Inazuma Eleven Victory Road Finally Launches After 7-Year Development
Inazuma Eleven Victory Road has officially launched following seven years of development delays and overwhelming fan anticipation. This long-awaited Inazuma Eleven Victory Road release concludes a remarkable journey that began with its initial 2016 announcement and endured eight separate delays. Developer Level-5 maintained remarkable commitment throughout this extended development cycle, even honoring giveaway prizes from seven years ago. Recent winners finally received their copies, with one parent noting “My daughter won it in 4th grade, and she’s now in 10th grade lol” according to social media posts.
Overwhelming Positive Reception
Inazuma Eleven Victory Road has achieved an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam with over 600 reviews since release. Players consistently describe experiencing powerful nostalgia while playing the anime soccer RPG. One Steam reviewer compared the feeling to “that scene from Ratatouille where Ego eats the food and gets a flashback to his childhood.” Another player declared the game “didn’t just score, it hit my soul with a Fire Tornado of nostalgia,” highlighting the emotional impact on long-time series fans.
The game successfully incorporates elements from throughout the Inazuma Eleven franchise. It adapts previous game campaigns into visual novel-style sequences while faithfully recreating classic matches. Reddit users praise Level-5’s ambitious approach to honoring series history while introducing new gameplay elements. Many consider this potentially “the magnum opus of Level-5” according to community discussions.
Development Journey and Pricing
Inazuma Eleven Victory Road represents the first main series entry since 2013, making its arrival particularly significant for dedicated fans. The sports RPG franchise began in 2008 and expanded into manga and anime adaptations. Despite numerous spin-offs, main series games remained scarce throughout the past decade. Consequently, this release marks a major milestone for the beloved franchise and its patient community.
The game carries a $69.99 price point ($79.99 for Deluxe Edition), reflecting modern pricing standards. This represents a substantial increase from the Nintendo DS era when series titles cost approximately half that amount. However, players generally accept this pricing given the extensive content and development investment. The successful launch follows Hollow Knight: Silksong’s recent release, making 2025 a rewarding year for patient gamers across multiple genres.
