Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash is like a poorly tied bow on a birthday present you forgot to buy—underwhelming and a bit embarrassing. Based on the mega-popular (and much cooler) anime, this game attempts to bring the Jujutsu Kaisen universe to the gaming world. Spoiler alert: it mostly just stumbles around like a headless chicken. Let's dive into the chaos.
In terms of gameplay, Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash sticks to the classic 2v2 fighting setup. You’ll team up with another character to unleash an array of flashy moves meant to resemble the epic battles from the anime (though the execution feels like a low-budget cosplay). The character roster nets you a total of 16 fighters at launch, which for a fighting game, might leave you feeling a bit shortchanged—it's like going to a buffet and finding out they've just run out of all the good food. The lack of depth can be painfully apparent; combating (read: smashing buttons repeatedly) often leaves you feeling like you’ve accidentally stumbled into a bad fanfiction rather than an epic showdown. Sprinkles of special moves and team attacks try to give it flair, but without proper balance, many will quickly find themselves unsure whether they’re enjoying a game or merely spectating a virtual auto-play movie. The story mode is where Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash suffers most. Based on the initial anime season, it features Yuji Itadori battling curses in an attempt to save humanity—exciting, right? Well, the reality is more like scrolling through bland image slideshows with voice acting so uninspired that it feels as if everyone involved was just reading the labels on cereal boxes.
Graphically, Cursed Clash employs the Unreal Engine 4. However, much like your uncle trying to explain cryptocurrency at Thanksgiving, the visuals don't quite hit the mark. Character designs are clearly inspired by the anime, but they often look more like strange action figures than animated heroes. Environments feature okay details, and there are moments when a flashy attack can look decent, but overall, you’ll sometimes feel like you're playing a game designed for a console two generations ago. The animation can, at times, be smooth but is often bogged down by a lack of imagination and soul, leaving players longing for the dynamic visuals of the source material.
In conclusion, Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash might sound appealing to fans of the franchise, but it's the gaming equivalent of a sandwich made with last month's bread. It suffers from uninspired gameplay, a meager character roster, and visuals that may leave you wishing for a redo. The combat might offer some fleeting entertainment, but when the dust settles, you'll be left asking if all the effort was worth it. In the world of fighting games, Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash is a flash of lightning followed by a rather dull thunderous silence. If you're really craving a Jujutsu Kaisen experience, it's probably best to stick to binging the anime instead of this lukewarm offering.