Bleach is one of the greatest animes of our time spanning over 330+ episodes and counting. Bleach tells the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, who one day meets a soul reaper named Rukia. By crossing paths Ichigo himself becomes a shinigami or death god in English translation. But becoming a shinigami hasn’t been an easy task for Ichigo who has had to endure countless battles trying to protect his friends. Bleach also has had many game adaptations, with most of them being fighting games. Bleach Soul Resurrection takes a different path by being a hack and slash type game and in its own right it’s a great game but when you play it you’ll realize that something is indeed missing.
They main story of Soul Resurrection is when Ichigo travels to the world of the Arrancar so save Orihime Inoue who was kidnapped by Aizen. However the story is not all about Ichigo. As you proceed through the game, you will also use other Bleach characters from the Captains of the 13th Squad including Yoruichi. Each character will face the same Arrancar they faced in the anime. Soul Resurrection only gives you the main part of the story though as all other parts will be summarized by the same narrator who narrates the prelude of each Dragon Ball Z episode. With Soul Resurrection taking place during the Arrancar story arc, you will need to be up to date with Bleach. Watching only 50 episodes doesn’t make you a Bleach expert and you will probably be scratching your head like a monkey most of the time when names are tossed around in the story arc.
Soul Resurrection is a very basic game and there isn’t much room for exploration. Your main goal is to get through the stage, collect as much souls as you possibly can and face off an Arrancar if there is one at the end of the level. Some levels are longer than others and some can be completed in as little as 5 minutes if you use your power meter at the right time. The power meter fills up every time you slash an enemy or collect a power boost by smashing chained diamonds that are scattered throughout the level. This power meter gives your character an extra boost in power which depletes over time. Pressing the L2 again will unleash your characters final attack.
Most of the game besides a few required battles and the Boss battle, will allow you to just fly through the stage. You are not required to kill any enemies or gather any items. However rushing through the stage isn’t always the best strategy as you will not be able to collect any soul points, which you can use to upgrade your characters abilities and if you take damage, the Boss battle at the end of the stage will be even more challenging. There are also no checkpoints in the stages so if you die fighting a stage Boss, you will be returned to the beginning of the stage.
Each character handles differently and for the most part I enjoyed using all characters except for Soifon. On top of that each character will have their very own distinct abilities like that of the anime. Most of the characters are played with their Bankai forms so all their attacks will be based on the Bankai abilities. For example Byakuya will attack using his Senbonzakura using only his cherry blossoms instead of a physical sword.
Like stated before each character can be upgraded with different abilities as well as increase their overall health and power meters. Before the level begins you can go to the character upgrade screen and purchase upgrades with the soul points you collect through the levels. While this is not a necessity, it can be helpful at times.
Graphically I would say that Soul Resurrection is Bleach in 3D. The animation is very smooth and all characters mimic their anime counterparts really well even when they have been defeated and fall to the ground. If anything, I believe that they could make many of the Arrancar episodes in 3D using the same models they used for Soul Resurrection. The game plays in 1080P and the special effects and graphics couldn’t have been better.
The game features both English and Japanese voice cast depending on what version of the anime you enjoy the most. I do wish some of the Japanese sountrack used in the anime were included in the game though but sadly it’s not.
Besides story mode there is also mission mode in which you can play through different missions with any character based on the in game levels and Soul Attack which lets you submit your best score online and compare it with others. There are 21 characters in Soul Resurrection and the one mode I wish they would have added is a VS mode in which you can fight against any of the 21 characters or even online in a one on one match. Who knows maybe this is a DLC which might come in the future but as of now there isn’t one.
With Story, Mission and Soul Attack you will get no more than 5 hours of gameplay in Soul Resurrection. Besides the cool looking combos and well done character animations, there really isn’t anything to go back to in Soul Resurrection.
Verdict: Buy
Bleach Soul Resurrection is a great hack and slash game with great graphics that bring the anime into a 3D world. While there aren’t many modes to keep you coming back, it’s always great to go back to and relive your favorite battles in the Arrancar story Arc. If you are a Bleach fan then you will definitely enjoy this game. I just wish they add a VS mode very soon.
GamePlay: Very fun and addicting hack and slash game based on the Bleach universe. Each character has their own fighting style and you can play with them in all levels in the Mission mode potion of the game. 8.5/10
Graphics: Smooth character animation and detail that bridges the gap between anime and video game. 9.5/10
Sound: American and Japanese voice actors are featured in this game as well as all the bleach power up sound effects. The soundtrack could be better but overall an enjoyable listening experience. 8/10
Story: Follows the Arrancar story arc but it’s mostly done through narration. 6/10
LifeSpan: There are 3 modes which will tire out real quick. I really do hope for a VS mode soon. 5/10
Total Score: 74/100
Not more than 5 hours playtime? I had 5 hours playtime when i was done with the story mode (on normalmode, no hardmodes done, only 1 episode with S-rank), and had 0 missions complete oO
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