Review
Release Date: 10.09.2007
Platform:
Nintendo DSDeveloper:
TreasurePublisher:
Sega of America, Inc.Reviewed by
Mikey Dowling on 2.24.2008
| Review Rating: 8/10 | User Rating: 8.5/10 |
The
Bleach anime is action intensive, so it's no surprise that fighting games would be produced from the license. The only problem is hoping that the games would be worth a fan’s time. Well,
Sega and
Treasure have made one DS fighter that shouldn’t be missed by not only fans of the show, but also fans of fighters looking for a piece of portable fighting glory in
Bleach: Blade of Fate.
Treasure has proven that they can do more than shooters by making a completely competent fighting engine. Reminiscent of
Guilty Gear X’s style of play, you’ll battle on a 2D plane where you can switch between the foreground and background with a press of the L button (a gameplay measure that comes in handy during 4-player matches). The match start-ups are a throwback to
Marvel vs. Capcom as you’re able to move your character around before the fight begins.
As for how the game actually plays… it’s quite impressive. Each of the characters feel balanced (although nearly everyone has a move that can be exploited toward their favor) yet with the expansive roster of fighters (29 total) anyone will be able to find a character that fits their style of fighting. With such a high amount of selectable characters you’d think that some would be palette swaps. Amazingly, however, there is only really one palette swap and two joke characters. There is a great variety stored on that little DS cart.
Along with a great fighting system, the developers have tossed in a gameplay mechanic that adds a little spice to the mix. And oddly enough, it's found in cards. You’re given cards at the start of the every match (10 total, 2 at a time) that will either affect the person you’re fighting or help to boost yourself up. Through the game's story mode you’ll be able to unlock and buy cards that suit your playing style, then you can go to the deck construction area on the main menu and fix up your deck.
You won’t always use the cards, but they will certainly get you out of some tight spots in some matches.
Bleach: Blade of Fate is also loaded with play modes, including - but not limited to - an
expansive training mode, a highly robust story mode, and arcade, time attack, survival, and versus modes. Yet the most fun can be found in the online mode. Yes, there are friend codes (and that’s the most reliable way to find a match), but you’re also able to connect to any open matches that are available. The only downfall is that the majority of
Bleach players… are in Japan. And they’ve moved on to the second
Bleach game already. So finding matches is a bit rough, but fun when it happens.
Along with a “great when its working, sad when its not,” online mode, the main complaint comes in the story mode. The first story follows Ichigo’s path to rescue Rukia but is hampered down by odd requirements like, “Beat me with
Maximum Spirit Energy or
Other.” No joke, they actually say to do “Other,” but they never tell you what that is. It wouldn’t be so bad, but beating an enemy one way will open one route, while beating him/her the other way will open another route. In order to finish Ichigo’s story mode and start to open the rest of the game, you must complete all routes. If you don’t do something like “Other,” you’re forced to fight the same matches until the game just pushes you forward automatically, never telling you what “Other” really was.
Even with a story mode that needs some working on in terms of clarity, and a few glaring omissions from the roster (where’s Ikkaku, Matsumoto, Yumichika, and Hisagi?),
Bleach: Blade of Fate is still one of the best handheld fighters available.
Bleach fans will only be left with wanting more characters (which the sequel promises), and fighter fans shouldn’t look away just because it's an anime title. Though,
Bleach fans who want more of their favorite characters to use and are thinking of waiting for the sequel probably shouldn't. Considering the localization time for
Blade of Fate (and considering that the American broadcast version isn't anywhere near the storyline that the sequel holds) the next installment is quite a way off, and this game is here now! So all is well.
