Best Upcoming Anime Games of 2019
Kill la Kill: The Game
If anything should excite you for the Kill la Kill game, it’s the stellar job that Arc System Works did with Dragon Ball FighterZ. The studio clearly has a talent for adapting anime into video games, and Kill la Kill takes very much the same approach as FighterZ, even though it plays differently.
Kill la Kill: The Game is an arena fighter with simple controls, letting you unleash massive combos with easy button presses. A gorgeous cel-shaded art style makes Kill la Kill look almost exactly like its anime counterpart, and adds some serious visual flair to the character’s crazy attacks.
Arc System Works has an increasingly stellar track record, and Kill la Kill looks like it could be another impressive adaption from them. With fluid animation, over-the-top action, and easy to use combos, by all indications it could be another fun fighting game.
Best Upcoming Anime Games of 2019
One Piece: World Seeker
One Piece is no stranger to the video game realm, but World Seeker looks like it’s on an entirely new level for One Piece games. World Seekers tells an entirely new story, set on Jail Island in the New World. The entire Straw Hat crew will appear in the game, along with a host of returning and new characters.
The interesting thing about World Seeker is that it’s a massive open-world game that lets you play from Luffy’s perspective. Traversal mechanics play a role in getting around the island, and Luffy will have access to all of his Gum Gum abilities. It won’t all be brawling, however, as you’ll also be able to use stealth and sneaking to get around certain areas and take out enemies.
One Piece: World Seeker looks like the most ambitious game the series has seen yet, and it’s rare to see an anime game aim so high, both in terms of telling an original story and going for a true AAA open world experience. We’ll have to wait until release to see how it all pans out, but you can’t short World Seeker for its ambition.
Best Upcoming Anime Games of 2019
Digimon Survive
Digimon is another series that isn’t a stranger to video game adaptions, but just like World Seeker, Digimon Survive looks like something very different for Digimon. The game follows a teenager named Takuma Momotsuka and a group of others, as they become stranded in a parallel world during a camp picnic.
Digimon Survive is a strategy RPG that has you controlling different Digimon in battle. What really sounds interesting about the game, however, is its choice-based narrative. Survive has a branching narrative and multiple endings, and the choices you make can even result in certain characters dying.
It all sounds much darker than your typical Digimon story, but that’s exactly what makes it so exciting. Cyber Sleuth helped breathe new life into Digimon games, and hopefully Survive manages to do the same thing once again.
Best Upcoming Anime Games of 2019
Jump Force
Jump Force is basically the Super Smash Bros of anime games, bringing together iconic characters from across Shonen Jump history. The massive roster consists of characters like Goku from Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Deku from My Hero Academia, Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, Asta from Black Clover, and much more.
Jump Force transports all these heroes and villains to the real world, combining the anime and manga worlds with iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or Times Square. In terms of gameplay, Jump Force plays quite similarly to games like Dragonball Xenoverse. Combos are flashy and easy to pull off, and each character has some kind of transformation that significantly bumps up their power.
Jump Force features an original story and even new original characters designed by Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball. During our hands-on time with the game, we found its combat to be a little too simple and floaty, but hopefully, this is something Bandai Namco can figure out before launch. The impressive roster alone, however, is reason enough for any anime fan to take an interest.
Best Upcoming Anime Games of 2019
Pokemon Generation 8
There are few series out there that inspire such fervent nostalgia as Pokemon. Multiple generations have grown up with Pokemon in their life, and now the franchise is ready to take its next step in video games. While 2018’s Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee were nostalgia-fueled remakes, 2019’s new Pokemon game promises to be a fresh experience.
There isn’t much we know about Pokemon Generation 8, unfortunately. However, Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of the Pokemon Company, has been vocal about the new game being more in line with what people expect from a new Pokemon game.
Apparently, the new title will feature quite a few new Pokemon, and the fact that Game Freak wants to have an even better year than they did in 2018 seems to be a good indication of things to come. Pokemon Let’s Go made some drastic changes, but in areas like presentation, it felt head and shoulders above past games. It’ ll certainly be interesting what big plans Game Freak has in store for the next generation.
Best Upcoming Anime Games of 2019
Steins;Gate Elite
You can’t get more literal with the definition of “anime game” than with Steins;Gate Elite. The new title is essentially a remake of the classic visual novel that, instead of using static screens, is fully animated. Elite uses animation from the anime series and also introduces entirely new animation for routes that weren’t covered in the adaption.
The core story and gameplay of Steins;Gate Elite will remain the same, however. It’s still a visual novel that uses some light puzzle-solving elements and choices. Players will once again follow the story of Okabe Rintaro as he accidentally discovers the secret to time travel, and the dangers that lie within it.
Steins;Gate Elite is a neat idea that looks like it could bring a fresh perspective onto the classic story. There’s plenty of reasons for fans to jump in with the new animated experience, and it’s a great way for newcomers to discover the interactive story.
Best Upcoming Anime Games of 2019
Granblue Fantasy: Relink
Granblue Fantasy is one of the biggest phenomenona mobile gaming has ever seen, popular the world over. Now Cygames’ property is finally making the leap to consoles in 2019, with an ambitious full-scale RPG co-developed by Platinum Games.
The masters of action games, Platinum brings their expertise to Granblue Fantasy: Relink with a fast-paced action-RPG, realized in a gorgeous art style that helps bring the mobile game’s art alive. Multiple playable characters who will each sport a different style, and the game will feature 4-player co-op, allowing you to traverse each area with friends.
Relink takes place in the same world as the original game, although in a different part of the world. Certain familiar characters will pop up, however.
Granblue Fantasy has exploded into popularity as a series, and now with multiple titles and an anime series under its belt, any fan of JRPGs or anime-style games should be excited to see where Relink goes.
Best Upcoming Anime Games of 2019
Tokyo Ghoul: re Call to Exist
Tokyo Ghoul is one of the standout horror animes of recent years, but somehow Call to Exist is the first video game to make its way west. The game features both Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul: re, and has quite an interesting setup that fits the series in general.
Call to Exist is a 4-vs-4 arena brawler, pitting one team of Ghouls against a team of Investigators. The series’ trademark gore and violence is, of course, present and each side will have a number of character types to choose from.
Having a more strategic combat system definitely fits with the overall vibe of Tokyo Ghoul, and graphically Call to Exist does a great job of representing its anime counterpart. Anime brawlers have a history of being a mixed bag, but hopefully Call to Exist will manage to fall on the better side of things.
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