8 Anime Games To Watch Out For in 2020

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (Jan 16, 2020)

Few anime, if any, have the impact and legacy of Dragon Ball Z, and because of that we’ve seen countless games over the years. Yet Kakarot, somehow, presents a new experience, one that lets you take on the role of Goku in a semi-open world action-RPG.

The game once again spans everything from the Saiyan Saga to the Buu Saga, but outside of major story moments and battles you’ll actually be able to roam around and explore the world of Dragon Ball Z.

As you explore you’ll be able to meet a variety of characters from across the Dragon Ball series, not just those involved in the main story. You can form bonds with these characters, and at times, you’ll even form parties or play as other characters like Vegeta.

You’ll also be able to take on side activities like fishing or training, all to make Goku’s skills even better. Kakarot looks like it could be a unique twist on the Dragon Ball video game formula, and considering its developed by CyberConnect2, makers of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Fairy Tail (TBA 2020)

Dragon Ball isn’t the only series to get an RPG by a well-known developer, as Fairy Tail is getting its own turn-based RPG developed by Gust, who you might know best for the Atelier series.

Letting you step into the shoes of Natsu and the other Fairy Tail members, the game sports many of the biggest plotlines of the show, along with brand new stories for the game.

As you take on requests you’ll increase your guild rank, opening up new facilities and opportunities for even more difficult requests.

Fairy Tail sports a traditional turn-based combat system, with a wealth of playable characters including Erza, Wendy, Gajeel, Rogue, Kagura, Jellal, and many more.

There have been a few Fairy Tail games in the past, but this might finally be the one to capture the magic of the anime properly.

My Hero One’s Justice 2 (March 13, 2020)

My Hero Academia continues to be the anime that dominates the world, and it’s honestly amazing we haven’t gotten more video games by this point.

The first One’s Justice had some good ideas and a solid combat system, but it failed to do anything really impressive. Hopefully, that’s something that can change with a second attempt.

One’s Justice 2, once again, lets you jump into the story of MHA, picking up right where the first game left off. All of the playable characters return from the first game along with some strong new additions like Mirio and Overhaul.

We still have a bit to learn about the game, but if it makes some improvements and tightens up the combat system, it could be one of the best anime brawlers out there.

Persona 5 Royal (March 31, 2020)

Persona 5 has quickly gone down as one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, and since its release its had a dancing spinoff, an anime adaption, a Musou game, and more.

That experience is about to get bigger and bolder than ever before with Persona 5 Royal, a huge enhanced edition of the original. Like Persona 4 Golden before it, Royal makes a huge amount of changes, both major and minor.

A brand new character named Kasumi joins the main party, and there’s a wealth of new story segments including a full third school term. This third term is filled with contradictions to the main story and Goro Akechi enlists the protagonist’s help in order to investigate.

On top of all that there are brand new confidants, new costumes, new enemies, new UI elements, new explorable areas, new endings, a gallery mode, and more.

This isn’t just a simple update, it’s practically a new game, and one of the top anime-inspired games to watch out for in 2020.

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows (Feb. 28, 2020)

It’s amazing that it’s taken this long for One Punch Man to get a full video game adaption, but we’re finally there. Like many other first time adaptions (My Hero One’s Justice), A Hero Nobody Knows is an arena brawler.

You’ll be able to play as a variety of characters from the anime and duke it out in climactic super-powered battles. The game sports a neat cel-shaded style that really helps it resemble the anime.

You won’t actually be able to play as regular Saitama, and hilariously he instead functions as a timer. If you can survive as another hero and bring the timer down, Saitama will storm in and take the enemy out with his iconic one-hit KO.

It remains to be seen how this feature might really impact things, but at least One Punch Man is finally getting the video game due it deserves.

One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 (March 27, 2020)

One Piece returns to Musou once again with Pirate Warriors 4, and considering how great the previous titles have been, this one should be on your radar.

This time around you’ll have a massive roster of over 40 characters to choose from, ranging from the very start of One Piece to where the series is currently at. Similarly, a new story mode will take you all the way from the beginning.

Movesets for each character have been updated, and there’s more of an emphasis on aerial combat and the ability to juggle enemies. There’s also a new “giant” type of enemy that essentially serves as a boss, and is much more difficult to take down.

Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have already done a great job with One Piece, so there’s no reason to not expect them to do it again.

Digimon Survive (TBA 2020)

Digimon has been on a serious hot streak with video games the last few years, particularly with the Cyber Sleuth titles. Digimon Evolve looks like it could be another stellar Digimon title, and it’s totally unique for the franchise.

Five young students are on a historical studies camp during spring break when they find themselves, somehow, transported to another world. Survive is essentially split up into two gameplay styles; tactical grid-based battles and choice-based visual novel.

Battle will see you using your team of Digimon to take down enemies, and we know Digivolving will play into things in some way, although we don’t know exactly how yet.

It seems the story will be much darker than your usual Digimon fare as well. Choice and consequence play a major factor, and depending on the choices you make, it can even result in the death of main characters.

There’s still a lot of details we need to find out about Digimon Survive, but the concept and what little we know already sound incredibly promising.

Robotics;Notes Elite (TBA 2020)

Steins;Gate Elite, which released earlier this year, was a fascinating hybrid of visual novel and anime. Although it played like a visual novel, you were literally playing scenes from the anime. Now another of Mages’ beloved stories is getting the Elite treatment, Robotics;Notes.

From the same developers as Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes Elite takes place in a future where technology known as the PhoneDroid brings Augmented Reality to the world.

On Tanegashima Island the Robot Research Club is about to have their club disbanded, but one of the members finds an AR annotation called the Kimijima Report, which has startling revelations for the entire world.

Robotics;Notes follows the typical visual novel format, but it’s renowned for its fantastic storytelling and characters, much like Steins;Gate.

The game has been adapted into an anime since its original release, but Robotics;Notes Elite will finally make it playable in the West for the first time.

---