Let’s face it, anime games are not the most popular form of video games. But there is a good reason for it. While I do feel disappointed by this as an anime fan, even I have to admit that not all anime games even deserve to be popular. Some of them are just boring.
So, let me start with why I wanted to write this article. Because I just heard the news that Jump Force will be off-sales pretty soon, meaning it’ll be taken away from all stores and its servers will be shut down for good.
For those who don’t know, Jump Force was one of the most awaited anime games of this DECADE that didn’t live up to its expectations. While they did a perfect job with the animation and sound effects, it left a lot to be desired in terms of plot and game mechanics.
As a fighting game, one of the most important things is the combo and fighting mechanisms. Jump Force did a terrible job making it way too simple with only a few attacks available for each character. It got boring way soon.
Now back to the main topic, why are anime games not popular in the gaming industry?
Also Read >> Top 7 Anime Games You NEED To Play in 2022!
What makes Anime games boring?
Repetitive Mechanism/Gameplay
This is the worst thing about most anime games. They are repetative. All anime games look the same, with only a few changes to the gameplay. But they release that over and over again with different plot. For example, Jump Force followed pretty much the same mechanisms as most other Dragon Ball games.
Almost All Of Them Are Fighting Games
This is another factor which makes anime games boring and unpopular. If you look at a list of all the anime games that were released in a year, I can assure almost 80% of them will be fighting games. I believe that it is oversaturated to the point people get sick of such games.
Don’t get me wrong. They are fun to play, but only for a very short duration. Especially if you have a gaming bud, you can test your skills against each other and have a quality time. But you really can’t just play these games a lot as they don’t have much content in the first place.
Also Read >> Best Multiplayer Anime Fighting Games
Simple Mechanisms With No Challenge
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the biggest killer of the anime games genre is its mechanisms. They are way too simple that it gets boring after a few hours. But simple mechanisms can be fine as long as there is something else challenging, like in MOBA games. But not all anime fighting games are popular enough to have a wide range of player base to pull that off.
or at least, they could make their AI hard to beat. I mean even in the hardest mode, you can beat the AI with almost no trouble in games like My Hero Academia One’s Justice which just makes it boring.
Because They Are Anime
There is an entire community of anime haters who wouldn’t touch anything related to anime or Japan. They don’t care whether the game is actually good or not. They just assume it will be bad based on their past experiences with trashy games.
Examples Of Anime Games That Are Actually Popular
Not all anime games are boring. While it is true that the anime genre is not the most popular in the gaming community, there are definitely more than a couple of examples of anime games that made it big! Let’s take a look at them.
Pokemon Games
The Pokemon series has been sold over 380,000,000 as of 2021 and it is probably only going to increase exponentially in the future. This is because Pokemon has already established its roots in the minds of people all over the world. Everyone knows what Pokemon is.
Not to mention, the concept of Pokemon is very unique and adventerous. The games always focus on capturing different types of pokemon, training them and going on an adventure to participate in tournaments or saving the planet from evil doers.
Other than that, I also love the trading aspect in this game. You can trade things with other players. I remember people opening stores in forums and selling rare Pokemons and items in a PokeMMO game.
Dragon Ball Games
Dragon Ball games are undoubtadly one of the most popular anime games ever made. These games were sold over 30,000,000 as of 2021 and it has a wide array of games that walk you through the legendary super saiyan saga that we all adored as kids.
As a martial arts, fighting anime, the games are also centered around fighting, but what makes these games thrive is their story mode. You could literally live the entire plot of Dragon Ball series and experience the story firsthand.
Especially, if you have not watched Dragon Ball Z anime yet, I heavily recommend to play DB games instead as they are a better storytelling medium in my opinion.
That said, it is true that quite a few of the dragon ball anime games get boring after a few days of playing.
Persona Games
Persona is another unique anime game that brings an entire new concept with exciting story and adventure. The plot twists in these games are amazing. I have personally only played Persona 4 and it was GOLD!
It basically lets you live as the main protagonist. Meaning you can go to school, answer teachers questions, date girls and get involved in romance. Or you can just go grid in dungeons to level up and get new powers. It is up to you!
I loved how this game was literally like watching an anime, except I have to make decisions as the main character.
Persona was sold over 15,000,000 times as of 2021.
Yugioh Games (Duel Links & Master Duel)
Duel Links is THE most complicated game on the planet! It has so much that players need to read and remember.
I, for one, have over 10,000 cards (which is really a small number comparing to every cards that is out there) and I need to analyze each of their attacks, defence and effects in order to build my ultimate deck.
What’s more? They keep releasing new cards and rules every month or so.
One would think such a game is bound to fail because of the high learning curve for new players, but no! It thrived!! Its complication is exactly the reason why this anime game is not boring.
Why? The reason is simple. People want games to be complicated and difficult. This way it will never get boring. And it is not like they throw everything at the players face at once. They reveal information slowly and steadily so that the players don’t get overwhelmed.
But the most addictive part of this game is the Duels themselves. You get to play against real players and get ranked. If you play really good, you might even get to play in real life tournament and win prizes.
Anime Based RPG Games Like Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is an ultra successful anime themed RPG game that has huge global audience.
The plot, character design, sound effects and animation all are top tier, making it one of the greatest game of the decade.
Similar to this game, there are quite a few other anime themed RPG games that are simply refreshing and amazing to play. They have a very anime like story which makes these games more lovable.
That’s it for this post!
What do you think? Are anime games boring? Or are they interesting? Let us know in the comments below!