The long-awaited anime fighter, BLEACH Rebirth of Souls, is finally here! You get to step into the shoes of your favorite Soul Reapers, Arrancars, and more iconic characters, and experience a refreshing combat system that is as accessible as it is rewarding.
As a longtime fan of Tite Kubo’s iconic series, I think this title accurately captured the aesthetics of Bleach, especially with its artistic loading screens, characters, and even the fighting designs. With the release of Sparking Zero! and the legacy of Ninja Storm, expectations have been set quite high for BLEACH Rebirth of Souls.
I encountered performace issues such as start-up crashes, and most PC players have had a similar experience, which is being addresed by the devs.
One of a kind Combat Experience
Where Rebirth of Souls truly shines is in its combat. Having been habituated to the generic styles, similar to what you'd get from Sparking Zero!, BLEACH's fighting system feels more layered, meaning that every match feels like a cinematic showdown, offering a refreshing experience to players.
I, personally, was hooked on executing counters, awakenings, and combos, each move feeling fluid and very satisfying. Every character in the roster has a ton of movesets and lot of combos and fighting styles to explore.
The game currently has only 33 playable fighters, with some iconic fan favorites like Hitsugaya and Ichigo. Personally, the roster felt like a letdown because there are quite a few characters in the game with complete movesets like White Ichigo, which are not yet playable. They might be added later as DLCs, but having to wait for it can feel like a downside to many.
Stunning Visuals but lacks Sharpness
The visuals in Rebirth of Souls felt like a mixed bag of highs and some minor letdowns. On one hand, the character models are exceptional. Their designs and expressive animations truly honor the source material, executed almost perfectly.
I was particularly impressed with how the combat cinematics and dynamic transformations when characters tap into their Awakenings, make every fight feel epic. Even the finishers, like Soul Destruction, have a stunning in-combat visual effect to add some extra flair.
However, the visual experience is occasionally degraded by low-poly textures and a persistent blur filter that often softens the impact of the beautifully detailed models. I found myself wishing for a sharper color grading and lighting reminiscent of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime for an ideal visual experience.
Story Mode, a missed opportunity
BLEACH Rebirth of Souls has two offline game modes, namely the Main Story and the Secret Story. Here, I have mixed feelings. While the Main Story ambitiously covered key arcs like the Substitute Soul Reaper beginning to the climactic Arrancar battles, the execution left me wanting more.
Despite stellar voice acting that added to the experience, the narrative pacing felt uneven. The heavy reliance on CG artwork rather than fully animated sequences often made the storytelling feel stilted and less engaging.
On a more personal note, I would've appreciated interactive storytelling rather than a checklist of cutscenes and battles. That being said, the Secret Story mode provided a fun bit of fan service and intriguing side tales that helped redeem the overall narrative experience.
Excellent Audio with great dubs
If there’s one aspect where BLEACH Rebirth of Souls consistently excels, it’s the audio. The soundtrack is a star lineup of iconic tracks from the series and pumps up every battle. The character selection screen theme, in particular, got my adrenaline racing every time I booted up a match.
Coupled with superb voice acting in both the Japanese and English dubs, though I personally lean towards the Japanese, made me feel completely immersed in the world of BLEACH. The audio work here does a fantastic job of capturing the essence of Bleach and keeping the excitement high.
Final Verdict - A Fan-Favorite with Lots of Potential
Overall, BLEACH Rebirth of Souls is filled with passion for the anime franchise. From the faithful character renditions to the electrifying soundtrack it delivers a gaming experience that truly resonates with fans.
I found myself completely immersed in the high-intensity battles, notwithstanding the absence of refined online competitive features. The lack of a ranked mode and limited cross-play are notable drawbacks that, if addressed in future updates, could potentially make this title shine even brighter.
If you're interested in our other reviews, please check out our Rogue Genesia Review here on Pro Game Guides.
Published: Mar 25, 2025 11:00 am