Bleach: Heat the Soul 6 - Review

Bleach: Heat the Soul 6

Another year, another installment in the Bleach: Heat the Soul series. Does the 6^th installment live up to its predecessors? Read to find out!

Graphics

The character details, designs and backgrounds in this game are superb, especially considering that this is on the PSP. The effects from executed attacks are flashy and smooth. The background adds depth to the overall experience. And, the character models have a great blend of anime and 3D styling to give them a very attractive appeal.

- 18/20

Sound

The music, voiceovers and sound FX in this game are great! Everything is just like the anime, so it greatly immerses you into it. However, being a PSP title, you need headphones plugged in to full y appreciate the sound.

- 18/20

Story

Those of you interested in this game already know the story of Ichigo Kurosaki and company. The story mode starts out near the end of the first season (just before the Soul Society is introduced) and ends before the “Assualt on Karakura Town” Arc; however, Halibel is in this game. The story follows the manga. Also, the two movies are thrown into the game, as well. Obviously, the subtitles and voiceovers are all in Japanese, but, if you have followed the entire series, you can easily figure out what is going on.

- 18/20

Gameplay

Bleach: Heat the Soul 6 is a very fluid 2D fighter, with 3D models, on a 3D plane. The characters have been tweaked and balanced again. There are still a few moves and characters that are just plain more powerful than others, though. Even with characters jumping in and out with a special move or Bankai going on all at once, I never noticed any slow down. The moves and move sets are great; however, a bit limited.

The modes include: Story, which has a total of 61 missions; Soul Championship, were parts of the story are played out in a tournament structure spanning over 50 tournaments; Arcade; VS; Soul VS, were your can customize a character with certain traits (like regenerative reiatsu or increased defense) and fight other players/characters with custom traits. In most of the modes you can fight singularly or team up with another character for “tag mode.”

- 17/20

Replayability

As I stated earlier, there are many different modes to keep you entertained. Plus, you have 56 total characters to master and 29 environments to fight in. This game should last you until the next installment comes out.

- 19/20

Conclusion

Bleach: Heat the Soul 6 is a very fun, well-paced game that is only available for the PSP in Japan. We will definitely see a 7^th and probably 8^th or even higher game in the coming years. The series still has a ways to go, so expect to see a yearly release of Bleach: Heat the Soul for awhile. The 5^th game was my first to play in this series. It was awesome and I’m completely happy with the 6^th installment. Yes, this is a Japan only title, but PSP systems are region free. So, don’t hesitate, pick this game up now! You can get below the final score.

Final Score

- 90/100

Pick up your copy of Bleach: Heat the Soul 6, here!