Bleach: Immortal Soul Review for Android

In the case of Bleach, what began as a manga in 2001 morphed into a massive franchise. With an anime television series comprised of a staggering 366 episodes, four films, three novels, many video games, and more, Bleach hit its stride in the 2000s and managed to stay relevant in the early 2010s before tailing off in popularity as the 2010s progressed. However, with the release of a new anime series accompanied by supplemental media, Bleach is rearing for a comeback in 2020. One such tie-in to the new anime is the recently released Bleach: Immortal Souls, co-developed by Oasis Games and GREE and published by Oasis Games, which packs a punch when compared to the industry standard for mobile RPGs.

While indulging in the usual faults of the mobile RPG genre, Bleach: Immortal Souls does quite well in its task to hew as closely as possible to its source material, the anime series. Players step into the shoes of Ichigo Kurosaki as he learns about and then hones his skills in the world of Soul Reapers and Hollows. Beloved characters of the anime cast play central roles, as players get to relive some of the classic fights and plotlines from the anime in Bleach: Immortal Soul’s story mode.

Bleach: Immortal Soul’s plot is relayed in the form of stages, which typically all feature some revelation at their conclusions. This set-up does well in terms of storytelling, allowing individual characters to shine through and express personality in a way that typically isn’t found in games made directly for mobile and were not ported over. The game’s communication of its narrative is bolstered by well-timed cut scenes that are in the anime style.

Bleach: Immortal Soul also benefits from very well-rendered artwork. From the aforementioned anime cut-scenes all the way to details as quotidian as its menus, the RPG focuses on aestheticism. The game’s intent to be as stylish as possible is especially apparent in its combat system. Players can take up to six characters into a battle and fight against waves of Hollows in turn-based combat, which primarily consists of tapping icons in specific sequences to induce the best possible chain attack. Special attacks are rendered beautifully and combat in general is smooth-flowing. It is also possible to auto-battle, for players who want to watch their on-screen personae run through their enemies.

Dragging down players’ experiences with Bleach: Immortal Soul are the typical culprits on mobile: pushy advertisements for microtransactions, in-game currencies far too easily to mix up, an energy meter, a plethora of menus to navigate through, too many items to upgrade which are accessible through distinct pathways, and a bevy of side content that doesn’t seem to have a true place in the game except to pad its length. Players likely have become inured to these offenses by now, but anyone picking up Bleach: Immortal Soul solely due to their love of the Bleach franchise and who do not typically play mobile RPGs should be aware of the pitfalls of the genre.

Bleach: Immortal Soul does not reinvent the mobile RPG experience. It does, however, stand out from the industry standard due to its plot, beautiful artwork, and the smoothness of its combat system. Bleach: Immortal Soul should hold significant appeal to those looking for some Bleach nostalgia, and it serves as a fine standalone title for a mobile RPG on its own. The game is worthwhile addition to one’s mobile device, despite all its faults.

Rating: 8/10

Check Out the Bleach: Immortal Soul Trailer:

Bleach: Immortal Soul is available via Google Play and the App Store in Western countries as a free download with optional in-game purchases.

Jori Grossman

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I'm a recent graduate of Columbia University. Gaming has been a passion of mine my entire life; I enjoy everything from RPGs and FPSs to stealth and narrative-driven games. I love the deeply immersive quality that good video games inherently possess, and am looking forward to highlighting games worthy of acclaim. When I'm not studying or reading, you can catch me playing games like Uncharted, Dishonored, The Witcher 3, and Far Cry.

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