Jump Force review: Shonen Jump's 50th anniversary celebration is a disaster

Shonen Jump, one of the nearly iconic manga publications out there, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this twelvemonth, and Bandai Namco was tasked with making the ultimate game to celebrate. That game is Jump Force, an anime mashup featuring characters from all your favorite Weekly Shonen Leap series.

It seems easy. Some of the nearly iconic manga of all time —Naruto, Dragon Brawl, One Slice, My Hero Academia, Hunter x Hunter, Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu Yu Hakusho, and more — are all represented hither. The source material is large and showy, so the game has to be big and showy. These are fighting characters, and then the fighting gameplay is practically built in. With and so many bully characters and fanservice, all we needed was a decent game.

Jump Forcefulness is some of those things. Unfortunately, there's a lot to have result with when yous really outset to dig in and fans should be disappointed.

Insultingly Bad

Bound Force

$60

Bottom line: Everything about Jump Force screams shameless cash grab, and that's a shame because it easily could accept been a game changer.

Pros:

• Fluid, exciting gameplay that'south inviting for all players
• Cute fighting environments

Cons:

• Terrible story style features lifeless characters and text dialog.
• Weak roster
• Also many loading screens
• Lack of substance in online capabilities

This is one sorry celebration

Spring Force merely had to be competent, if nothing else. No ane was always expecting it to take EVO by storm or turn the world of fighting games on its head. We just wanted a skilful fighting game with all our favorite anime characters. How could information technology maybe go wrong?

I'll tell yous how: because this game isn't the celebration that Shonen Jump deserves. Information technology's more a shameless cash grab past Bandai Namco, who took what should have been a momentous occasion and decided to perverse it. It had the opportunity to create the terminal anime game we'd probably ever desire to play, but instead took a ton of shortcuts to blitz something out of the door.

The entire point of Jump Force is to go closer to the characters yous dear. It's hard to do that when they're presented in such a putrid light.

This neglect is credible all throughout the game, only it's most noticeable in Jump Force'southward easily forgettable story way. The plot is actually not half bad for a fighting game (it's not the main focus, after all), only the execution is doing it no favors. While there are moments of cheeky references strewn throughout every bit characters from entirely different worlds interact, they don't happen oftentimes enough for my liking. To make matters worse, most of the cutscenes are driven by text; the game doesn't offer fully voiced lines, and so a majority of these interactions don't fifty-fifty come up through in a natural fashion.

I was disappointed by the contents of the story in general. Information technology begins with you choosing to bring together ane of 3 teams, one each for the Naruto, Dragon Ball, and 1 Piece universes. These teams work together to stop common villainous enemies, all of it culminating in an epic last showdown. It's not the most terrible alibi to gear up glorified exhibition matches, but no ane is going to be talking virtually how masterful Jump Force's story is years from at present.

Even a weak story tin can work with the right cast and characters, just I experience the brawl was dropped hither likewise. Jump Force gets all the obvious names in, but other questionable choices make its twoscore-count roster feel less exciting than information technology should be. We needed either more character slots (they wasted two slots on original characters that were made specifically for story manner) or better character choices.

While strong, Naruto's Kaguya is one of the to the lowest degree relevant characters in her serial. That slot could accept hands been awarded to someone similar Jiraiya or Tsunade, or possibly a villain like Orochimaru. In the realm of Dragon Ball, Cell could take been sacrificed for a more than heady option like Android 17. Also, if Light Yagami and Ryuk of Expiry Note fame are eligible for this supposed commemoration, why didn't we get any characters from Death Note — ane of the best and nigh popular titles in anime — in playable form? And why couldn't we get more cameos from others who were snubbed?

You tin can argue against a bigger roster size as it allowed Bandai to craft each character with more intendance (which comes through in the gameplay section, more on that later on), and that'due south a fine tradeoff. Yet, there's no inherent excuse for overall poor character choices. The result is a top-heavy list of names that just tumbles off a cliff.

And that's not considering the myriad technical issues I encountered. The dialog is carried out in cutscenes where characters are and then potent that they sometimes seem devoid of life. Rarely do they move, and if they practice, information technology can expect robotic.

Facial animations are largely rock common cold. They bring back horrid memories of pre-patched Mass Effect Andromeda with bad-mannered expressions that don't fit the context of the situations. Characters audio far more than passionate than they announced, a nice point for the fantabulous Japanese voice actors who lent their talent for the game, but not conducive to the end goal of providing content that's really enjoyable to play (speaking of which, there was no English language localization for voiced lines whatsoever, so if you can't understand Japanese then expect to do a lot of reading).

