When popular anime franchises make the move to videogames, the outcome isn’t always great. Anime games can feel repetitive, relying heavily on a franchise’s respective anime/manga for the game’s plot and progression. Because of this, their games end up appealing mostly to their niche fanbase, instead of the larger gaming community. However, with the release of the trailer for Bandai-Namco’s Jump Force, we may be entering an exciting new era for anime games.
Anime meets Real World
Gritty, intense, and vibrant. Jump Force brings heroes and villains from the most influential anime franchises in a whole new light. Literally. Each character’s design has been upgraded to much more realistic and cinematic detail, matching the theme of the game. The maps are immersible, destructible, and beautiful. Scenic landscapes become upturned throughout the fight as you constantly dish out powerful attacks. Surprisingly, the three revealed maps during E3 all are based in the real world, in settings like the Swiss alps and New York.
Bust a Move
In Jump Force, battles are fierce and fast-pace, slowing dow only to let you savor those special moments. The fighting takes full use of the stages, moving around in a 3-D arena as opposed to a 2-D platform. The game’s less complicated approach to stacking combos and delivering specials makes it appealing to both casual and hardcore gamers. Fight style is also similar to games like Dragon Ball FighterZ, where players select 3 characters and use them during the battle. The interface is simple and swift, leavings players more freedom to switch out characters frequently throughout the fight.
Light and Dark
We know from the presentation that the plot focuses on these anime worlds merging with ours, but why is this happening? Post-trailer, Light Yagami appears with his shinigami looming over the New York skyline. Perhaps there are those among the anime realms that may have triggered this phenomena, and with dark intentions. People have speculated that the plot could have to do with villains from the various franchises joining forces to take over earth. Others suspect that there is an enemy yet to be seen that could be pitting the characters against each other.
Though no date has been confirmed, fans can expect the game to drop early 2019.
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