Review: Edens Zero Reminds Me of a PS2 Anime RPG

I can’t understand why Konami went with this decision. Yes, it is getting the player right to the point where they’ll get the ship and the crew starts on their quest to prepare it to head into deep space and find Mother. I’m not a fan, though! That’s skipping almost two volumes of the manga and the first five episodes of the 25-episode first season of the anime! I’m familiar with it, so it’s fine for me. But there’s a lot of exposition and important character development that’s stripped away! It fast forwards through important plot elements involving Shiki and Rebecca, time traveling, and the older and younger versions of Weisz. If someone is completely unfamiliar with the series, they will be thrust into an adventure in which they’re expected to care about people they didn’t get a chance to know. It’s a terrible introduction. Especially since, after defeating Elsie in a very quick experience that functions as a tutorial, Konami then chose to skip ahead again to Belial Gore. It’s only after that skip that we really get into the adventure proper.

The Skull Fairy also isn’t the best introduction, as we jump into a game that looks dated. The textures for the biological materials on the ship’s floors and walls just look bad. Not scary or unsettling, which is what you’d expect if you knew the series, but sloppy. Most areas don’t look that bad, but they can be rather bland and unimpressive. Considering how colorful and vibrant Hiro Mashima anime and manga series can be, it’s a bit disappointing when the backgrounds and attack effects look dated and we’re seeing the same enemies, only with different paint jobs, repeatedly. Blue Garden can feel like the biggest example of it. On the surface, it seems like a fairly accurate recreation, but it’s so bland and lifeless once you actually walk around it.

While Edens Zero is an action-RPG anime game, it also feels like one of Koei Tecmo’s Warriors games due to a Musou sort of combat system. You button-mash Y to create combos, then press A or X for finishers. R1 performs a character’s Signature Action. Each person has different types of ranges and traits, like a one in a Musou, so you could consider certain situations. So Shiki is close-range, while Rebecca is ranged. You can swap between your four active allies in a fight by pressing left or right on the D-pad. If you use Ether Points, you can even increase the moveset with an ability like a charged attack. However, I found it is largely a game where using whoever you like best is fine. However, the actual combo-system and combat is generally pretty easy and it doesn’t have the same punch and strategy of a Musou. Plus on PC, I noticed unexpected framerate drops most when in these types of fights, even if it didn’t seem like there were a ton of folks on the field or a lot going on.

Another issue I encountered, though I’m uncertain if it is limited to the PC version of Edens Zero, involves dodging. If you’re in the middle of a combo sometimes or with some characters, but suddenly need to evade an enemy, the game doesn’t allow you to do it. There’s no canceling out of it. Given that dodging and countering sometimes seem imprecise in general, I’m guessing it’s just the way things work. But it’s disappointing, as it lacks the sort of precision we’ve seen in countless Omega Force games with similar types of combat systems. Since the enemy type is limited and that also applies to attack patterns, it means at least memorizing who does what can help with anticipating when dodging will be necessary.

Performance issues on the PC aside, I think the greatest failing with Edens Zero is that it is so bland and flavorless. If this were an action-RPG based on a household name anime or manga, I think Konami could get away with that. Like say if it was an action-RPG with Musou style horde battles based on Bleach or Demon Slayer, I think it would find some defenders. But the Edens Zero anime and manga series isn’t that, as most Hiro Mashima fans would cite Fairy Tail or Rave as being more recognizable. And because it doesn’t have that dedicated, potentially forgiving, fanbase, it becomes much more of a slog to find value and motivation to play a mediocre game. Even the whole point of side quests feels like excuses to get more customization items and gear, but this isn’t the sort of game where I wanted or needed that motivation.

If you don’t already care about Shiki, Rebecca, and their journey, then the Edens Zero game isn’t going to make you, and that’s the greatest sin of all. If someone truly loves the anime and manga, they may be able to find something to enjoy about this action-RPG, but it’s a middling game. While it clearly isn’t a budget title, there are times it feels like it due to combat, performance, and the execution of its story. If at some point in your life, you owned a piece of merchandise with Happy on it or used an avatar of Shiki, Rebecca, Weisz, Homura, or Pino online, I think you may still have a good time with it! You could even love some elements like the boss fights! But it’ll be very difficult for anyone who isn’t already a fan to get into this PC RPG. 

The Edens Zero game is available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, the anime is on Netflix, and Kodansha handled the manga.