Bleach Rebirth of Souls review: Burst of energy

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It’s quite surprising that Bleach is making a comeback in 2025. I was in high school when “The Big Three” were dominating the charts and popular culture, and Bleach was one of them. However, while One Piece and Naruto continue to thrive in media and games, Bleach took a backseat years ago. Its anime concluded early in 2012, and since then, there have been no console video games (except for occasional crossovers) until now. After over a decade, Bleach is set to conclude its story with the Thousand-Year Blood War anime series, and a new fighting game called Bleach Rebirth of Souls is being released to accompany it.

In a nutshell, Rebirth of Souls, much like numerous anime-based games today, falls under the category of arena fighters. Admittedly, this genre has been overused and often disappointing (particularly when it’s not done well). However, its simplicity and arcade-style combat makes it accessible to casual players without being overwhelmed by hardcore fighting game enthusiasts, or FGC members. The vast open spaces allow for spectacular powers, flight, and other elements that might be challenging within the genre’s limitations. Titles like Naruto and Dragon Ball have demonstrated that fans are willing to attend, as long as the production value is maintained. Unfortunately, I’m not entirely convinced about the quality of Rebirth of Souls.

Weird way to treat a classic

Initially, the narrative part of this game seems to be incredibly time-consuming without providing much value in return. It’s disappointing because the voice actors have delivered exceptional performances, but unfortunately, the plot itself doesn’t match up. The storytelling is oddly structured, frequently jumping ahead in time without warning and sometimes abruptly transitioning into a flashback to clarify what was skipped. At other times, it simply moves forward without explaining the gap, which can be confusing.

One method through which we observe these events unfold is by using motion comic format, where carefully crafted manga illustrations dance to life with soft hues, highlighting the artwork as sketches, thereby imparting an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere.

An alternative approach involves utilizing in-game characters and their interactions to reenact pivotal scenes from the anime. However, these scenes may be marred by peculiar edits or sudden camera adjustments, as well as special effects used to hide actions that the models cannot perform effectively. This results in a strange, almost surreal experience that leaves the production feeling unpolished and incomplete. Furthermore, the pacing is painstakingly slow, making it feel like time is dragging on, much like my math classes in the past when I was watching Bleach.

Small boy swing big sword

Hey there! So, I understand you’re saying that although the Bleach game might have had an amazing opportunity for an intense story mode, it seems to be more focused on the fighting aspect, as suggested by its title. You also pointed out that the mechanics can be confusing at first due to the use of in-universe terminology, but the tutorial helps navigate through this complexity.

The game’s combat system is essentially rock-paper-scissors, but with a unique twist: it represents health and rounds using a mix of life bars and lives. It feels satisfying to move around the arena with your favorite character, performing combos and delivering finishing blows enhanced by small cutscenes.

Soon enough, it becomes apparent that the defensive strategies are rather feeble, the offensive moves lack flair and creativity, and characters with shorter reach or unique abilities (or who aren’t main characters) are at a disadvantage. Additionally, the mandatory cutscenes, which cannot be skipped, accumulate over time, making the game feel lengthy. Despite Rebirth of Souls having an impressive appearance, it turns out to be rather shallow and disorganized. Each match I played felt repetitive, even after studying more advanced players or searching for skilled opponents. There are options to “cancel” certain moves and employ a few other techniques to prolong combos, but ultimately, you’re just repeating a basic sequence of buttons numerous times. The damage scaling diminishes the impact of your efforts unless your goal is to indefinitely attack someone until they lose health.

Too much of the same thing

In the issue at hand, the rock-paper-scissors dynamic is a contributing factor, since adhering too strictly to this principle restricts whatever additional elements are built upon it. The goal essentially boils down to identifying an opening, dealing damage, and avoiding being outmaneuvered while both players engage in a game of predicting each other’s moves. Characters with extended reach or projectiles that can be combined for combos hold a significant edge, and many moves have unexpected characteristics that make it challenging to land hits on a counterattack, especially when punishing mistakes.

In my attempt to play as Yoruichi, a hand-to-hand combat specialist with a rushdown style, I found some issues arising. It can be challenging to stay nimble, dodge, and create space for intricate attack sequences against opponents who prefer large swords. The game’s system, which relies on guessing and punishing, reduces the effectiveness of pressure. Additionally, my age (to a certain extent) and carpal tunnel syndrome don’t allow me to fully enjoy online matches. However, I’ve noticed that the differences between matches, both against the CPU and human opponents, are minimal.

In a nutshell, Bleach Rebirth of Souls starts off strong with its flashy, dynamic user interface, energetic soundtrack, and action sequences that appear thrilling from a distance. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the game’s mechanics lack polish and balance, and the story mode exudes a low-budget feel that contradicts the excitement of the new anime. While the animations are impressive and there are some unique concepts, this isn’t the long-awaited comeback Bleach fans have anticipated for over ten years.

The action-packed game “Bleach Rebirth of Souls” is currently accessible on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S platforms. I received an Xbox code from the publisher for the purpose of conducting a review.

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2025-04-02 16:30