Last September we told you about the third chapter of Inazuma Eleven, the Level 5 Football RPG that expands the world of Mark Evans and his companions with each release.
On February 14th, the young Japanese champions will return to the field again with the third version of the title: Inazuma Eleven 3 Ogre Attack (From now only Ogre ndGuido).
Ogre in the homeland was also released on DS, and was re-released last year in the collection Inazuma Eleven 123! the Legend of Mark Evans, which collects all six chapters released on the 3DS predecessor.
After playing Lightning Flash and Explosive Fire, there is nothing left to do but to lace up your shoes again and take the world championship field for the third time.
Japan against the World (Dejavù)
As in the two September versions, the Ogre plot takes place three months after the events of Inazuma Eleven 2, Mark and his friends are summoned by the coach Hillman for a very important event: the selections of the Football Frontier International.
The FFI is the world tournament in which the most promising under 15 players from all over the world compete against each other, and it is a golden opportunity to face new opponents and improve even more.
With a new coach, promising new players and old enemies become teammates, Raimon changes her name to Inazuma Japan and is ready to face the many opposing teams with the usual powerful special techniques.
Around the world tournament we find, as usual, some excellent subplots, followed by the mysteries that the guys of Level 5 will reveal game after game.
Being identical to Explosive Fire and Lightning Bolt, Ogre's plot is maniacally curated, in which each piece will fit together with the other and with the events of the previous episodes, revealing again how the narrative structure is the strong point of the series.
The only problem is encountered by those who have already seen the animated series and the film, and therefore will know all the events of the game.
The secondary plot, in fact, is based on the homonymous film in the series, tells the journey through time undertaken by Canon Evans, great-grandson of our Mark, who will arrive in the present to protect his great-grandfather from a team of very strong players, called Ogre. . The reasons for their hatred of Mark will be revealed as the FFI continues, until the inevitable decisive game.
As with the two previous versions, this variant of Inazuma Eleven 3 also has differences in the players to be recruited, in the secret teams and in little extras scattered around the game, but the basic plot remains the same as the previous cartridges.
Team that wins ...
It is good to clarify that Inazuma Eleven is a football themed RPG, in case there are still people unaware of how different it is from a normal football game (If RPGs are not for you we recommend the fun Inazuma Eleven Strikers for Wii, all-round soccer game).
Ogre re-proposes the same consolidated gameplay of the other episodes, alternating exploratory sections with real football matches, all completely on the touch screen using the 3DS stylus.
While in the exploratory phases we will be able to move our four champions also with the analog stick, in the casual challenges and in the encounters we will have to rely only on the stylus, moving the camera on the field with the lever, or with the keys for left-handed players.
As in any self-respecting RPG, even in Inazuma Eleven each character has his role and his statistics: we have goalkeepers, defenders, center-forward and attackers, each able to learn exclusive techniques (if they are key characters of the story) or two of the 350 special techniques available and common to all players.
The effectiveness of each technique is based as usual on the combination of the elements: the earth move will have more effect on the fire ones, the fire on the forest ones, the forest on the air that finally closes the cycle by doubling the power on the earth ones; to this is added the type of the character and obviously his statistics.
During the random challenges we will have to reach one of the four random objectives (scoring a goal without conceding, not conceding a goal, stealing the ball from the opponents and not being stolen) in four-on-four challenges. If we emerge as winners, we will get experience, money, passion points and charisma points (the former will be used to recover energy or to participate in training, while the latter will be used to sign famous players).
During the real matches we will find ourselves in command of all eleven players, and between offensive, defensive techniques and deadly shots we will have to win by scoring more goals than the opponent.
A fun addition to the games are group tactics, special techniques to be performed during the passes to take possession of the ball or keep control of it, all activated from the touch screen and obtainable by continuing in the main storyline.
Ultimately the technical side is identical to the other two versions, including the discrete ease of the title compared to the chapters for DS, the opponents are less aggressive, proving tougher only in the final stages and in friendlies.
… You don't change
Also in Ogre we find the welcome return of the lens blower and the contact map, already appreciated in previous chapters and the only way to create our dream team.
For those who have not played one of the other two versions, the new methods of engagement of this third chapter must be repeated: it may happen to obtain them after winning the random challenges, or through the distributor engagement, a typical Japanese gashapon car, in which we will find new companions willing to join our team.
However, the same defect of the other chapters should be emphasized. Although you can choose from 2200 graphically different players, those with unique and truly powerful special techniques are around 200 and, although there are a few rare ones from the ball dispenser, most of them are mostly obtainable via talent-blowing and map. of contacts.
Thanks to all these extra players, RPG fans will find their teeth to complete the player album, or to take on all the secret teams that this version also offers.
If you have met players in possession of one of the previous versions of Inazuma Eleven 3, you can challenge them via StreetPass or face them wirelessly regardless of the title.
Ogre vs Inazuma in 3D
From the graphic point of view Ogre is the same as the other two versions, the game engine is the same as in Lightning and Fire. The 2D models of the characters are more defined on the isometric bird's eye map, but this is certainly due to the transition from DS to 3DS.
The 3D effect is used again only during special techniques, the only moments of the game to appear on the upper screen. Each technique is pleasant thanks to the streoscopic 3D of the Nintendo console, but as in September, we expected a greater use of the feature.
Everything else, from the masterfully animated scenes to the actual gameplay will take place on the touch screen, leaving the top screen mostly black or filled with the game map.
The animated scenes are the true focus of the story and, being prior to the cartoon, they have darker shades, like those found in the Professor Layton series.
The voice acting is completely in Spanish, and keeps almost all the voice actors of the animated series, including Leonardo Graziano and Emanuela Pacotto.
As in every Level 5 game, also in Inazuma Eleven 3 we find a unique character design for each of the 2200 usable characters and for all those around. As in the previous chapters, it will happen to sign a player just because we like it aesthetically, despite the fact that for the statistics he is a nobody.
The music closes the roundup, presenting the main themes of the previous chapters, plus exclusive songs that are linked to the musical style of each nation faced by Inazuma Japan.
Verdict 7.5 / 10 Overtime for Raimon Comment In case you haven't played Lightning Flash and Explosive Fire, Ogre Attack is the best version of Inazuma Eleven 3, and we highly recommend it (as well as increasing the final rating by half a point) . The only contraindication to the purchase of Ogre occurs when one of the two previous versions of Inazuma Eleven 3 has been completed. The title is a continuous dejavù even for fans of the series and the only new parts are limited to the challenges against the players of Ogre. Pros and cons ✓ The best version of Inazuma Eleven 3
✓ Well characterized main characters
✓ Great animated scenes x Not recommended if you have completed other versions
x Use of 3D limited to special techniques
