By “6 Best Anime Games to Start for Anime Fans of 2022”
Video Games are probably the only medium that has undergone so much change in a short time. In the early 2000s, if you wanted an excellent anime game, you had to play a JRPG or were stuck with crappy 3rd party licensed games. Which just retold the story over and over again, with no originality at all. Fast forward to the current day, anime fans are spoiled rotten with the plethora of games they have to choose from. Original games which help improve the story of the actual series.
There are so many choices that anime fans don’t know where to begin. To that end, this article will help you decide which game to start with. As the games mentioned are of a variety of genres.
- Dragon Ball FighterZ
After going through many different genres, Dragon Ball Z had not found a game format that complemented the series’ fast-paced action. Well, that was until Arc systems got a hold of a license to produce the best Dragon Ball game ever. This might seem like a bold statement, but this game truly captures the series’ essence. It is the quintessential 2D anime fighting game.
Arc systems have perfected the genre of fighting games to such a level that almost anything they make is included in the EVO fighting game tournament. This is due to the low level of entry and high skill ceiling. This system and Dragon Ball Z was a match made in heaven. The game features a new original story that does not conflict with the series and has a comprehensive roster of characters. This allows you to play from many iconic characters, and each has a unique move set that can be used in various ways by a beginner or a skilled player.
The animations are smooth, and the action is high-octane. You feel like a Dragon Ball Z character when fighting a good player or a higher-level AI. Blocking, Flying, using KI blasts, fighting, and going over the power level of 9000 are perfectly adapted from the anime. To see the system’s limits, you need only look at EVO’s talented competitors, where the best of the best duke it out. Only then can you see the absolute limits of the game, and who knows, if you keep at it, you might be the next one to win the EVO Dragon Ball FighterZ tournament.
- Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age
JRPGs have become synonymous with Turn-Based Combat, and the game series which genuinely made this trend mainstream was Dragon Quest. Using the art style of Akira Toriyama, the people at Square Enix have crafted a series that has become the most popular series in Japan. People might think that such a game series which has been relatively the same for three decades, would not work in the modern gaming landscape. But all those assumptions were shattered when in 2017, Square Enix released Dragon Quest 11, perfecting its predecessors’ formula and truly modernizing it without losing its identity. It now stands as the best Turn-based anime game.
Dragon Quest 11 will make the older anime fans nostalgic for the early 2000s and make the newer player base into long-term fans. This is due to the perfect mesh of traditional turn-based combat and the modernized graphics with several quality-of-life fixes. The story is as by the books as it comes, but it is in the execution where it truly shines. Characters are another thing the series is known for; in that regard, Dragon Quest 11 does not disappoint. All the characters are unique, have a flushed-out story, not of one note, and play exceptionally well into the main narrative. The story also has multiple plot twists that are genuinely astonishing as the game pulls some truly daring stuff near the end, leaving me in tears. The open world is also filled with monsters to fight and secrets to find.
Combat is still the tide and true Turn Based system which has been updated to ensure it doesn’t feel too slow or outdated. The addition of the expanded skill tree makes sure that the combat feels fresh. With the new combo system, the game also ensures it can stand independently and not rely solely on the previous games.
No series can say that they have survived the test of time while keeping what made them unique intact. That Dragon Quest has genuinely done the unthinkable in the minds of many by doing precisely that.
- Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
No one series can say that it had a profound cultural impact on society as Naruto had. It touched the hearts of many and taught us lessons that would help us in the future. This is also one of the biggest reasons it was such a disappointment that no game existed that did the series justice. This was due to the nature of the series, which did not fit any pre-made game genre. So when CyberConnect2 got the go-ahead to make a game for the series, they created a brand new format which they continued to refine and polish, which bore fruit when they released Ultimate Ninja Storm 4. A game that is regarded by even non-anime fans as the best Naruto game ever.
Combat is the most accurate representation of Naruto’s Chakra System; you can use a basic combo which can later be followed into multiple Jutsu’. Chakra is used for everything; you can also collect it by meditation or beat the enemy with Taijutsu to replenish it. Jutsu is another matter as they offer a wide variety of different combos, as each character has a unique kit. All the characters are true to their canon counterpart, and the roster is complete as it features almost all characters from the series.
