The Bleach franchise is no stranger to the fighting game scene, but its history in the genre has often been underwhelming compared to its shonen peers like Naruto or Dragon Ball Z. Now, with Bleach: Rebirth of Souls, Tamsoft and Bandai Namco attempt to finally give fans a game worthy of the anime’s fast-paced sword battles and stylish aesthetic. While there’s no denying the effort and attention to detail poured into the combat system, the early hours of my playthrough reveal that the game’s story mode feels like an afterthought, lacking the same care as its exhilarating fights.
This review is based on my current playthrough on PlayStation 5 after spending around 12 hours in both story mode and versus battles. It’s worth noting that the PC version is currently facing launch-related issues, so this review will focus entirely on the PS5 experience.
Combat: Dynamic, Responsive, and Loaded with Style
The greatest strength of Bleach: Rebirth of Souls is its engaging arena combat system. Unlike many anime fighters that rely on button mashing and repetitive super attacks, this game introduces a surprisingly deep and skill-based fighting mechanic. Players will instantly recognize its blend of stock-based health mechanics reminiscent of Super Smash Bros., paired with precise stance-breaking swordplay inspired by action titles like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Every movement feels tight and deliberate, from the quick sidesteps to well-timed counters. The flashy sword clashes, combined with text effects splashing across the screen during special attacks, make each duel look like it was ripped straight from the anime. Characters like Ichigo, Rukia, and Kenpachi all bring their unique combat styles to the battlefield, ensuring players need to learn and adapt rather than rely on a single combo chain.
Even when using the auto-combo control scheme, Bleach’s combat offers enough depth to reward players who invest the time to master character-specific techniques. It’s clear the development team poured passion into making each battle feel fluid, fast, and faithful to the source material.
Story Mode: A Disappointing Contrast
Unfortunately, that same level of effort is noticeably absent from Rebirth of Souls’ story mode. What should have been an opportunity to retell the iconic story arcs of Bleach in a spectacular fashion feels rushed and poorly executed.
Cutscenes are often reduced to stiff character models exchanging dialogue with minimal animation. While the character designs are beautifully recreated in battle, the story moments strip them of personality, with wooden gestures and awkward pacing. Emotional confrontations, which were powerful in the anime, are robbed of their weight here due to lackluster presentation and frequent fade-to-black transitions during climactic moments.
Instead of impressive, anime-style cinematics, the story mode feels like it was patched together with placeholder animations and low-effort visual novel elements. The result is a narrative experience that fails to capture the intensity and emotion of the Bleach saga.
Visuals, Voice Acting, and Polish
It’s not all bad outside of combat. Visually, Bleach: Rebirth of Souls excels in character detail, particularly during battles. The energy effects, sword slashes, and typography used during finishers bring undeniable flair. The English and Japanese voice casts both deliver strong performances, breathing life into familiar characters despite the story mode’s shortcomings.
However, the inconsistency between the game’s visuals in combat versus its cutscene animations creates a jarring experience. It’s clear that much of the budget and development time went into polishing the battle system while leaving the narrative mode feeling half-finished.
Early Verdict: A Promising Fighter That Deserves Better Presentation
At this stage of my playthrough, Bleach: Rebirth of Souls shows great potential as a competitive arena fighter. The gameplay feels refined, responsive, and loaded with fan service in the best way possible. However, its lackluster story mode and underwhelming presentation outside of fights drag down the overall experience.
Whether the online multiplayer and versus modes can carry the game remains to be seen, and I’ll reserve my full verdict until I’ve spent more time in those areas. But if you’re a Bleach fan who’s here mainly for high-stakes combat and stylish duels, there’s already a lot to love.