With the rise in popularity of anime over the years, there have been thousands of video games based on anime, having come out over the years, no matter your preferred anime genre, there is probably an anime-inspired game out there in the wild waiting for you.
Although games based on anime may not always have the greatest track records there are ones that are actually worth playing. So let’s look at some of the best anime video games of all time that keep the magic of anime, manga, or light novels together!
Best Anime Video Games of All Time
20.
GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-
- Developer: Arc System Works
- Genres: Action, Arcade, Fighting
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Released: Jun 11, 2021
With the fate of the universe about to be determined, we head into battle with Sol Badguy, his rival Ky Kiske, and other unique characters as they face the person responsible for all the destruction and damage to the world and its inhabitants.
The Guilty Gear series is a great anime-inspired fighting game that immerses you in its 2D-3D world, with over-the-top action, amazing music, and rewarding gameplay that is easy to pick up and play.
19.
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
- Developer: QLOC, BANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc.
- Genres: Action, Fantasy, JRPG
- Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Released: Jan 11, 2019
The 10th anniversary of Tales of Vesperia, returns us to the tales of friends who travel different paths, meet by chance, and go on an epic adventure that threatens the existence of all in. In a world dependent on a harmful energy source and conflicting ideals.
Tales of Vesperia is another great anime-style video game that made me feel like it dropped me into an isekai. The story is wonderful, with so much charm and love. The characters were cute, cheerful, and lovable, with great individual arcs. It’s a definite must-play for fans of the Tales series.
18.
.hack//G.U. Last Recode
- Developer: CyberConnect2
- Genres: Action, Fantasy, Hack and Slash, JRPG
- Platform: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
- Released: Nov 3, 2017
When Haseo’s friend Shino, a player of The World falls into a coma after being attacked by another player named Tri-Edge. Haseo hunts Tri-Edge and players of his kind down to save his friend and others while making new close friends and enemies along the way.
Last Recode feels like a nostalgic love letter to anime with long cut-scenes and an interesting story. It’s a game with a unique feel with a ton of little things that make the game charming and fun.
17.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution
- Developer: Other Ocean Emeryville
- Genres: Simulation, Trading Card Game, Strategy, Puzzle
- Platform: Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC
- Released: Mar 24, 2020
Build your deck and experience over 20 years of Yu-Gi-Oh! history from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series through Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS taking on the most iconic and fan-favorite duelists.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist is a great trading card game that made me feel like a shounen protagonist in an anime series. It’s a fun game to relive the TV Series duels that can be played with friends. For people who love deck-building card games, you will love the card play and strategy.
16.
Fairy Tail
- Developer: KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
- Genres: Action, Fantasy, JRPG, Turn-Based
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
- Released: Jul 30, 2020
Based on the hit series fantasy adventure manga turned anime about Natsu, a Dragon Slayer, his friends, and other rowdy Fairy Tail magician guild members as they fight to protect themselves and others, going on sometimes unusual and always memorable adventures.
This game is especially great for fans of the Fairy Tail series and nostalgic, as you get to pick from a list of memorable characters from the series to play through and do all kinds of quests from the main story with an original story added in.
15.
Initial D Arcade Stage 8 Infinity
- Developer: Sega
- Genres: Arcade, Racing, Sport
- Platform: Arcade, PlayStation 2, PSP, PlayStation 3
- Released: Jul 17, 2014
In Initial D Arcade Stage 8 Infinity, players race against different opponents through various mountain passes featured in its manga and anime.
Stage 8 Infinity is a great arcade racing game series based on its manga and anime that is a lot of fun and great if you are learning to drive. With fan-favorite Japanese cars from the series and an option to create a customized car players get to feel like a character from the Initial D series.
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14.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles
- Developer: CyberConnect2
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Fighting
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
- Released: Oct 15, 2021
Experience the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime again by playing as the protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado. Becoming the blade that destroys demons to turn his sister Nezuko, who has become a demon, back into a human.
The Hinokami Chronicles is a beautiful anime game with some of the most enjoyable combat. If you are a fan of the series, there is plenty of fun to be had using the breathing forms of your favorite characters, and being able to take an active role in the story’s progression is fun. There are also a few bonus scenes that weren’t present in the anime.