The story continues from where the third game left off. It also cuts out all the filler and gives anime fans one of the best ways to enjoy this classic show. It also uses many ideas that Kishimoto left to ensure that all the relevant background is given for the final war arc. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is one of the best games for anime fans.
- Persona 5 Royal
Atlas has carved out a name for itself in the gaming industry with the Shin Megami Tensei series, but nowadays, they are known for something else. They are regarded as the only company to merge the traditional turn-based combat with a visual novel story event, resulting in a highly addictive loop. This was all due to the Persona spin-off games, which are now regarded as the best modern anime JRPG game. Persona 5 Royal is the latest of the series and is considered by many the best Persona game.
No game would be this critically acclaimed if it didn’t have a spectacular plot and narrative. To that end, Persona 5 does not disappoint as the story is unique as you play a delinquent who is shipped off to another city to be disciplined. While in the new town and school, you are discriminated against, and following some unfortunate events, you and a fellow student are transported to a mind palace. Here you are forced to confront your inner self and awaken your persona while uttering the famous words “Thou art I and I art Thou.” With that, the game truly starts. You are thrust into a world full of fake personalities, political schemes, and the hidden agenda of bored gods.
The gameplay can be divided into two portions the combat side and the slice of life side. The combat system is based on the press turn system, which made the Shin Megami Tensei games excellent. The Social aspect is unique to the Persona series as it ensures all the characters are given a fully fleshed-out backstory and characterization. They are also called confidants, further enhancing the main story. Persona 5 has perfected the Atlas formula and ensured that the turn-based combat system lives on.
- Tales of Vesperia
Games have shied away from sensitive topics since their conception as they were first marketed toward children, but as the player base grew up, games also had to evolve. The first ones to do so were the Japanese, whose plays have become beloved in the fandom. But one game series is regarded as the best regarding sensitive matters. That is the Tales series which is an anime-action RPG game series. Anime fans are also quite familiar with the series as two games have already gotten an anime about them. But if you asked any long-term Tales fan what is the best game in the series, they will likely say Tales of Vesperia.
Tales of Vesperia’s true strength lay with its characters, as every one of them is made to feel real. They will interact with the main character and story believably, so you can’t figure them out at a glance. Their character has depth, and the narrative only helps to heighten it. The skits in which the series has become famous help provide even more context for them. The story may be a generic one involving saving the world, but the characters and their dynamics completely change everything. Some decisions are made by the main character, which does not sit well with the other cast and comes back to bite him later. Yuri is probably the most likable protagonist as he does not follow JRPG tropes and does what needs to be done for the group’s betterment. This results in some of the best moments in the Tales series.
Combat is redone for the ideal addition as it has had much more quality of life improvements and new party AI. It is now even more responsible as the Artes System is genuinely given a moment to shine. Combined with the smooth combat, fabulous characters, and story, Tales of Vesperia is a game no anime fan should avoid as it gives us a glimpse of what storytelling should be in anime.
- Super Mecha Champions
Super Mecha Champions is not a full anime game as it doesn’t have its own anime series, but instead is fully implemented with anime graphics. As it is one of the very few famous anime pvp games with the highest number of concurrent players, you will easily find matches and play as long as you want. Some of the mechas in this game were created by a local Japanese designer who designed several mechs in Gundam and other anime.
You can choose one pilot to play the game, and when the gauge is full, you will summon a mecha to fight massively. There is a battle royale mode in which dozens of players are dropped on a huge map, where the last team survives. In addition, it also supports various pvp modes such as 5vs5 team deathmatch, Sniper match, etc. Finding skilled friends and the builds for the mechas you use are very important for winning in this game. AEG (anime gaming community website) provides you meta builds with high winrates ordered by a tier list, that are tested by experienced players of Legendary and Alpha Knight rank, and also provides you a place where you can get skilled players to play matches with. This anime game is recommended for friends who have played games like Fortnite. It is a lively game that the content and balance are regularly updated every week. In summary, Super Mecha Champions is a great anime game to play with your multiple friends as it allows many people in your party.
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