JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a divisive series because most people love it or hate it. It has many characters, some that appear in multiple arcs. The fights are as strange as the characters and a perfect fit for a fighter. The game has 50 characters from all the different arcs of the series and it’s easy to see where they come from if the player is a fan of the series. You have all the JoJos, the villains, and other characters that kind of float between and it’s great to see so many characters in a fighting game, right at the start and promises hours of fun without unlocking anyone.
The characters are fully voiced, but only in Japanese, and there is plenty of unique dialogue between the characters making it fun to see what the characters would say to each other. Many have never and will never fight each other in canon, so it’s pretty amazing to see them all in one game. The characters are all so lively, and weird, it’s charming, whoever worked on the game clearly had a love for the series as a whole and it shows.
The fights feel like they are taking place in the show and the vibe is just right. Fighting in this game is a little more methodical than most and might take some getting used to. It’s not as quick and flashy as Multiversus or Super Smash Bros. , but is a game that will take practice to master and for diehard fans, I think it’s worth it. There are multiple ways for the characters to fight, like using Hamaon and Stands. Each character plays a little differently, and it’s all about timing.
Most of the time the player will simply plod forward, but they can also dash. The fights can get chaotic when the characters begin to use their special moves, and unleash attack upon attack. Plus, players can have an ai partner, that they can unleash with a push of a button. Unleash a combo and then quickly send a partner in to unleash even more damage on a foe.
There are multiple modes including a solid arcade mode where players battle through 8 fights depending on the character. With such a large roster it will definitely take some time to clear them all. Again it’s fun seeing who they face in this 8-battle Arcade mode. Endless mode is my favorite mode and it just puts the player against endless foes. Taking out the foes in a timely manner will award the player more health which will keep the fight going. The fights get tougher as the player continues on, so be ready for anything.
All-Star Battle Mode is the challenge battle mode. It allows players to battle through different fights putting characters from their specific arcs. The fights get tougher but the rewards get better too. It’s worth playing especially for fans because iconic battles are about to start. Beating enough will unlock a boss battle done in the form of boss panels that provide even more challenge. It’s great to see so much challenging content because some fighting games simply don’t offer that.
There’s also local and online multiplayer where players can battle in Ranked mode or just fight random players online. There’s also an online mission mode where special rewards are up for grabs. Each week there are new rewards so it’s worth looking into, to see if a favorite character is getting a new outfit. The online connection is pretty good, as the game is slower, there is less chance things won’t go through and players can play against each other with relatively little issue.
The challenges often require players to know how to pull off certain moves, and with random players and ranked coming into play, only the best may be able to clear these challenges. Again the game isn’t easy to master but for those invested in the series, it’s definitely worth learning how to play. This game isn’t for the faint of heart, as it is honestly far more challenging than it lets on. I’m nowhere near good enough to face high-powered foes, but even at my level, the fights aren’t easy.
Players can use their coins to unlock viewable models of the characters and other goodies, which gives the player an incentive to keep the fight going. This game has a lot of content to see for fans of the series and should keep them fighting for hours. The viewable models look really good, and it’s cool to have a collection of them even if they are just in-game. Having a bunch of things to buy adds to the playtime, and makes grinding out all those matches worth it.
The game unfortunately doesn’t have any of its musical stings like the classic to-be-continued sting. The music still manages to work in tandem with the fights and has enough JoJo personality that it works all the same. It would be a nice addition to add some of the theme songs, but likely with copyright that wouldn’t be possible with the American songs.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R is a fantastic fighting game. It’s full of fan service and has hours of content for those invested in the series. Being a solid fighting game could draw in newbies who’d also enjoy delving deeper into this weird series. It might take some getting used to but it’s a solid fighter worth looking into. The battles are truly bizarre will the player be up to the challenge?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
Available On Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series and PC
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch