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Video games based on anime tend to get a rather lacklustre reception, mostly due to the same reasons as why tie-in games fail to capture audiences. Generally starting off with a low production budget and unable to add anything new to the canon, these games end up suffering in terms of story and gameplay.
Yet, among the swarm of video games released which are based on anime, there are a handful of gems that are commendable. While some of these games may have a completely new premise and original story, others might simply offer an extensive experience in the fictional anime world and its characters.
Spanning single-player campaigns, 1v1 battles, and large-scale worlds to explore, these video games based on anime deliver a variety of different experiences. Here then, are 5 such video games based on popular anime.
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Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.
5 anime inspired video games which are the best in the business
1. Attack On Titan 2
One of the more famous animes from recent times, Attack on Titan’s premise is set in a world where humanity must live in sheltered walled cities to live freely and away from the monstrous titans that roam the land. The protagonist of the anime, Eren Yeager, becomes a Titan himself and is the military’s primary weapon against attacking enemy titans.
While the anime saw its first video game adaptation do well, it still left a lot to be desired. These finer details were finally polished out in the second game, Attack on TItan 2 provided players the opportunity to create their very own character, which could interact with the rest of the anime’s cast.
This video game told the story of the first 50 chapters of the original manga, or the first two seasons of the anime. A DLC was released, adding stories from chapters 51-90 of the manga or the third season of the anime.
2. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm
Once one of the most popular anime series in existence, Naruto Shippuden followed the story from the previous show, Naruto, the adolescent young orphan who wants to be Hoakge. With a demon fox sealed inside himself and his best friend out to kill him, Naruto had one of the most intriguing character arcs in anime history.
The story of this boy, as well as the entire anime, has been entirely told in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, with players being able to play as characters from the anime in key moments of the story. These include Naruto and Sasuke, as well as some of the other fan favorites like Kakashi, Itachi, Minato & Hashirama Senju to name a few.
Aside from this single-player campaign, this series also includes a 1v1 versus mode where players can fight against a CPU controlled character, or each other, picking any character from the story. Each character has an assortment of jutsus and abilities available to use, with a unique fighting style and moveset.
3. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2
It is one thing to be a good video game, and another to be so successful that it is still alive with major updates coming in once every four months, 6 years after its release. No one would have thought that Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 would have lived this long, and even long time fans agree that it is well past its expiry date.
Featuring an original story, told around the events of the original Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball: Z anime, this game stars a new player created character, which worksThe the Time Patrol. This organisation monitors the various Dragon Ball timelines and sends members to correct any alterations, which is where the story starts.
Despite having a versus mode, it is largely ignored in favor of multiplayer raids, co-op missions and simple main campaign objectives. The player character can be from any of the main races featured in the manga and anime, and can learn nearly any move showcased in the media. They even have the option to become a pupil under one of their favorite characters, from Goku & Vegeta to even the likes of Krillin.
4. Jump Force
This video game is a dream come true for many readers of the Shonen Jump magazine, or audiences of the anime that are developed from these. Jump Force tells the story of an original event, which has many different worlds from the different Shonen Jump manga and anime series leaking into one another. This leads to various he from the different shows crossing paths.
Just some of the anime featured in this game are Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, One Piece (the big 4 anime of the last generation), Black Clover, My Hero Academia, Hunter x Hunter, Yu Yu Hakuso, amd more. While the overarching story is fine, and doesn’t really have all that much momentum, the versus mode is what makes this game one of the best anime experiences.
Seeing a match with Goku at one end and Naruto at the other might just be enough to give an anime lover a heart attack. With each character being faithful to their respective anime, players can gravitate towards what they might feel is the right fit. Along with DLC, the game offers more than 50 characters to choose from, hailing from various anime worlds.
5. One Piece Odyssey
This isn’t a game that is yet available at the time of this article’s publishing, but will soon be hitting the shelves, as it has a 2022 release window. One Piece Odyssey is an upcoming JRPG set in the world of One Piece, one of the most successful and longest running anime and manga series ever to grace Shonen Jump magazine.
The new video game is set to tell an original story set in the seas of the Grandline, with characters from the Straw Hat pirates as well as some new additions. Series creator Eiichiro Oda is taking a direct hand in this game’s development, with all new characters and plot points derived from him.
The video game has had two trailers so far, with an announcement trailer released in March 2022, as well as another debuting some new footage during the Summer of Gaming event in June 2022. With its JRPG tag, it is yet unsure how gameplay will take place, and if it will be traditional turn based, or more like the FF7 remake. It is however confirmed that the nine primary Straw Hat characters are playable.
