In the world of anime and manga, there’s a well-known group called “The Big Three”, which refers to Shonen Jump’s three biggest properties of the early 2000s -One Piece,Naruto, andBleach. Each had a monumental impact on the worldwide popularity of anime and, despite two decades passing since their nickname-coining peak, they still stand as the medium’s most well-known and beloved stories that are still relevant today.
Despite my undying love for Narutoand respect for One Piece, Bleach has always been my blind spot. I’ve tried to get into the series several times and know the gist of what it’s about, but it never stuck with me. The main reason for this is the lack of games,with 2010’s surprisingly great Soul Resurreccionbeing the last proper go at things before moving over to mobile.
While Naruto had his time in the spotlight with Ultimate Ninja Stormand Luffy’s been in somegems like the Pirate Warriors series and Odyssey, Ichigo has been left in the dust without a true stand-out title to call his own. Thanks to a lovingly retold story, satisfying combat mechanics, and stylish presentation,Bleach: Rebirth of Soulshas finally given him the game he deserves, even if some wonkiness and repetition hold it back from truly reaching Bankai.
Rebirth Of Souls Made Me Fall In Love With Bleach
If, like me,you’ve never properly experienced Bleach outside of YouTube AMVs, I’ll give you averybasic rundown. The series, created by the legendary Tite Kubo, stars high-school student Ichigo Kurosaki, whose unique ability to see ghosts causes a run-in with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper tasked with slaying evil spirits called Hollows.
At the start, Ichigo takes her powers and becomes a Substitute Soul Reaper himself. And like any good shonen, he runs into increasingly powerful enemies, discovers a seemingly endless supply of transformations as he figures out his place in the world, and continues to fight no matter the odds to protect his friends, both human and Soul Reaper alike.
That’s barely scratching the surface of what Bleach is about without diving too far into spoilers or just telling you everything that happens in the series. All you really need to know is that Rebirth of Souls has a great understanding of what makes the series so beloved, such as its charming cast of characters and unique sense of style, and successfully adapts it with more detail than you’d expect from a genre that’s become known as the easy way out for anime games.
Bleach’s voice actors also do a killer job in Rebirth of Souls, with everyone giving it their all. Special props go to Johnny Yong Bosch, who does as great a job with Ichigo as he didDevil May Cry’s Nero.
A Story Mode That’s Shockingly In-Depth For An Arena Fighter
Despite only covering three of the series’ arcs, Rebirth of Souls’ 30-hour story mode covers a lot of narrative ground and does justice to almost every battle, character, and relationship with well-acted and often lengthy cutscenes. As someone who checked out after the first arc of the anime, Rebirth of Souls finally got me hooked on and obsessed with Shikai, Bankai, Hollowification, and, most importantly, my boy Toshiro Hitsugaya.
That’s mostly due to the foundational strength of Bleach’s story, but Rebirth of Souls does a great job adapting both its story and presentation, thanks to gorgeous visuals and aboppin soundtrack. Bleach’s iconic lanky designs are captured perfectly here, with the flashy menus and jazzy tracks place the overall vibe somewhere betweenPersona,Guilty Gear, and, of course, Bleach itself.
Some things drag the campaign down, such as the high number of cheap and stiff-looking cutscenes that look like they’ve been done inSparking Zero’s mission creator. Add to that a general lack of anything to do outside of watching cutscenes or battling, and the story sometimes feels like a slog, no matter how invested I was in Ichigo’s fate.
Rebirth of Souls has some interesting unlockable side missions called Side Stories, but they’ll still just have you either watching cutscenes or fighting.
“Strike Back!”
Rebirth of Souls may be a little lacking in variety, but that isn’t really a problem thanks to its unique and in-depth fighting mechanics. Considering it’s a 3D arena fighter, you might think Bleach plays like Ultimate Ninja Storm or Sparking Zero, but its thoughtful and slower-paced battles are actually more in line with 2D fighters.
Once you get past the barrage of in-game terms thrown at you and some initially clumsy controls, combat is easy to pick up and play, but hard to master. Each character has a range of basic attacks, combos, counters, vanishes (which feel incredible to pull off) and special moves, alongside a special transformation or two when things get tough.
Pretty much every character on the roster plays differently from one another thanks to their Zanpauktos (weapons) with unique traits. Ichigo and Toshiro’s fast-paced playstyles made them my mains, though.
What sets Rebirth of Souls apart from other fighters is how it handles its health bars, which I swear is more exciting than it sounds. Players have a number of lives per match, and once a health bar runs out, they can be knocked away for a finishing move that eliminates some of those lives. As you pull off more finishers and transform into stronger states (known as Bankai), more of those lives get wiped out at a time.
That might sound overly complicated, and it is a little, but it results in fights that look and feel cinematic, while never being a landslide, no matter your skill. Combine that with how tricky and unique each character is, and Rebirth of Souls always feels like a deadly game of tug and war, just like an anime fighter should.
Bleach: Rebirth of Souls has some uneven presentation and can get overly repetitive towards the end of its campaign, but its more thoughtful combat mechanics and commitment to doing the series’ story justice make it a strong first entry in what I hope is a new series. Whether you’re a seasoned Bankai user or a newcomer to the Soul Society like me, Rebirth of Souls is sure to show you why Bleach earned its place in The Big Three.