13.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON
- Developer: Namco Bandai Games
- Genres: Arcade, Fighting
- Platform: Arcade, Playstation 4
- Released: Jul 30, 2020
In this functional 3D battler game, fans and newcomers to the Gundam series get to take control of their favorite mechs from the series.
Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the best in the Gundam Extreme Vs series, with its mind-blowing, enjoyable and simple gameplay. It’s also a fun anime game to play with your friends and family.
12.
Persona 5
- Developer: P-Studio
- Genres: Action, Adventure, JRPG, Simulation
- Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
- Released: Sep 15, 2016#
Joker is a second-year high school student who gets expelled because of false accusations. Is sent to another school in Tokyo, where he gains supernatural powers that allows him to change the hearts of terrible people. Along with his new friends, he tries to help reform their terrible coach at their new school.
Persona 5 is a great anime game with an amazing story, music, and combat that is insanely fun. Characters all come with unique traits that make them relatable and well-woven into the story. It’s an amazingly powerful and emotional game that looks at human nature and repentance for wrongdoing.
11.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise
- Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Genres: Action, Beat ’em up, JRPG
- Platform: PlayStation 4
- Released: March 8, 2018
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, where Kenshiro, the successor of the martial art Hokuto Shinken, searches the wasteland for his kidnapped fiancée, Yuria. When he hears rumors ‌he could find a woman called Yuria in the city of Eden, he makes his way to Eden to find his beloved.
Fist of the North Star is an anime game that’s very enjoyable and captures the look and feel of the anime series of the same name. With plenty of nods and easter eggs for anyone that remembers the series. It’s a game I recommend for anyone who remembers the series fondly.
10.
River City Girls
- Developer: WayForward
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Beat ’em up, RPG
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Amazon Luna, PlayStation 5
- Released: Sep 5, 2019
When hot-blooded heroes Kunio and Riki get in over their heads, it’s up to their equally hot-blooded girlfriends to save the day as they punch and kick through River City.
River City Girls is another great anime-styled game with awesome action, beautiful manga story panels, anime cutscenes, and an epic soundtrack. Playing was a breath of fresh air from the usual 3D brawler, with its reminiscent of 8-bit beat ’em ups with a modern flair and light comedy.
9.
Attack on Titan 2
- Developer: Omega Force
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Hack and slash, JRPG
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Stadia
- Released: Mar 15, 2018
Defeat titans in large, open areas as your own original character. Playing through 90 chapters of Attack on Titan and interacting with the characters of the beloved manga.
Attack on Titan 2 is a fun game adapted beautifully from its manga and anime. It’s great for fans of the series who have dreamt of taking control of an ODM gear, and anyone really who would love to experience the show in a more interactive way using their own customizable character.
8.
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
- Developer: Chunsoft
- Genres: Adventure, Mystery, Puzzle, Sci-Fi, Visual novel
- Platform: Nintendo DS, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows
- Released: Dec 10, 2009
An unknown person named Zero kidnaps and traps nine people on a cruise ship, forcing them to play a game, with a time set to nine hours failure to complete the game by then will lead to the ship sinking. The players will have to work in teams and solve different puzzles to escape.
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a great anime game with an impactful story, plenty of mysteries, twists and is incredibly fun to play. The game starts as any typical escape room game but quickly turns into the most attention-grabbing, curiosity-evoking game that will leave you feeling attached to one or more characters at the end.
7.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (video game)
- Developer: Capcom
- Genres: Action, Arcade, Fighting
- Platform: Arcade, PlayStation, Dreamcast, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
- Released: Dec, 1998
Long before the anime series of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure manga series had been the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure video game made on the same game engine that gave us Street Fighter III.
The Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure video game featured a completely new and innovative combat system. A wide cast of creative characters from the series we loved and several original artworks made by the creator of the manga. While there have been many Jojo’s games since this one, this game is still one of the best for its style.
6.
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4
- Developer: Omega Force
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Hack and slash, Beat ’em up, Fighting, RPG
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Released: Mar 27, 2020
Based on the concept of fighting hordes of enemies in destructible environments like the beloved Warrior series. Experience a real One Piece battlefield with action lifted straight from the anime using your favorite character from the series.
Pirate Warriors 4 is another one of the best anime games ever for a fan of the One Piece series or anyone who wants to play as a character from the series and feel insanely overpowered as you blow through enemies. It’s a great example of how to breathe new life into something that seems like a tired gameplay formula.
