Anime and games, much like two worlds colliding to create something rather beautiful. Of course, there are successes and there are failures when it comes to creating a game out of an existing anime. You never really know if the game could encapsulate the essence of the anime and if it is going to have a unique gameplay or a stale overdone gaming style. That aside, let’s have a look at some of the slightly anticipated anime based games set for release in 2020.
Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail has garnered a large devoted fan base over the last couple of years and is set to release a RPG multiplatform game on July 30th 2020, that is if there are no further delays yet again.
The gameplay will feature the original characters from the anime with skins and customizable aspects to make it more appealing to its fanbase. Aside from that, the gameplay would include the three most popular arcs from the franchise which are: Tenerou Island, Grand Magic Games and Tartarus.
Of course, there would be some unannounced arcs and multiple original stories created specifically for the game as well as some side missions to be completed. There will be 10 playable characters and you deepen your bonds by placing characters in your faction and completing quests together.
In terms of upgrades, these can be done through fulfilling the requests made by the townspeople in the game. The battles within this game are command based, so you can plan your techniques as you play - who your target is, what magic to use, etc. It is estimated to have around 30 hours of gameplay. Fairy Tail will be available on PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4
There is not one person who has dabbled in anime that does not know the famous title of One Piece, or this skinny boy with a straw hat running around on a pirate’s ship. In fact, there’s literally a theme park dedicated to it in Tokyo.
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 was released on the 26th of March 2020 for PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC; and has garnered a rather positive review amongst it’s gaming fans. In terms of gameplay, this game boasts 40 playable original characters from the anime and six main story arcs: Alabasta, Enies Lobby, the Paramount War, Dressrosa, Whole Cake Island and a messy quick put together of the Wano arc which exists to give an ending to the game as the original Wano arc is not finished just yet.
In an attempt to please their fans, the game has managed to squeeze 900 episodes worth of anime plot into a single 15 hour campaign which were voiced by the original Japanese cast. The story consists of recreated scenes from the show, still imagery and narration - there is even a CG of One Piece’s biggest moments which really gets your heart pumping with adrenaline, what a rush!
In its entirety, this is a musou game, so pressing a few buttons (and perhaps even button mashing) would lead to powerful actions that could send your enemies flying. Relating to that, the publishers have instilled the utilization of air combos for all the characters, so you could really send them flying.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris follows the events of the Sword Art Online Alicization anime series where Kirito - the main character, finds himself in Underworld, a world where A.I.s behave like humans.
There are new playable characters within the game which were adapted from the anime like Renly Synthesis Twenty Seven, Sheyta Synthesis Twelve and Sortiliena Serlut. There is also a brand new original character named Hersyrian for you to have fun with. Black Knight, Kayode and Mysterious Giant are some of the enemies set to challenge you in the course of the game.
Aside from building relationships between characters and having the chance to date whoever you want, there are eight Sacred Arts that you can master: Heat, Ice, Wind, Water, Crystal, Steel, Light and Darkness. All this is as seen in the light novels and anime.
To keep you interested, Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is set to have free updates, SAO coins and the implementation of a CUBE system which would help players win in-game costumes, accessories, skins and more.The game is set for release on the 10th of July for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Released on January 16th on PS4, Xbox One and PC, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a well received game amongst its gaming fans. Probably because this version of the game is the most comprehensive and story based amongst the previously released Dragon Ball Z game adaptations.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a rather interesting mix between a free roaming RPG game and an arena fighting game. The arena fighting aspect of it shines through when the combat scenes are triggered. The combat is rather simple, there are one button combos and four special moves you can try out but most of your enemies would usually have absorb-strikes based attacks that could leave you stunned if you are caught unaware.
There are two key meters to keep an eye on in this game. The Ki meter dictates your special move usage, ability to vanish and reappear closer to the opponent, super dash ability, ability to knock your opponent off with a burst of energy and the various transformations entailed with the character - including going Super Saiyan. The tension gauge which fills up during a fight could activate a Surge mode when full. This mode allows you to string together some special moves back to back which inflicts rather massive damage to your opponent - as long as you have enough Ki of course.
This is a single player game and can reach up to 30 hours of gameplay with the combination of rather mundane side quests for you to complete when you want to take a break from the main quest.
Digimon Survive
In conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Digimon anime, a new Digimon video game is created as a form of celebration. Digimon Survive is set to release on the 31st of December on PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.
This turn-based strategy RPG boasts an original adventure through a 3D world as a group of teenagers need to fight their way back home after getting lost on a camping trip. There will be monster battles and evolutions as well as a unique timeline which does not correlate to any of the other previously released Digimon titles. Some parts of the game plays out as a visual novel and the ending is dependent on the dialogue options and actions that you choose.
As this is a turn-based RPG game, during combat you’ll move your team across the battlefield and determine what actions they take against their enemies. Your characters will have abilities to digivolve or warp digivolve which is dependent on the character’s bonds with each other.
Familiar characters from the anime can be seen featured in the trailers and opening animations such as Takuma Momozuka, Aoi Shibuya and Minoru Hinata - you will be controlling Takuma and Agumon, the little monster you are partnered with. Aoi is partnered with Labramon and Minoru is partnered with Falcomon.
