, there are some good components to be found online, and the concept of hand-picking a dream team capped to a maximum points quotient is great. As with a lot of football games, manual player switching can be hit and miss, and there’s an obdurate insistence on selecting those behind the play, with little chance of chasing back. Often, players will attempt to match runs by circling around the back of an opponent and having to chase, rather than meet them directly.
Corners are often met with acrobatic bicycle kicks, volleys and crunching headers
Tsubasa’s story is the best part and also the main meat of the game as, rather unusually, its single-player offers greater legs than its local multiplayer. I played a little over 100 matches, reliving the story four or five times. As such, this initially lightweight-looking package delivers very sound longevity. The game engine could have been smoother and there are times you’ll have to play dogmatically to beat the game on its terms. There can be no denying, however, that there’s a joy to Rise of New Champions. Its attempts to drag football away from trudging modern realism and return the genre to its exciting coin-op heyday is commendable, even if it’s unlikely to win over sim die-hards.
|
VERDICT
"Rise of New Champions delivers a feel-good experience, offering something genuinely new to a genre in danger of creative stagnation. Overlook its performance issues and you'll discover an uplifting story and a fun football game." OVERALL: 7/10 |
OTHER PICK-UP-AND-PLAY FOOTBALL GAMES REVIEWED
World Cup Italia '90 (1990, Mega Drive)
|
Fever Pitch Soccer (1995, Mega Drive)
|