5.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
- Developer: CyberConnect2
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Beat ’em up, Fantasy, Fighting, RPG
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Released: Feb 4, 2016
Experience the Naruto Shippuden anime series again by playing the protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, and other beloved casts from the series as you go on a colorful and breathtaking ride with epic fights and memorable scenes from the series.
Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is a relatively fun and simple game to learn for first-time players and fans of the show learning the various range of attacks and awakenings for each character is exciting. With more characters, jutsu, and combos it’s overall the best game in the series so far.
4.
Jump Ultimate Stars
- Developer: Ganbarion
- Genres: Action, Arcade, Fighting
- Platform: Nintendo DS
- Released: Nov 23, 2006
Battles begin in arenas made to look like the page of a manga, with fan favorites of Shonen Jump manga. With manga panels and characters having unique environmental attributes and fun gameplay mechanics.
Jump Ultimate Stars is a great nostalgic anime game that feels like the ancestor of Smash Bros (just the anime version) or J Stars or Jump Force before they were a thing. It’s still a fun game to play if you can get your hands on one.
3.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
- Developer: Arc System Works
- Genres: Action, Arcade, Fighting
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Released: Jan 26, 2018
Experience the Dragon Ball anime series in an all-new way playing as the protagonist, Goku, and other powerful fighters from the series as they duke it out in epic and memorable fights.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is a great entry-level fighting game, with a large roster of fighters and a visually stunning anime game that makes you feel ‌like you are actually in an actual Dragon Ball episode. And is a perfect love letter to the Dragon Ball franchise.
2.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
- Developer: Level-5
- Genres: Action, Adventure, City Builder, Fantasy, Hack and slash, JRPG, Survival, Strategy
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
- Released: Mar 23, 2018
Join the young king Evan as he sets out on an epic quest to create a new kingdom with the help of you and some new friends, uniting his world, all the while saving its people from a terrible evil.
The Revenant Kingdom is a great anime game to recommend for those who haven’t played JRPGs in a while or at all. It’s a beautifully made game with memorable characters, a feel-good story, great music, and amazing visuals that’s makes you want to get lost in the world.
1.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
- Developer: Game Freak
- Genres: Action, RPG
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Released: Jan 28, 2022
Live the life of a Pokémon trainer in a bygone era of the Sinnoh region’s history, when the expansive natural majesty was known as the Hisui region. You will embark on survey missions, learn the secrets of the pokémon and create the first-ever Pokédex.
Pokémon Legends is a great game that completely reshapes the original Pokemon game mechanics, creating a refreshing change to the usual mechanics in other games. With a great cast of characters and story, the game is a welcome breath of fresh air, that makes you feel like a Pokémon trainer.
Bonus Mentions
Dragon Quest XI
- Developer: Square Enix, Toylogic, Armor Project, ORCA
- Genres: Action, Fantasy, JRPG
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia
- Released: Jul 29, 2017
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
- Developer: Treasure, SEGA Hitmaker
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Beat ’em up, Platform game
- Platform: Game Boy Advance
- Released: Dec 18, 2003
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- Developer: Intelligent Systems, Koei Tecmo Games, Koei Tecmo
- Genres: Action, Fantasy, JRPG
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Released: Jul 26, 2019
Catherine: Full Body
- Developer: Atlus, Studio Zero
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Puzzle, Platform game
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
- Released: Feb 14, 2019
My Hero One’s Justice
- Developer: Byking
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Arcade, Fighting
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia
- Released: Aug 23, 2018
Doki Doki Literature Club!
- Developer: Dan Salvato LLC
- Genres: Adventure, Horror, Romance, Indie, Visual novel
- Platform: Macintosh operating systems, Linux, Microsoft Windows
- Released: Sep 22, 2017
Bleach: Brave Souls
- Developer: KLab, KLab Global Pte. Ltd.
- Genres: Action, Casual, Hack and slash, JRPG, Sci-Fi
- Platform: PlayStation 4, iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows
- Released: Jan 15, 2016
And that’s all for today, leave us a comment let us know what you think about our list of best anime video games of all time, is there any games you think should have made the list? If you’re not subscribed now’s the best time to do so. We upload brand new content every Saturday of the week best way to see them first is of course to subscribe.
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