Summary
- Bleach is finally getting a full console game after years of mobile Gacha games. Rebirth of Souls will focus on fighting gameplay.
- The confirmed roster includes popular characters like Ichigo, Rukia, Aizen, and Ulquiorra. Various unique abilities will be featured.
- The game will adapt up to the Arrancar Saga, with characters like Zaraki, Soi Fon, and Mayuri making it to the base roster. A DLC option may follow.
After over ten years, Bleach is finally getting a full-fledged console game. TamSoft Corporation is developing Rebirth of Souls, seeking to bring Bleach into the fighting game genre once again. The last game was Soul Resurreccion for the PlayStation 3, and it was a hack-and-slash, Warriors-style game. For years, Bleach only had mobile Gacha games to its name, but that all changes now with Rebirth of Souls.
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Rebirth of Souls will be a 3D-action fighting game. Akin to Tekken or Soul Calibur, but most comparisons bring it close to the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series or Demon Slayer Hinokami Chronicles. Developers have stated that the game will adapt up to the Arrancar Saga, so characters from the Lost Agent and Thousand-Year Blood War arcs won't be in the base roster.
Team Karakura
The Fighters From the World of the Living
Starting with the confirmed characters, Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryuu Ishida, Yasutora "Chad" Sado, and Yoruichi Shihouin represent Team Karakura. It is unclear whether Orihime Inoue will be playable, but considering her abilities are not suited for battle, her inclusion is unlikely.
Kisuke Urahara is a shoo-in, as he's such an important character who also fights enough to warrant being playable. As for Ichigo's other forms, anime fighters are known for including multiple versions of a character as separate slots. This could be how Ichigo's Hueco Mundo self with the use of his Hollow Mask and his Vasto Lorde transformation could be implemented. As well as Dangai Ichigo with Mugetsu as his Awakening.
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Another confirmed character is White Zangetsu. He's seen at the end of one of the first trailers. White Zangetsu has been playable in past games, so it makes sense he's playable, especially after he gained popularity thanks to "The Blade is Me" being animated.
The Gotei 13
Soul Reaper Captains and Lieutenants
So far, the confirmed characters are Rukia Kuchiki, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Renji Abarai, two of whom have already received a gameplay trailer. As for the other members of the Gotei, Toushirou Hitsugaya has never skipped a game, so he's guaranteed to make it. Shunsui Kyoraku is one of the most popular captains, and his abilities fit well into a fighting game. With the spotlight he'll receive in the anime soon, he'll be a worthy inclusion. Zaraki Kenpachi is an obvious choice, as the series' icon for all-out, brutal fights. Zaraki is practically made for fighting games.
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Soi Fon has a high chance of making it. She's designed to fit into a fighting game better than most characters, as her melee-focused fighting style flows perfectly into a rushdown-type fighter. Mayuri Kurotsuchi's unique abilities would do wonders for the game, giving the roster even more variety. His out-of-the-box fighting style would make him a setplay-based, tricky character. And finally, captain commander Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto can't be left out, his fire-based powers will be spectacular in this game's visuals, and thanks to his epic battle with Yhwach, fans want to play as him more than ever now.
As for the Vizored, Shinji Hirako might be the only member to make it into the base roster. Shinji's by far the most popular member of the team, as well as the most powerful. How his Sakanade could be adapted into a fighting game might be a difficult task for the developers, but if done right, Shinji could be another unique character.
The Espada and The Three Traitors
The Iconic White-clad Villains
Sousuke Aizen is more than guaranteed, as no Bleach game can leave the main villain out of the playable roster. Aizen's secondhand men, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen, are also made to fit into the game. Gin's speed and deceptive range with Shinsō could immediately make him a top-tier character. Tosen's extreme power in his Hollowfication alongside his sense-altering abilities would make him incredibly challenging to fight, as is in the original story.
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As for the Espada, the selection is very easy. Ulquiorra Cifer and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez are by far the most popular members as well as two of the most iconic characters from Bleach, so their inclusion is obvious. Coyote Starrk would fit the zoner archetype just like Uryuu Ishida is confirmed to be as well. Starrk would be different, though, as Los Lobos not only shoots from a distance but is also known for its blinding speed. Tier Harribel would be another anticipated addition, as she remains one of the most beloved Espada. Tier's water abilities would look spectacular in this game's art style, and she would be a mid-range fighter just like Byakuya and Toushirou. Nelliel Tu Odelschwank would round up the female fighters for the base roster, and her melee-focused, powerful fighting style, along with her Gamuza, would make her a powerful brawler.
To round things up, the game could look like this:
Team Karakura:
- Ichigo Kurosaki (Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, Dangai)
- Yasutora "Chad" Sado
- Uryuu Ishida
- Kisuke Urahara
- Yoruichi Shihouin
- White Zangetsu
Gotei 13:
- Byakuya Kuchiki
- Rukia Kuchiki
- Renji Abarai
- Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto
- Zaraki Kenpachi
- Soi Fon
- Toushirou Hitsugaya
- Shunsui Kyoraku
- Mayuri Kurotsuchi
- Shinji Hirako
The Espada:
- Sousuke Aizen
- Gin Ichimaru
- Kaname Tosen
- Ulquiorra Cifer
- Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
- Coyote Starrk
- Tier Harribel
- Nelliel Tu Odelschwank
This roster would satisfy most fans, leaving other characters for possible DLC. Good representation of the three main factions and has decent character variety in terms of gameplay diversity. Rebirth of Souls is shaping up to be a great return to console gaming for Bleach.
- Released
- January 14, 2016
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- KLabGames
- Publisher(s)
- KLabGames
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Bleach
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Beat 'Em Up
