Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash Review (PS5) | Push Square
As arguably the biggest anime and manga franchise on the planet right now, all publisher Bandai Namco had to do was put together a serviceable adaptation of Gege Aktusami’s modern-day sensation and reap the rewards. Regrettably, the dismal Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash is the worst kind of tie-in: a vapid cash grab clearly developed on a shoe-string budget with few redeeming features for existing fans or fascinated newcomers alike.
The game, developed by Japanese outfit Byking – the same studio behind the My Hero One’s Justice series – falls into the trappings of rote arena brawler, but this isn’t an inherently bad thing per se. Unfortunately, it’s a really bad one, with restrictive gameplay and an unrefined combat system, which lacks the balletic beauty of its source material. For a series defined by its outstandingly choreographed combat scenes, this outing is an abject failure.
It lacks the flare of other anime adaptations, too. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle has its issues, but it could never be accused of failing to capture the zany vibes of Hirohiko Araki’s outlandish series, with its menus fizzing with all kinds of subtle references. Here, the lack of budget is practically impossible to ignore, as even key features like the character selection screen are relegated to a soulless list of character names in the forgettable Free Battle mode.
Story mode is the main draw for solo players, but it lacks any of the pizazz of the property it’s based on, with the plot restricted to just the first season of the anime and its prequel movie. This feels like a bizarre decision considering the second season launched recently, and it makes the game feel out-of-date before you even get started. Regardless, the fiction is hard to follow when presented in this form, with mostly static character art and text bubbles.
Even within its confines, popular characters are missing, like Kasumi Miwa and Mei Mei – although Bandai Namco is generally pretty good when it comes to
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