The Direction and Future of Anime Games

Anime and video games, in hindsight, feel like a match made in heaven. Animes are almost always full of action and filled with several twists and turns to keep viewers hooked. That is the formula of a good, engaging game right there! These intrinsic similarities between the two forms of media make transitioning from one to another seem seamless. That is why you see significantly more successful anime games rather than movie-tie-up games.

Not to discredit the work of great anime game studios, such as Bandai Namco, but they have it easier. Think about it, they don’t need to cultivate an audience for their games unlike other developers today. The world-building, the characters, the story, and even the fans are all right there for the taking already. They just have to be faithful to the source material—the anime series they want to build a game about.

With all that being said, what is the state of the anime game genre today? What does the immediate future hold for it? Read on as we take a closer look at the current direction and future of anime games.

The Current State of Anime Games

For as long as there are anime fans, there would be a demand for anime heroes to be playable characters in video games. And with the constant influx of high-quality anime series year in and year out, you can bet anime games are here to stay. 

If not, game developers can go back to the classics of yesteryears that still have a considerable audience. Look no further than everyone’s favorite anime, Dragon Ball. This series has been milked so much by the game industry over the years yet games with its name still sell.

Have a look at the most popular anime series today: Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and My Hero Academia. All of them now have their games, and we are positive that developers would continue making titles about them for as long as their fans wish for it.

However, an interesting trend popped up these past few years, turning the whole dynamic on its head. Instead of anime turning into games, there is now a demand for video games to be made into anime series. 

For instance, CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077. Last year, an anime series based on the specific game was made and has since garnered several praises. Both anime watchers and gamers worldwide loved Cyberpunk Edgerunners, proving that the trend has something good going for it. Turning games into anime works. The relationship between the two forms of media has now become a two-way lane.

The Future of Anime Games

Now that everyone is made aware that video games can turn into great anime series as well, the future of the genre cannot be any brighter. Game developers wouldn’t need to look far as well for great material. 

Popular animes today such as Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Vinland Saga can definitely be made into excellent games. Give it a couple of months or so, and you’d probably see one in several upcoming anime game lists. And if they want a safer option, they can easily go back to One Piece or, yet again, Dragon Ball. Demand for such games just feels endless, look at the success of One Piece Odyssey for instance.

Nevertheless, the anime games genre is nowhere near its tail end just yet. It may just be on the verge of a new age. So, rest easy anime game fans. While the quality of such games may still widely vary, they are here to stay and perhaps thrive even better than before.