Bleach: The 3rd Phantom – NDS – Review

Like Naruto and Dragon Ball Z, Bleach is one of
those series that – among the growing circle of anime and manga fans – has
become an instant classic with legions of loyal fans. Also like Naruto and
Dragon Ball Z, the series has inspired a few video games and speaking as a
Bleach fan myself I can say that the Bleach games on the Nintendo DS have been
surprisingly good. Now a strategy role-playing game starring just about every
Bleach character is here but does Bleach: The 3rd Phantom for the Nintendo DS
able to win over the SRPG fans?

WELCOME TO THE SOUL SOCIETY

Unlike the excellent Bleach: The Blade of Fate
and even more amazing Bleach: Dark Souls, this third Bleach title plays like an
old school role-playing game with a touch of Final Fantasy Tactics.
Interestingly enough, the story feels like a Bleach movie with the plot focusing
on two strangers. The story follows Matsuri and Fujimaru Kudo, two siblings
living in the Rukon District in a time before Sosuke Aizen’s betray of the Soul
Society. When Hollows attack the peaceful district, Matsuri and Fujimaru are
rescued by Captain Seigen, Sosuke Aizen and even Uruhara (yes, Bleach fans, that
Uruhara).

Taking them into his home, Seigen and his wife,
Lady Konoka, adopt the brother and sister and when Uruhara suggest they enter
the Soul Reaper Academy they do just that. You are given a choice in the
beginning of the game which of the siblings you would like to play and the story
doesn’t change dramatically but we do get to see them enter the Soul Society to
train to become Soul Reapers to fight against dangerous Hollows.

After completing a few story-related events
called Free Time where you can earn useful items, raise your status or raise
Affinity between the characters you meet, the story fast forwards several years
later when Aizen’s betray has left the Soul Society shaken. Aizen’s group of
Arrancars means to destroy the Soul Society but thanks to the help of a certain
substitute Soul Reaper named Ichigo and his friends join the fight. With Matsuri
and Fujimaru members of Squad 5 of the 13th Court Guard Squads, they uncover the
threat firsthand.

While the game doesn’t allow you to freely move
around the environment freely like in classic role-playing games, the story will
take you through familiar locales in the game via the cut scenes and Free Time
sequences. We are also introduced to combat early in the game to learn about
different attacks, each characters skills on the battlefield and the tactical
side to each battle. Naturally, different characters different skills and
abilities to the table and – of course – their own unique Bankai attacks.

BANKAI!

Battles are turn-based affairs that have your
party moving first then your enemies making a move after your turn. There’s a
tactical side to the game but it isn’t a necessity to survive like in other
strategy RPGs. I easily got by with a party that consisted of Ichigo, the bubbly
Orihime, the powerhouse that is Chad and the lethal Kenpachi Zaraki. With over
50 characters you can mix and match different characters to add to your party of
eight to take on specific threats whether it’s a more powerful Hollow (like
Menos Grande) or an Arrancar Espada like Ulquiorra.

You can also upgrade your character’s abilities
and Zanpakuto (what the Bleach universe calls swords and other weapons wielded
by Soul Reapers) with the experience points you earn by meeting Win Conditions
set before each battle. The conditions might be that you don’t lose a single
character during battle or that one of your characters reach Bankai. There are
points you earn by performing co-op attacks that link an attack between one
characters with the attack of another to deal double the damage.

Unfortunately, the game has its list of problems,
one of which is that the game has lengthy and frequent load times even on the
Nintendo DS. The difficulty also ramps up early in the game then becomes less
difficult at odd times in the game. As I mentioned, the use of strategy is not
really necessary and even more so if you’re a hardcore Bleach fan. Fans of the
series know who the powerful Soul Reapers are and even if you don’t know
anything about the series you are more likely to add said powerful Soul Reapers
to your party at one point. The game also has a two-player multiplayer mode but
it just has you facing off against a friend rather than adding co-op.

UNDER (SPIRITUAL) PRESSURE

As far as the graphics are concerned, the game
does a good job of displaying the anime’s art perfectly during the cut scenes
and conversations. During the action the character look downright adorable but
at least you can tell most of the characters apart on the battlefield even
though most Soul Reapers all wear the same outfit. The fighting sequences do
stand out, though.

Unfortunately, there’s no voice acting in the
game but you will hear some rocking guitars that mimic the action scene music
from the series. The game even includes an opening theme song, which is actually
really good. There are sound effects but they’re minimal and hardly noticeable
so don’t expect much in this department.

Bleach: The 3rd Phantom for the Nintendo DS
caters to the true Bleach fan and that’s not such a bad thing but for those who
are simply looking for a great strategy-based RPG will find the game a bit on
the flawed side. Still, there’s a lot to like about this game and even more so
if you’re crazy about all things Bleach and there are certainly plenty of Bleach
fans out there.

Gameplay: 7.0
We’re introduced to two new characters but the game’s story brings back all the
Bleach characters in the Bleach universe while providing a look into the past.
You can fill your party with favorites like Rukia, Ichigo and even Yoruichi.
Strategy is implied but not really necessary to get by in this game.

Graphics: 7.5
Visually, the game looks decent in action and the cut scenes offer visuals true
to Tite Kubo’s art style. The visual effects can be flashy at times but it still
could have been a bit better.

Sound: 7.0
There’s a cool anime-styled opening theme song that makes this feel like a
Bleach episode or movie and the music is filled with rocking guitars during the
battles. Sadly, there’s no voice acting and the sound effects are just minimal.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
There are some difficult battles against the more powerful Hollows but the real
challenges come from going up against the Arrancar threat. Sure, tactics are
used but it’s not a requirement in this game … unfortunately.

Concept: 7.0
If you were looking for a game that offers plenty of background and an
interesting look at the history of the Soul Reapers then this is the Bleach game
for you. There are a little over 50 familiar characters you can add to your
party and there are wireless two-player battles.

Multiplayer: 6.5
You can battle against a friend wirelessly using any of the available characters
on the roster so you can pit your favorite character against your friend’s
favorite. There’s not much to the battles and I don’t see gamers playing this
one for a long time but it’s a mode that’s well appreciated.

Overall: 7.0
Dedicated Bleach fans will find a lot to love about The 3rd Phantom but, as far
as true RPG and strategy fans are concerned, its few flaws are just too
noticeable to ignore. That said, however, the game manages to squeeze in plenty
of Bleach lore and the battles can be loads of fun thanks to the great number of
characters available so you may want to check this one out either way.