Granted, when one thinks ‘video games,’ it isn’t necessarily anime-inspired titles that spring to mind. However, gamers and anime fans have co-existed in perfect harmony for decades, so there’s an audience out there that’s just ripe for the picking. There aren’t too many gamers that would also consider themselves anime lovers, but there’s a reasonable portion of dual-fans that aren’t opposed to experiencing their favorite series from an entirely different perspective.
While anime has been around since roughly 1917, it wasn’t until the 1950s that video games were created and several more years before they ever rose to prominence. Nowadays, we have titles like FIFA, Call of Duty, Fortnite and Minecraft that rule the roost, whereas there’s untapped potential in the anime market. So, let’s steer away from the first-person shooters and sandbox adventures and take a look at the wonderful hybrids produced when video games meet anime.
15. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Bandai Namco Entertaiment are arguably the leading publishers in anime-based video games. Not just that, they’re also responsible for cult-classic titles such as Pac-Man, Tekken, Gundam, Soulcalibur, Tales and Ace Combat. Released in 2015, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth is the fifth installment in the ongoing Digimon Story saga, preceding Digimon World Dawn and Dusk, Digimon Story Lost Evolution, Digimon Story: Super Xros Wars Red and Blue, and succeeding Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory. The role-playing game, which invites players to control characters from a third-person perspective, follows either Takumi Aiba (male) or Ami Aiba (female) — a student living in Tokyo while their mother works abroad. Players choose a Digimon partner, then progress through the game to meet, battle and acquire new Digimon, all while working towards uncovering the secrets of the cyberspace network known as EDEN.
14. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Hinokami Chronicles
Based on Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga series, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and — more specifically — its 2019 anime adaptation, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Hinokami Chronicles follows Tanjiro Kamado in the single-player story mode, who acts as the series’ protagonist. Players control Kamado as he joins the Demon Slayer Corps and battles numerous demons in an attempt to turn his sister Nezuko, a demon, back into a human. Originally launching with 18 playable slayers, a total of 13 additional slayers were added as downloadable content. The story is told through various cutscenes and boss battles, and there’s even a versus mode, where players (online or offline) form teams of two fighters from the roster and battle either CPU or local/online opponents. Initially launching for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S in October 2021, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Hinokami Chronicles became available on Nintendo Switch in June/July 2022.
13. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, the free-to-play collectible trading card game, which was based on the widely popular Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, released in January 2022 to PC and consoles, but later became available on Android and iOS devices in certain regions as well. Following the gachapon format, Master Duel makes gems available to earn from completing tasks or purchasing them in-game, which can then be traded for various booster packs and structure decks. Additionally, collectors can challenge other players online in Duel Mode or battle through card stories and pre-made narratives in Solo Mode. This one might be more of a dark horse, but Yu-Gi-Oh! fans — especially those attached to the trading card game — will appreciate this faithful adaptation.
12. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
Another Bandai Namco Entertainment title, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 follows protagonists and series mainstays Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha as they participate in the Fourth Shinobi World War against the terrorist organization Akatsuki and all those in alliance with it. Acting as the sixth installment in the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm series and the sequel to the less-successful 2013 game Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst, the story unfolds in snippets of boss fights, quick time events and hack-and-slash areas. Although Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 follows a linear Story Mode, the downloadable content called Road to Boruto — set fifteen years after the Fourth Ninja War — can expand the narrative even further in the future.
11. Pokémon Sword and Shield
In 2019, Game Freak, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company collaborated on Pokémon Sword and Shield, the first installment in the eighth generation of Pokémon video games that began development following the completion of Pokémon Sun and Moon in 2016. Although there are several side quests and the opportunity to explore an open-world environment, the main objective of Sword and Shield is to dethrone Leon, the current Pokémon League Champion, and claim the title for oneself. There are several Gym Leaders that the player must defeat in order to progress and challenge Leon, all while taking down Team Yell, the nefarious organization equivalent to the Pokémon anime’s Team Rocket. In addition, Sword and Shield introduces 88 new Pokémon in total, as well as the mechanics of Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing.
10. Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact, the free-to-play role-playing game by miHoYo, utilizes the open-world mechanic and a battle system that uses elemental magic, powerful weapons and hand-to-hand combat. The general storyline of Genshin Impact, which takes place in the fictional world of Teyvat, ruled by seven elemental nations, follows the Traveler, an individual who journeys across countless worlds with their twin sibling until they become separated in Teyvat. Subsequently, the Traveler must navigate Teyvat’s many nations to reunite with their lost twin. Players can control four interchangeable characters in their party, which allows for the execution of different elemental skills and attacks. Currently, Genshin Impact is available on Android, iOS, PS4, Windows and — more recently — PS5, with a copy in development and soon to be announced for the Nintendo Switch.
9. Danganronpa Trilogy
The Danganronpa Trilogy is the name for the bundled version of the Playstation 4 titles Danganronpa 1.2 Reload and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. Overall, the Danganronpa video game series follows various high school students who are forced into murdering their classmates by a sadistic and robotic teddy bear named Monokuma. In all 15 Danganronpa entires from 2010 to 2021, gameplay typically features a mix of visual novel, detective and dating simulator elements. The Danganronpa trilogy features gameplay from 1.2 Reload and Killing Harmony, but also includes post-game bonuses like School Mode, Island Mode, Love Across the Universe and Despair Dungeon: Monokuma’s Test. Interestingly, the developer Spike Chunsoft also created the 2010 visual novel Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc that the entire franchise — video game series and anime series included — drew inspiration from.
