By Eric Curtis on May 10, 2014 at 9:53pm
"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle" is an anime fighting game. After a little over a year of waiting, it has finally arrived, and it is definitely bizarre.
Presentation
Right from the polished intro (complete with the crazy poses and awesome characters), this game is slick. The cell-shaded comic book look is executed with perfection, and all the characters look exactly like their anime counterparts. The game is narrated by different characters who didn't make it to the cast of playable characters - all little nods to fans of the show. Menus are simple and just as stylish as the rest of the game. Tutorials pop up on every single screen which can be a bit annoying; you can turn them off, and I recommend it. As you select your character, you are able to pick from colors, specified taunts, and different outfits. After completing your selections, be prepared for raging, intense battles with eye-popping colors. Combo numbers pop up in stylish fashion as the characters spout off their catchphrases and show off their unique move sets. The entire game is voiced in Japanese and subtitled in English - a style choice that I think all anime games should adopt, as it gives these games a more natural feel and helps them retain their soul.
Gameplay
The fights are in 3D areas but still have a 2D fighting game feel. It's a smooth, three-button fighter when you boil it down to its essence, but there is so much more going on. Environments have hazards that you can activate which must be dodged; however, these hazards can damage you as well as your opponent. You have a "Great Heart!" meter to manage that allows you to use your specials and super moves. Each and every character plays differently, and with so many characters on the roster, it's a treat to see them all in action.
There is a "Story Mode" that takes you through very brief sections of the show. Each part is separated and has roughly four or five fights per part. As you load into the fight, you receive several pages of individual paragraphs that do a poor job of telling the story. They mention characters that are not seen in-game, so they can be very confusing for those new to the series, particularly because the mentions are so brief. Fans of the series should be able to follow these sections easily, but this can take players out of the experience by making them read significant amounts of text. Unfortunately, this mode is the only way to unlock all the characters. You also have your standard “Arcade” and “Versus” modes, which allow you to earn gold. You can use that hard-earned gold to unlock Extras, Artwork and 3D Model galleries. You will more than likely have a ton of it if you just play through the story, so if you like unlocking all the art and cool stuff (like me!), you won't have too hard of a time.
There is also a mode called "Campaign," but it's not your standard fare. “Campaign” mode requires you to download some free DLC before you can use it, but it's pretty cool. You will play random avatars of other players from time to time and earn different rewards with each battle. These are fun and can be very challenging. These avatars are AI created from watching other players as they play through the game. You can select what character you want your avatar to be and then just play. Each time you select “Campaign” mode, it will display your avatar's most recent wins and losses. While this is a really cool feature, what Campaign is really about is the occasionally run-in with a "Boss Character".
Finding and beating bosses unlocks customized taunts and outfits for each character. It seems a little strange at first, but once you realize they aren't charging you for aesthetic upgrades, you find it fun to see what you're going to get. Each boss has an overall power bar which you have to spend "Charges" of a battery before the battle to do damage to their main life bar. The charges also have a cool down of two real-time minutes a piece, which is where micro-transactions come into play for the impatient. If you so choose, you can pay small amounts to refill this bar instantly or pay a large sum so that it never depletes. If you have a little more patience, you can just go play other parts of the game until the battery refills. The game is so engaging that many times when I'd go back to check the battery, it was completely refilled.
The fights themselves are intense once you're used to the system. At the start, they can seem a little slow and sluggish, but it picks up the more you play. You have a "Heart Gauge" that you will fill through various ways during combat. This gauge controls your supers and what you can do in battle. Of course, you beat up your opponent until he is KO'd, and with so many different types of characters, battles are always interesting and fun.
Online
Most fighting games get their replay value from the online matches and the ability to play other players online. Where the "Campaign Mode" and the "Avatars" are neat, it's not like the real one-on-one matches you can have. Sadly, this is “JoJo's” biggest flaw. Online matches are 100 percent unplayable. Button presses lag about 10 to 12 seconds. You constantly get a "Connecting" screen in the middle of matches. It's inexcusable that this is so bad. I just hope this gets patched and fixed very soon. More Campaign DLC and Character DLC is coming, so at least there are things to look forward to with the online content.
Sound
This game has an amazing soundtrack. The music is always interesting and just fits perfectly with everything that happens. The Japanese voice actors are outstanding as well, nailing classic lines and hilarious dialogues perfectly. Easily the most polished sound of any game I've come across in quite some time.
Conclusion
"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle" is an outstanding fighting game with not very many flaws to speak of. It's definitely a game that only true fans will purchase as it's a sloppy love letter to them. Others might purchase it just out of general love for anime, but the majority of sales will be from the fans. The only things dragging the score down is the horrible online and the boring "Story" mode. If you love fighting games and you love “JoJo's Bizarre Adventure,” this game is a must buy! If that's you, go buy this game now, and “ORA ORA ORA!” to your hearts content.