Here is where I would normally forgive Jump Force'due south story mode for being a tacked-on reconsideration that wasn't actually expected to deliver something breathtaking in the first place (especially since many games in this genre don't fifty-fifty opt for full character models in cutscenes), but that's a stance I'thou not willing to have.

The entire point of Jump Strength is to get closer to all the characters you know and love, and information technology's kind of hard to exercise that when they're presented in such a putrid light. I'm as well of the general opinion that if it's in the game, it should feel complete, and this isn't that.

Leap Force is much meliorate when information technology'south time to fight

Things aren't as bad when you're not forcing yourself to slog through a weak campaign. Leap Force is a much more respectable game if all y'all're interested in is the core fighting.

What we have hither is an arena-style combat experience on a 3D plane featuring strict teams of three. You can tag them in and out at will, or they tin can simply help you pull off bigger combos before heading back to the sidelines. Your teammates share all resource meters, so the game becomes less about shuffling and juggling and more than about dodging incoming harm.

As with many of Bandai'southward mainstream anime titles these days, Leap Force features a simplistic fighting engine with but a handful of button combinations used to pull off all your moves, and the control scheme is the same for each and every character in the game.

This can be good and bad. It makes it like shooting fish in a barrel for new or bottom players to pick upwardly and play, and it fifty-fifty gives them hope that they can beat some of the tougher fighters. On the flip side, more than experienced fighting game players may eventually principal the fighters too soon as if y'all've played them once, you've kind of played them all.

That said, there is gameplay nuance that'll satisfy more serious players. There are stamina and energy bars to maintain, both of which dictate the stuff you tin exercise in boxing. You lot can't charge at your opponent without stamina and you can't pull off crazy looking combos without a lot of energy. Well-timed tag team attacks hit harder and go along your opponent guessing. An embarrassment of motility capabilities allow you chase opponents down or seek prophylactic from devastating attacks. Counter attacks give you a clean style to open your enemy upwards to impairment while stopping the avalanche of their own.

I as well similar how the teambuilding aspect of Spring Force works and I feel this will exist one of the deepest areas for hardcore players to key in on. You tin can merely cycle through your teammates in a specific order (that the player sets before each match), so yous can set your team up so that the next fighter in line volition synergize better with whoever is currently in the fight. This edge isn't overwhelmingly stiff, so information technology'southward perfectly fine for the more casual players to build their teams based on personal taste.

I too like that the characters maintain their own feel level, have unique strengths and resistances, and even offer different attack damage and health stats. This adds incentive to really become to know your preferred teammates, as the more yous play with them the more than capable they are. They tin also be propped upwardly with temporary power-up consumables and permanent upgrades on an individual basis.

It's not perfect, but Leap Strength feels very good to play.

Characters have slightly different fighting styles, with the range being 1 of the most prevalent differentiators. I found it helpful to employ remainder when making my teams, with a typical trio of melee criminal offence, ranged offense, and utility helping you encompass your weaknesses while amplifying your strengths. The classic fighting game trope of quick moves hit softer than slower ones is alive and well in Jump Forcefulness, then the game rewards you for trying all the different characters and finding the perfect 1 for you.

If y'all're not happy with some of the characters available to you, Jump Strength gives y'all the pick of creating your own. Customization options felt a chip limited for anatomy options, and vesture wasn't much better, only you lot can buy more than items from the in-game shops. Thankfully, there are some diverse hair and facial options available, and so you may exist able to create some of those characters you wish were in the game. I've already seen a Saitama (One Punch Homo) and Sakura (Naruto) running effectually the shared online hub.

The game is more rigid when it comes to fighting fashion options for your custom characters. Y'all get iii basic styles, and while y'all tin customize all four of your special abilities, you lot tin can but use abilities that the characters in the game are already hogging. It's better than nothing, just at that place's definite room for comeback here.

Jump Force as well rewards you by beingness a beautiful game in general. Story mode grievances aside, the presentation in-fight is very slick. Characters are presented with a 3D art style that uses strong contrast and shadows to make them stand up out. I was a bit skeptical nearly the developer's ability to settle on a style that makes each fighter look natural, peculiarly since drawing and animation styles tin differ wildly from one anime to the next.

I'm glad to say those fears are unwarranted. No one, in particular, stands out like a sore thumb, and that'south more than important than staying true to original depictions. My just complaint is that we didn't fifty-fifty become any alternating costumes for the anime characters, something I observe to exist unforgivable in a game similar this.

More than just the character models, the animations and special effects you lot come across when attacks and special moves are performed conspicuously got about of the development try. There's cipher quite similar seeing Naruto's massive demon course when he hits his Ultimate Awakening, and a well-placed Kamehameha ever jerks that bit of nostalgia out of me. These are the things you play this kind of game for, and they nailed information technology.

