Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven Reviews
CyberConnect 2's latest Jojo's Bizarre Adventure brawler has some glaring issues, but series fans shouldn't hesitate to play this one.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes in Heaven features fun combat and a crazy story you’ll find hard not to get sucked into.
This is all stuff that a player can get used to given time and patience, and the quality of JoJo’s fanservice in the game is unimpeachable, enough that a forgiving fan can find much to enjoy in the package. All the same, it’s impossible to get past the impression that the game’s design is a distinctly B-team effort, driven more by a desire to differentiate from Cyberconnect2’s other flagship games than by improving on them or going with what’s worked. Simply put, we’re still looking for that definitive JoJo's game, because JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven isn’t it.
Doesn’t mean I think it’s worth a full price tag purchase, but fans of the Joestars should find enjoyment in it. Everybody else, consult and test with your Bizarre Adventure-loving friend before dropping any coin on Eyes of Heaven.
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.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven builds on the foundation laid by its predecessor with a completely original story by the series’ author that showcases just why fans love this series.
There’s a lot of new interest and goodwill rolling JJBA’s way in the last few years and I truly wish that this was competent fighter that I could point to get the gamer crowd interested in this legendary manga/anime series. However, the shallow, uninteresting combat, boring story mode and the lack of a local multiplayer mode makes this one hard to recommend, even to the most diehard of fans.
It looks great and it's bursting with appreciation for the source material, but JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven just can't detach itself from its disappointingly shoddy gameplay. Fun for a few bouts now and then, this is a brawler that doesn't quite do the original work justice - even if its nicely crafted story mode will keep fans entertained for at least a few hours.
The multiplayer modes feel basic, the story is underwhelming, and there isn’t much reason to play through it, aside from seeing the tale to its conclusion.
Eyes of Heaven offers a wacky story with plenty of varying dialogue that will bring in even the most casual Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, but the gameplay is average at best that doesn't offer much substance other than making sure the button mashes connect before the opponent's does. Fans of the anime will appreciate this game, but the casual gamer will not get much out of this title.
“Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven” looks spectacular thanks to gorgeous character models that bring a large number of its kooky cast to life. Gameplay, however, feels a bit flat and lacks the engaging action seen in “All Star Battle.” The AI is also about as reliable as the electronics of a Land Rover. Fans of the series might still enjoy this arena brawler but folks expecting a more polished fighting experience likely will feel differently about it.
The dialogue, mere filler between bouts, is more entertaining than the combat that’s meant to be the game’s focus.
Fans of the source material will find plenty of like as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven is a love letter to the series. The story mode starts off on the wrong foot, but quickly becomes a compelling experience for fans and newcomers.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven delivers a truly authentic visual representation of Hirohiko Araki's work. CyberConnect2 nailed it visually but failed to iterate on their past works with other licensed anime products to produce, instead, a forgettable 2-on-2 fighter. JoJo deserves far better.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven is a joyless, uninspired adaptation of one of manga’s most joyful, inspired titles, and one of the flattest gaming experiences of the year.
For a game that shows an insane amount of promise, it falls flat in a lot of ways. While the visuals are fantastic, and the story, albeit flawed, is engaging, there isn't much else in the way of options or offerings that can be had with this game. It's a great "sit back with the homies and play" type game, but other than that, it'll be collecting a bit of dust on your shelf when you're done with it.
If it wasn’t for the sheer zaniness of its characters and its fast paced nature then JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven‘s limited combat would fall flat on its face
Is Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven strictly for fans of the series?
As I finished the game’s story mode, it rarely felt like I was doing anything more than mashing buttons, and while I did figure out how to do better combos later on, it never felt like they were necessary.
Collecting all my favourite characters in one game and letting me mix and match them in combat is great fun, but doesn’t last - especially when I chose to stop playing the story mode halfway through due to not wanting to spoil the experience of reading the manga. The combat too is not one of CyberConnect2’s greatest offerings, with the fighting feeling far too loose and disconnected - completely the opposite of their last JoJo game, All Star Battle.