Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash is a disappointing fighter all around. Despite a fun premise and enjoyable moments, the game is so bogged down with strange choices and clunky gameplay that it never emerges from the stigma of being a standard anime arena fighter.
Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash
Developer: Byking & Gemdrops Inc.
Price: $60
Platforms: PS4, PS5 (reviewed,) Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS5 code for review
I’m an enormous fan of Jujutsu Kaisen. New chapter and episode drops have been weekly highlights for years, and I certainly have too many figures from the franchise adorning my shelves. I’ve been hoping for a Jujutsu Kaisen console game since the beginning, so I held out hope when Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash was announced. Unfortunately, the game is no more enjoyable than most other anime arena fighters, despite a potentially exciting gameplay hook.
The game I’d most likely compare to Cursed Clash would be Dissidia: Final Fantasy. You have attacks that do no damage but build up Cursed Energy and attacks that use said energy to deal damage. The idea of balancing these two different attack types holds a great deal of potential, but it’s hardly utilized here. Most attacks feel slow and clunky, which combines poorly with the team-based nature of the game. It also seemed as though using my ultimate attacks sometimes didn’t register, as I’d have a full bar, but the button input wouldn’t really work.
When you’re being hit, it can feel as though there’s no way out of attacks, while enemies can easily dodge and block anything you throw at them – an especially frustrating thing when the AI opponents seem to know your every move the second you input it. While there’s enjoyment in soaring across stages and knocking around foes with your favorite characters, Cursed Clash’s jankiness gets in its own way far too often.
The story mode adapts the events of the anime’s first season (Cursed Child Arc to the Death Painting Arc) as well as Jujutsu Kaisen 0. It’s primarily told through anime stills with text and voice acting, though the occasional 3D cutscene is thrown in. The 3D scenes are fun to watch and adequately adapt some of the more iconic scenes from early in the series, though I wish there were more of them. The Short Stories that are unlocked through the Relationship Chart, which fills out as you go through the story mode, are pleasant short scenes that further fill out the relationships between characters, making them a neat addition.
Battles in the story mode are a good warm-up but can be a bit of a pain. A fair amount of them have you battling 2 or even 3 enemies by yourself, which can be quite frustrating given the game is very clearly made for 2v2 battles. Some of the additional conditions for story missions and online co-op are unbalanced as well. For example, some have you trying to not get hit a certain amount of times while opponent combos rack up tons of hits immediately. Given how hard it can be to dodge or block, this can lead to a fair amount of frustrating retries.
“There are also some baffling choices in terms of the HUD and the menus.“
Online co-op, which can be played by yourself as well, is one of the more interesting facets of the game, as it lets you take on gauntlets of enemies while utilizing Binding Vows – stat perks that also come with downsides, adding a roguelike sort of element to the mode. This is the most enjoyable aspect of the game, as you can fight curses and opponents alone or with friends while powering up your favorite characters. It still has the previously mentioned issues, but the effort put into this area makes it shine more than the others.
There are also some baffling choices in terms of the HUD and the menus. The Free Battle character select is essentially a spreadsheet, while the online battle mode’s character actually shows them. The main menu feels like a DVD menu, and there’s text all over huge portions of the screen during battles. It’s a shame to see, as there are plenty of anime games that get creative with menus and condense their HUDs even when there’s lots of information.
The customization is a positive, as there are different costumes and color schemes to use for each character. From goofy Jujutsu Stroll alternate looks to canon designs, you can at least look however you wish when playing. The Ultimate Edition even includes a little minigame called Jujutsu RBI, based on R.B.I. Baseball and the baseball section of the Kyoto Exchange Event story. It’s a fun idea that pays homage to a delightful part of the series, making for a dandy little bonus.
The Final Word
Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash is an overall disappointing fighter that doesn’t quite live up to the franchise it’s adapting. There are kernels of exciting ideas scattered throughout, but there are a few too many problems to raise it above a pretty average experience – even for Jujutsu Kaisen megafans.
MonsterVine Rating: 3 out of 5 – Average
