Constantly, various anime games are being released on the PS5, mostly from Dragon Ball. Many of these games have a rather mediocre reputation, but MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes loves them nonetheless, and he has since he can remember.
Anime and video games have accompanied me throughout my life. It’s good for me that both things are often combined. I started devouring anime games with the PS2. I’m especially fond of the games based on Dragon Ball and Naruto.
This continues to this day, as I regularly buy anime games, especially on the PS5. Admittedly, many of them are mediocre, some even total rubbish, but if I’m honest, I still love these games.
I will also get the new Dragon Ball game:
The child in me wants to live in an anime
Anime games are a nostalgic trip. Whenever I watched an anime as a child, I always had the desire to play the battles myself afterwards. That was already possible with the PS2. I devoured Dragon Ball Budokai 3. And I constantly tried to persuade my sister to play with me.
Even today, I still have that child from back then inside me. The thought that I can let several anime heroes battle against each other in Jump Force still makes me happy, even though Jump Force is a complete disaster. But games like Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions intrigue me too. And I have absolutely no interest in soccer.
The many What if
questions are also an important point. Who hasn’t always wanted to face Cell as Muten Roshi in Dragon Ball? In such games, you can do that.
I just love trash
Despite the great love I have for these games, I have to admit that most of them are rather mediocre. The graphics are often outdated, and the mechanics are usually rudimentary. Especially fighting fans are often confronted with half-baked 3D fighters.
But I totally enjoy it. Balancing? Nobody cares. These games are stuffed with unfair moves that can be spammed and characters that are just much better in everything than other characters. That would bother me in a competitive fighting game, but annoying my friends with a single move is just fun.
But other genres also give me this joy. Did you know there is a third-person shooter for Tokyo Ghoul? Well, now you do, and it’s really bad. But that kind of thing awakens a nostalgic feeling, a longing for simpler times. Times when, as a child, you played every bad licensed game you were given.
Where I draw the line, however, are truly boring games. One Piece Odyssey comes directly to mind. It’s not really bad, but it’s not really fun or good either.
On the other hand, there are also the really great games. Dragon Ball FighterZ or Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles come to mind right away.
More of the good anime games can be found here: The 5 best anime games for PS4 and PS5
The experience with friends
Anime games are better when enjoyed together. The good thing about most console versions of these games is that you can play them on the couch with friends. And I do that regularly. Since my friends are also anime fans, everyone has their own favorite character in these games, resulting in a little rivalry when playing against each other.
The other aspect related to the trash factor is the shared enjoyment of bugs, silly abilities, but also ultimate moves that you enjoy watching. And a bit of anger is of course also part of it. If you’re not annoyed by the friend who just defeated you, then something is simply missing.
The simple gameplay mechanics of anime games are actually a great advantage in this regard, as you can learn and understand the games faster, quicker than in complex fighting games.
I usually don’t get most anime games at release. The trashy fun is actually too expensive for me. The nice thing about such games, however, is that they often go on sale very quickly. Do you have recommendations in this area? Then let us know in the comments. One game I am really looking forward to is the upcoming Inazuma Eleven game: New game for anime fans is finally set to launch after 8 years of development, with a 30-hour demo
