JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure certainly takes the crown for being one of the strangest manga ever devised, having split into several parts that encompass many eras. Compared to other manga though, it’s seen surprisingly few game adaptations, notably a Capcom game in the 90s and a newer adaptation by CyberConnect2. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven marks CyberConnect2’s second effort with the franchise, but is a massive departure in terms of style.
Eyes of Heaven definitely captures the art style and flamboyant movement from the anime, as well as the gloriously dodgy “Engrish” translations. Occasionally though, the animation feels somewhat stiff as the design mimics the anime to the detriment of the overall flow of the game, especially during cutscenes. I realise this is an odd complaint, but it just felt off when characters suddenly stopped before beginning their next animation. Thankfully this is less prevalent in combat.
While All-Star Battle opted to retell the manga in all its parts, Eyes of Heaven is more of a “Gaiden” or side-story to the manga. Throughout each of the eras, enemies and deceased allies alike are being revived. On top of that, each era’s protagonists are finding friends suddenly turning hostile, referring to a “Noble One” pulling the strings. Needless to say, it’s not canon in any way and spoilers for the manga/anime are plentiful.
With that in mind, it’s still relatively interesting to see how certain characters interact with each other; particularly the likes of the older Joseph Joestar meeting his illegitimate son, and Jotaro meeting a version of his daughter that is older than he is. That said, the plot takes a nose dive in terms of interest thanks to there being little in the way of narrative direction towards the end.
Aside from fighting, there are a few mini-games that appear, such as punching a number of enemies until a timer runs out, or exploring the stages to collect trinkets. One of the more interesting diversions is Cheating Poker, in which QTE prompts pop up for you to cheat during a game of poker. While not very well explained, it is by far the most enjoyable of the mini-games, though why you can’t play this mode online escapes me.
Compared to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, there are significant and sweeping changes to the fighting of Eyes of Heaven. Gone is a Tekken-like approach in favour of CyberConnect2’s 3D arena fighting game system, which is more akin to the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm franchise.
Fights are generally 2v2, but occasionally mix things up with 2v1 handicap matches in the story mode, while 1v1 fights also crop up in places. Each arena is wonderfully designed, full of hazards to exploit when fighting opponents. Combat is more nuanced because of this, as you’re not only thinking about what combo you’re doing, but also where the enemy will be going to land after knocking them down, which is a definite highlight.
With the amount of gauges on screen, it’s somewhat tricky to know what things do. However the combat system isn’t as complex as some fighting games, with basic normal and strong attack combos that bring it more in line with a spectacle fighter. Special moves are mapped to buttons that need L1 held down to trigger, as well as unique moves on R1, dashes on L2, and blocking on R2.
Each character also has two gauges, one to allow both characters to enter a state where landing enough hits results in a massively damaging finishing attack, and another where a character charges into a foe for a double attack. If your partner is downed, this changes to transforming into a more powerful form, by way of “Soul Succession”.
What seems somewhat unnecessary is the skill tree. After each level up, each character gains skill points towards perks and skills. Thankfully this is merely a quirk of the campaign, as Free Battle has all the skills unlocked from the get-go, yet there were times I felt hamstrung in the first few chapters of the story. Unlocking them isn’t tedious, as a few simple button presses can automatically do it for you, but having to do this after every few matches is needless busywork.
Aside from the story and Free Battle, the only other game mode is online play. While it is available and running, I found a grand total of one other person to play against in several attempts, so sadly, little more than a fortnight after release, the state of the multiplayer cannot be commented on. Modes on offer are basic and with no aforementioned Cheating Poker mode, it seems barebones. Rounding off the modes on offer are customisation and glossary options to catch up on the lore.
This brings me to the elephant in the room: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure itself. While wildly successful in Japan and slowly gaining a following in other territories, only fans will really go for this. This is a massive shame, as the actual fighting game it’s got a massive amount of potential. Perhaps it’s time that CyberConnect2 were granted their own IP rather than working on licenced titles.
What’s Good:
- Arena design is rich with interactive elements.
- Solid combat mechanics overall.
- Captures the spirit of the manga and recent anime adaptation.
- Some interesting what if scenarios in the story mode.
What’s Bad:
- Story drags on towards the end.
- Animation sometimes feels stiff.
- Online is sadly dead on arrival due to limited appeal.
- A hassle to learn the combat.
Despite its fantastic combat mechanics and interesting premise for the story though, I feel that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven is a bit of a hard sell. The main issue is that the game is somewhat hamstrung by the IP being used. This isn’t to say that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is bad, more that the tie-in nature of the game has limited appeal. If you like the manga or anime though, this is a fun time.
Score: 7/10
Version Tested: PlayStation 4