Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe has revealed three new playable characters from the adored manga series Bleach and one new stage for the upcoming title JUMP FORCE.
Bleach follows the exploits of fiery teenager Ichigo Kurosaki who inherits the powers of a Shinigami (soul reaper), which sees him take on the duty of defending humans from evil spirits and travel to ghostly realms to protect them. Joining the roster of JUMP FORCE, which sees the greatest heroes and villains from the 50-year history of Shueisha’s influential Japanese Weekly Shonen Jump manga do battle, are three iconic names from Bleach:
Ichigo Kurosaki – Once a simple high school student with the ability to see ghosts, Ichigo became one of the strongest ever Shinigami (soul reapers) after his encounter with a Hollow (a spectral being) that tried to kill him.
Rukia Kuchiki – Rukia is a soul reaper from a noble family who specialises in Kido (the magic of the soul reapers). Her ice-type blade is considered to be amongst the most beautiful swords of the Souls Society.
Sōsuke Aizen – A captain of the Gotei 13, Aizen is a mysterious man. While calm on the surface, behind this serene appearance is perhaps one of the most skilled members of the Soul Society
I’m personally glad to see Ichigo, Rukia, and Aizen from this stage in the manga. If I’m being honest when I saw that Goku and Naruto only go as far as Super Saiyan and Naruto teenage years I was disappointed. I had hoped that Naruto would be available in his adult form and Goku available to transform as far as Super Saiyan Blue. Maybe this will be available further into the game’s development. Thankfully though this gamer is given hope with the Bleach characters. Seeing Ichigo, Rukia, and Aizen at their final states opens up avenues the game can go down with their other characters. Maybe we’ll get other characters at later stages in their lives like Gon and Killua from Hunter X Hunter.
JUMP FORCE features the world’s most popular and classic manga/anime franchises including Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Naruto and many more. Players will be able to create their three-character manga/anime dream tag team and take them into battle in hyper-stylish arena brawls set against backdrops of famous landmarks around the world including New York City’s Times Square and the Matterhorn in the Alps. Utilising Unreal Engine 4, JUMP FORCE brings these titans of Japanese pop culture to life for the first time ever in stunningly realistic detail.
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