
What I’m Hoping to See in Bleach Rebirth of Souls
The release of the latest videogame title in the long-running Bleach franchise is soon upon us and as such it got me thinking about what I’d actually like to see in Ichigo’s latest escapades. The semi-recent release of other contenders in the same space, namely Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO, also gives an interesting view of what Bleach Rebirth of Souls has to compare itself to and what pitfalls it should try to avoid.
Now, please note these are my personal points of interest. I’m more of a single-player story-focused player, so I’m not too big on the competitive or multiplayer aspects. Additionally, I usually keep myself in the dark on any mechanics and other trailers related to games I’m interested in, as I value the discovery and surprise, so some of my hopes may already have been bashed like Ichigo’s mask on a daily basis.
1. Explorable areas
Something I’ve noticed I really like in my anime-inspired titles is the ability to wander around the main locations in the setting. For example, in the older Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi games or in the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm franchise, it was always nice to freely explore and meander the many locations we’ve only seen in the background in the source material.
As such, I really hope Rebirth of Souls has a mode where we can run around at least some key locations. While I won’t hold out hope for a fully realised Bleach world to explore with Karakura Town, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo rendered to the last pixel, I’d love a chance to poke about Urahara’s shop and maybe see what the world is like outside of intense battles and slapstick comedy.
2. Some love to the little guys
Something I’ve always loved about games adapting a series is the opportunity to give some more details on the minor characters we barely see. Based on what I’ve read, Tite Kubo has done an admirable job fleshing out a lot of the characters already, but I’d like to see a lot of it in practice! Show off those Shikai forms we never saw, let the different Court Guard Squads show off their regular troops, and let Zennosuke Kurumadani have his time in the sun!
In brief, while I absolutely want the big hitters of the universe to be as powerful as they are in the show, giving some love to the other characters seldom goes amiss, especially in a universe as full of personality as Bleach.
3. Easy to learn, hard to master
This one, I feel, is always a given for any fighting game, but I believe it is especially important for a series like Bleach. As the universe has such a wide array of powers and abilities to draw from, it can very easily become too complex for anyone to get into. Imagine having to keep track of your reishi, your reiatsu, your reiryouku, your resolve, and so on while also trying to remember which end of a sword is the ouchy bit. I think making the basics easy to grasp is important, but I do believe some characters should have techniques or attacks that are as complex as they are deadly! Dumbing down Shunsui’s Bankai into a damage-dealing strike would, to me, be a bit insulting, but I’m not sure I’d love to be forced to act out a whole play either.
This one is hard to quantify, as we all have our own preferences and perceptions of what is “easy” and what is not. I suppose my point is to not try to make the system too complex to keep it as close to the source as possible, as the power scaling has never been great to begin with. Let complex characters and techniques be difficult and hard to master, but make sure you can manage by swinging your sword around and screaming a lot, like our lovely protagonist.
4. Amazing visuals
A very simple, but also pretty important aspect of. Bleach, to me, has always excelled at its visual presentation (yes, even before the newest seasons). The way characters and attacks radiate power, how each sword and user is distinct, and how the evolution of power also stays true to the character design is always fascinating! Additionally, I’ve always loved how the different factions are very similar in how their powers work, but also very different in how they are used and achieved, which is often highly visible in their techniques. I’m hoping Rebirth of Souls manages to keep this distinction alive, as variation in playstyles and mechanics often keeps me entertained for much longer.
5. BAN……. KAI
Look, I’m a simple man. Someone shouts “Bankai” or whatever new equivalent they come up with, I’m a happy camper. However, similar series often have a habit of “forgetting” the impact of their mega-super transformations. Just look at Dragon Ball and it’s Super Saiyan. What started off as an intense and taxing transformation soon became just the base level for any conflict, if even that. While this is understandable, as a “new form” is exciting for only so long, I always feel a bit sad.
Now, before you rush off to write rude comments, Bleach is not much better. Bankai, which was at one time the epitome of power and skill, quickly became the prerequisite for any battle to be taken seriously. As such, defeating a Bankai was therefore the only method to raise the stakes in this topsy-turvy Worf Effect world we live in. However, something I’ve always loved about this specific powerup is the intonation of the word itself, at least in the Japanese audio, the long pause between syllables especially. Respect the technique, let it be a power to reckon with, and never forget the pause.
6. Lots of creative KIDOs
Finally, the Bleach universe is steeped in all kinds of magic we see criminally little of. On multiple occasions, fighters on both sides have spouted a beautiful soliloquy, only to follow it up with crackling lightning or magical prisons fit to hold demigods in place. Called Kido (I think? The terminology is weird), these incantations and spells can result in almost anything you can imagine, with an in-world classification system, magic school, and specialist military unit built around them, but we still see only a handful here and there.
While getting a Dungeons and Dragons -style list of spell levels and classifications may be asking a bit much, I do hope we get some more insight into this fascinating sub-system within the Bleach universe. Maybe allow some known users to mix a few into their fighting styles, or maybe allow players to pick from a list of Kido to “equip” for a match?
And there we have it! My personal thoughts on what I hope to see from Bleach Rebirth of Souls. I very much hope the game succeeds, as Bleach seems to have the worst run in terms of videogames when it comes to the Big Three. With the release date of 20th March coming soon, I guess there’s not much for it but to wait and see! Is there anything you’re especially looking forward to? Tell us in the comments!
COMMENTS
Erinsfrustrated - 07:13pm, 27th January 2025
I've sadly not really engaged with Bleach much (outside one chapter I read in the one Shounen Jump issue I have), but these are some excellent points! Especially your first one about the explorable areas! I ADORE the Naruto Ultimate Ninja franchise and I've loved getting to run around in detailed areas, even back as far as Ultimate Ninja 2 and 3. Storm 2 did an EXCELLENT job with it as well. I was super disappointed that the main story mode in Storm 4 didn't really keep that up, though I'm happy the Road to Boruto expansion featured this in its story mode. It's just... REALLY nice and adds a load of character to the world, making it feel much more alive.