All in all, it is a good year for anime gamers everywhere. It’s fun to see these beloved titles being adapted into games and continuously loved in a different form. Can’t wait to see what other anime will have a game adaptation in the future.
Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail has garnered a large devoted fan base over the last couple of years and is set to release a RPG multiplatform game on July 30th 2020, that is if there are no further delays yet again.
The gameplay will feature the original characters from the anime with skins and customizable aspects to make it more appealing to its fanbase. Aside from that, the gameplay would include the three most popular arcs from the franchise which are: Tenerou Island, Grand Magic Games and Tartarus.
Of course, there would be some unannounced arcs and multiple original stories created specifically for the game as well as some side missions to be completed. There will be 10 playable characters and you deepen your bonds by placing characters in your faction and completing quests together.
In terms of upgrades, these can be done through fulfilling the requests made by the townspeople in the game. The battles within this game are command based, so you can plan your techniques as you play - who your target is, what magic to use, etc. It is estimated to have around 30 hours of gameplay. Fairy Tail will be available on PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4
There is not one person who has dabbled in anime that does not know the famous title of One Piece, or this skinny boy with a straw hat running around on a pirate’s ship. In fact, there’s literally a theme park dedicated to it in Tokyo.
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 was released on the 26th of March 2020 for PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC; and has garnered a rather positive review amongst it’s gaming fans. In terms of gameplay, this game boasts 40 playable original characters from the anime and six main story arcs: Alabasta, Enies Lobby, the Paramount War, Dressrosa, Whole Cake Island and a messy quick put together of the Wano arc which exists to give an ending to the game as the original Wano arc is not finished just yet.
In an attempt to please their fans, the game has managed to squeeze 900 episodes worth of anime plot into a single 15 hour campaign which were voiced by the original Japanese cast. The story consists of recreated scenes from the show, still imagery and narration - there is even a CG of One Piece’s biggest moments which really gets your heart pumping with adrenaline, what a rush!
In its entirety, this is a musou game, so pressing a few buttons (and perhaps even button mashing) would lead to powerful actions that could send your enemies flying. Relating to that, the publishers have instilled the utilization of air combos for all the characters, so you could really send them flying.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris follows the events of the Sword Art Online Alicization anime series where Kirito - the main character, finds himself in Underworld, a world where A.I.s behave like humans.
There are new playable characters within the game which were adapted from the anime like Renly Synthesis Twenty Seven, Sheyta Synthesis Twelve and Sortiliena Serlut. There is also a brand new original character named Hersyrian for you to have fun with. Black Knight, Kayode and Mysterious Giant are some of the enemies set to challenge you in the course of the game.
Aside from building relationships between characters and having the chance to date whoever you want, there are eight Sacred Arts that you can master: Heat, Ice, Wind, Water, Crystal, Steel, Light and Darkness. All this is as seen in the light novels and anime.
To keep you interested, Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is set to have free updates, SAO coins and the implementation of a CUBE system which would help players win in-game costumes, accessories, skins and more.The game is set for release on the 10th of July for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Released on January 16th on PS4, Xbox One and PC, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a well received game amongst its gaming fans. Probably because this version of the game is the most comprehensive and story based amongst the previously released Dragon Ball Z game adaptations.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a rather interesting mix between a free roaming RPG game and an arena fighting game. The arena fighting aspect of it shines through when the combat scenes are triggered. The combat is rather simple, there are one button combos and four special moves you can try out but most of your enemies would usually have absorb-strikes based attacks that could leave you stunned if you are caught unaware.
There are two key meters to keep an eye on in this game. The Ki meter dictates your special move usage, ability to vanish and reappear closer to the opponent, super dash ability, ability to knock your opponent off with a burst of energy and the various transformations entailed with the character - including going Super Saiyan. The tension gauge which fills up during a fight could activate a Surge mode when full. This mode allows you to string together some special moves back to back which inflicts rather massive damage to your opponent - as long as you have enough Ki of course.
This is a single player game and can reach up to 30 hours of gameplay with the combination of rather mundane side quests for you to complete when you want to take a break from the main quest.
Digimon Survive
In conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Digimon anime, a new Digimon video game is created as a form of celebration. Digimon Survive is set to release on the 31st of December on PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.
This turn-based strategy RPG boasts an original adventure through a 3D world as a group of teenagers need to fight their way back home after getting lost on a camping trip. There will be monster battles and evolutions as well as a unique timeline which does not correlate to any of the other previously released Digimon titles. Some parts of the game plays out as a visual novel and the ending is dependent on the dialogue options and actions that you choose.
As this is a turn-based RPG game, during combat you’ll move your team across the battlefield and determine what actions they take against their enemies. Your characters will have abilities to digivolve or warp digivolve which is dependent on the character’s bonds with each other.
Familiar characters from the anime can be seen featured in the trailers and opening animations such as Takuma Momozuka, Aoi Shibuya and Minoru Hinata - you will be controlling Takuma and Agumon, the little monster you are partnered with. Aoi is partnered with Labramon and Minoru is partnered with Falcomon.
All in all, it is a good year for anime gamers everywhere. It’s fun to see these beloved titles being adapted into games and continuously loved in a different form. Can’t wait to see what other anime will have a game adaptation in the future.
