Jump Force’s launch trailer does an impressive job of showing just how large and diverse the game’s roster really is. Fighters from Naruto, One Piece, Black Clover, Bleach, Dragon Ball Z, City Hunter, Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter X Hunter, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, My Hero Academia, Boruto, Saint Seiya, Fist of the North Star, Yu-Go-Oh!, Rurouni Kenshin, and Dragon Quest are shown rapid fire. An attentive eye might be able to pick out almost every fighter on the roster.
Even better, the Jump Force trailer goes out of its way to give most characters at least a second to show off a bit of gameplay or a high-intensity animation. To be a proper shonen protagonist, a character needs a pose, an ability, or a power that stands out. Jump Force clearly understands that and has captured as much of it as possible in its gameplay.
Given that Jump Force is in part being made as part of Weekly Shonen Jump’s 50th anniversary, the scope of the roster makes a little more sense. 40 of the game’s 42 base characters come from Weekly Shonen Jump’s lengthy history. Though, to be fair, the oldest character in the game is only from 1983, while Weekly Shonen Jump started all the way back in 1968. Perhaps some of its older manga characters will make special appearances or will be released as DLC.
The February 15 launch date for Jump Force is going to be competitive, given it’s also the release date for Metro Exodus, Far Cry: New Dawn, Crackdown 3, and Anthem’s early access. Nevertheless, it looks like Jump Force is going to deliver a product that both anime fans and fighting game fans will be watching.
Jump Force releases February 15, 2019 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