8. Dragon Ball FighterZ
There’s just no stopping Bandai Namco Entertainment. Yet another title, Dragon Ball FighterZ, which is based on the Dragon Ball franchise, originates from a collaboration with Arc System Works, the developer of Persona 4. Resembling Mortal Kombat to an extent, the premise of Dragon Ball FighterZ allows players to choose a team of three playable characters, then compete against an AI or human opponent; the game mechanics are akin to those used in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, which is arguably immensely popular. There’s opportunities for players to purchase loot boxes known as “Z capsules” with an in-game currency called zeni, which is earned through winning matches and completing challenges. There are three story scenarios: the Super Warrior Arc, where Goku is the main character; the Enemy Warrior Arc, where Frieza is the main character; and the Android 21 Arc, where Androids 18 and 21 are the main characters.
7. My Hero One’s Justice 2
Byking and Bandai Namco unveiled My Hero One’s Justice 2 in 2020, which acted as the sequel to My Hero One’s Justice and the manga series My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi, which began publication in 2014 and received an anime adaptation in 2016. There’s no better summary for My Hero One’s Justice 2 than that provided by Bandai themselves on the official website for the game: “Play through the anime and experience memorable fights as you relive iconic scenes. Pick up after the finish of My Hero One’s Justice and see what happens to Deku and Class 1-A. With 40 playable characters, build your dream team with your favorite hero or villain Fight to build up your PLUS ULTRA meter and pull off Ultimate Moves in special combos that Go Beyond.”
6. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4
Based on the ever-popular One Piece franchise, the fourth installment in the ongoing Pirate Warriors video games series, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, reworks the unfinished (at the time) Wano arc to see Cavendish and Bartolomeo helping the captured Straw Hat Pirates escape their cells. In the sequel to 2015’s One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, the war between Big Mom and Kaido is heating up, intervened by Blackbeard and his crew. In the end, Luffy must defeat Big Mom, Blackbeard and Kaido, who serves as the game’s boss fight, and restore peace to the Wano country. With over 50 playable characters, Pirate Warriors 4 proves to be a worthy successor, claiming recognition for being the second best-selling retail game during its first week on sale in Japan.
5. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R
Using over 40 characters taken from the first eight story arcs, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R allows players to compete against one another, fighting in various locations taken from the manga series. Similar to like-minded fighting games, the objective is to defeat your opponent by draining their stamina gauge (equivalent to HP). Battle R features many different game modes; Story Mode allows players to progress the story through various battles, Campaign Mode is an online mode where players either fight a computer-generated character known as a Vision or a Boss character (appearing only 7% of the time). In Versus Mode, players can battle locally or online in either just-for-fun battles or ranked matches. Although originally released for PlayStation 3, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R was remastered for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows.
4. Doki Doki Literature Club!
One of the only non-fighting games on the list, Dan Salvato’s Doki Doki Literature Club! is just as deceiving as it looks. When loading the game, players are greeted with the following message: “This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.” Misleading gameplay fools first-time players into believing that Doki Doki Literature Club! is nothing more than an average dating simulator, but (and without spoiling too much) as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. Players control MC (Main Character) in befriending and dating one of four hopeful girls: Monika, Yuri, Sayori and Natsuki. MC interacts with them, writes poems for them and even engages in after-school activities to learn more about them, but there’s more sinister forces at play that are hidden behind a cutesy exterior. Originally released solely on Steam, Doki Doki Literature Club! later became available on PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch in the form of an expanded version called Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
3. Astral Chain
The 2019 hack-and-slash game Astral Chain is a Nintendo Switch Exclusive developed by PlatinumGames that was directed by Takahisa Taura, who previously worked on Nier: Automata. Set in a dystopian future, Astral Chain follows the new twin recruits of a police task force that protects Earth from interdimensional creatures. Using the “Astral Chain,” the twins are able to restrain and control the creatures, thereby using them in battle and during investigations. Once captured, the creatures become known as “Legions.” Drawing inspiration from cyberpunk anime, Astral Chain utilizes many role-playing elements and mixes them with adventuring mechanics. Astral Chain became one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch after selling over a million copies worldwide as of December 2019.
2. Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Taking us all the way back to the 2003 era of the Game Boy Advance, Astro Boy: Omega Factor draws inspiration from Osamu Tezuka’s manga and anime franchise Astro Boy. Developed by Treasure and Hitmaker, Omega Factor is a beat ’em up that stars Astro Boy, who is described by Frederik L. Schodt in the English-language version of Astro Boy Volume 1 (a comic by Osamu Tezuka) as “21st-century reverse-Pinocchio, a nearly perfect robot who strove to become more human and emotive and to serve as an interface between man and machine.” In Omega Factor, which is divided into two episodes (Birth and Rebirth), the objective is to stop a deadly device called a Death Mask from destroying all robots and allowing Hosuke Sharaku — the central villain of the franchise — to conquer Earth. Featured in the 2010 novel 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die, Astro Boy: Omega Factor is one of Sega most beloved games.
1. Persona 5
Largely regarded as one of the greatest role-playing games (and anime games) of all time, Persona 5 is set in modern-day Tokyo and follows the adventures of a high school student known by the pseudonym Joker who eventually awakens a special power inside of him that other students also possess, which leads them to founding the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Persona 5 is the sixth installment in the Persona series and utilizes the same mechanics as previous games; members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts fight entities known as Shadows using physical manifestations of their psyche known as Personas. There’s a mixture of role-playing, dungeon crawling and social simulation elements to Persona 5 that make it feels like multiple titles in one experience. Two years after the game’s release in 2016, it received an anime adaptation known as Persona 5: The Animation, directed by Masashi Ishihama.