The stages you fight in are characters all on their own. Spring Force is pretty. Environments are lush and rich in detail; water reflections look really refreshing; smoke and droppings float beyond the screen to add depth and substance to the urban scenes. Merely when you thought you had plenty sightseeing, you can break the stages with certain moves to become to an entirely new area. Anime and huge set-piece battles go together like cheese on popcorn, and that's i affair Jump Strength does admittedly correct.

At that place are a couple of bug worth pointing out. You'll often become for a grab only for your fighter to completely whiff despite seemingly connecting with your opponent. More rarely, some special moves seem to connect fifty-fifty when the betoken of attack misses a fighter's hitbox, though this doesn't happen virtually equally often equally the failed grabs. Clipping and hitbox issues aren't uncommon in video games, merely they're only acceptable when they don't screw up major mechanics or offer unfair advantages.

Lastly, matches seem to have ages to complete. There were too many instances where the match was decided by the 99-second time limit instead of a knockout. We either needed custom timers or weaker health confined. Hopefully, these issues will be ironed out in a time to come update.

Leap Force is a one trick pony

Similar many other developers, Bandai Namco has go fond of these shared world hubs that go you to and from the game'due south various activities. It'south a place where you can walk around with your avatar and run across people going about their business equally they set up for the day'due south games. I've never been a big fan of these worlds as I experience they pad your gaming sessions with unnecessary navigation time. Sometimes, I merely desire to load the game up and jump right into a match using regular old menus.

The layout of the world is at to the lowest degree sensible in Jump Forcefulness. One central kiosk for online and offline battles means you'll never have to walk very far to become into your matches. The various stores and information desks are more scattered, but you lot can navigate to any station you want by bringing up the minimap. This is a nice compromise for gamers like me who tin't care to pretend they're immersed in these staging areas.

Fighting games accept spent this generation exploring new gameplay models and experimenting with additional ones to endeavor and draw more involvement from the casual public. Jump Force is not that game. It sticks to its guns equally a pure fighter, so if yous were hoping for some fun little side modes or a completely fresh have on the genre, await elsewhere.

This wouldn't be an automatic negative for Jump Force if other areas of the game showed a higher level of polish from extra development time and focus, only that's not the case. The game is frustratingly blank in your options for online play. Y'all tin play ranked or unranked head-to-head matches and, well, that'south literally it.

Glaring issues and omissions make information technology hard to enjoy Jump Force'southward excellent gameplay.

I tin can't say I wasn't disappointed at the lack of a lobby organization where you lot and all your friends can join in and have turns fighting while spectators wait their turn. In that location'due south non even a rematch button, with each player having to endure through even more of those loading screens to get in and out of battles.

Events are another piece of the Spring Force online puzzle. The entire structure of the game revolves around this team concept where yous're doing your part for your team — Blastoff, Beta, and Gamma for Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Naruto, respectively — to attempt and fight back against evildoers.

Events are supposed to promote squad pride, with those belonging to the nigh active team beingness entitled to rewards at the stop of short seasonal periods. Y'all're alerted every moment that you earn points toward this objective, only we don't know what the objective is, how long information technology lasts, or how much of a lead your squad has over others. It's kind of just… there, and not interesting at all. Heading to the events counter prompts a message letting yous know which team is winning, and that's all y'all become. It'southward designed to low-cal a burn down, inspire pride, or make me jealous, merely it fails at all of those things and I find myself not caring.

Jump Force Bottom line

Spring Force is disappointing. The cadre gameplay is there, only nigh everything else about this game is shamefully shallow. I would take forgiven information technology as the celebratory anniversary nowadays that Bandai Namco advertised it to be, but it doesn't fifty-fifty manage to do that correctly.

The story manner is awful, online is frustrating, and the roster could be much better. Information technology looks stunning visually, just worlds are supposed to be colliding and the characters don't always play upwards those circumstances in any meaningful way. And even the most impressive part of Leap Force — gameplay — is currently in need of fixes for some glaring bug that somehow fabricated their way past the quality balls department.

None of these issues are enough to bring a fighting game down on their own, but together they make for an excruciating exercise in patience, and I might have been able to discover that patience if the game at big had more to offer. Its hyper-focus on gameplay does it no favors in that regard. Look for a sharp discount if you lot must have it.

Anime Worlds Collide

Bound Force

All your favorite anime characters are here.

Jump Force brings dozens of Shonen Jump'due south nigh popular characters together for a massive anime showdown.

Quentyn reviewed Jump Force on an Xbox I 10 console using a copy provided by Bandai Namco.

Nosotros may earn a committee for purchases using our links. Learn more.

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