In 2001, the manga Bleach hit store shelves in Japan and the rest of the world. It became a worldwide success before being adapted into a successful anime in 2004. The action-packed sword-slashing franchise has a history in video games dating back to 2006.

With a wide range of weapon-wielding warriors with supernatural abilities, it has all the makings to be a successful fighting game. It has had its fair share over the past two decades but hasn’t had one that stood out from the big fighting game franchises that helped define the genre. Its latest game, BLEACH Rebirth of Souls, could finally be that game and is now hacking away on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4|5 and PC.

The plot of the latest video game adaptation is a retelling of the anime, allowing players to relive most of the major story arcs and place them in the battles themselves. In Story Mode, players take control of the lead character, Ichigo, from his rise as a Soul Reaper in the Substitute Soul Reaper Arc to the climactic battle against Sosuke Aizen in the Arrancar Arc. Bleach fans are in for a treat as it will take approximately 25 hours to complete Story Mode, and even though certain story arcs were left out, there is still so much to enjoy and relive the epic story of Bleach.

There is a Secret Story Mode for fans who want to play as a particular character and explore more of their specific lore. In a way, this also acts as an arcade mode since they each go for around 20 minutes and have a few battles. There are far more cutscenes than battles to participate in, which, of course, isn’t an issue for any Bleach fan, but a traditional arcade mode would’ve been nice.

As a fighting game, this is easily its best yet. All the other Bleach fighting games that have come before aren’t entirely bad, but they’re also not that special and just get shuffled together. The same goes for any fighting game based on an anime or pre-existing IP. The only one that managed to break out of that shell was Dragon Ball FighterZ in 2018. It had unique fighting mechanics unlike anything else and stayed true to the franchise, making it a real love letter to the fans and building a dedicated community. BLEACH Rebirth of Souls brings unique mechanics that could help set it apart from other games in the fighting genre.

The matches are 1v1, with over 30 Bleach characters to choose from. It’s simple to pick up and play, but mastering it can be difficult. It’s well worth it if you’re willing to put in the time. Players will have all the usual commands, such as light and heavy attacks, blocks and counters, combos, and a wide array of special moves. One of its unique features is the Fighting Spirit meter which gets filled as the battles progress. When activated, players will enter an Awakening State, which boosts their stats and unlock new moves, adding an extra layer of strategy that can turn the tide of battle.

All the moves you can perform accurately reflect each character as seen in the anime and feel incredibly satisfying, putting you in the shoes, or in this case, sandals of your chosen character. Unfortunately, it isn’t the most balanced game at the moment, with certain characters having major advantages over others. Hopefully, the balancing can be tweaked via patch updates to create an even playing field.

These days, fighting games thrive on online play, and the latest Bleach fighter needs a dedicated online community with plenty of opponents to match up with. In my personal experience, it has been hit-and-miss. Occasionally, finding an opponent can take a little while; other times, it’s only a matter of seconds.

For the most part, the matches themselves felt great with barely any lag, even without rollback netcode, which is a must for any fighting game. Only time will tell if the online community can remain strong, but one thing that will be a huge detriment is the lack of cross-play, so you’ll only be able to match up with opponents on the same console.

The game utilises cel-shaded graphics to stay true to the series’ flashy anime art style and animation. Whether playing the game or watching the cutscenes, it almost feels like you’re watching a full 3D recreation of the anime, pleasing the souls of any Bleach. All the dialogue throughout the game is fully voiced in Japanese and English, with many of the original voice actors reprising their roles. The soundtrack features various rocking tunes that fit perfectly with the epic battles unfolding on screen.

It’s clear to see that this game was made for diehard fans, but those unfamiliar with the series can still find plenty to enjoy in this game. If the online community can stay strong, plenty of exciting battles will be ahead. For those who prefer a single-player experience, there is loads of content in Story Mode alone, with more than 20 hours to get through and extra lore for individual characters in Secret Story Mode. Bleach fans can relive their favourite moments and even get in the action themselves, but newcomers can also use this as an introduction to the series.

The latest game adaptation of Bleach is a solid entry for the franchise and as a fighting game. Whether it will stand the test of time remains to be seen, but the potential is there, and it has a solid base that can be built upon for updates and future games. BLEACH Rebirth of Souls is a real love letter to the manga, the anime and most importantly, the fans.

Written by: Sammy Hanson