Video games based on anime franchises are not an uncommon thing. So far this year we’ve seen the debut of Jump Force, and before 2019 is up we should have games based on One Piece, Tokyo Ghoul, and Digimon. Although, the game sitting on top of many anime fans’ most-anticipated list is the upcoming Kill la Kill the Game: IF. Gameplay footage of the first mission and some of the game’s cinematics were released by publisher Arc Systems Works to show Kill la Kill fans what they had in store. Check out that footage below.
The thing that is the most striking in this trailer is how developer A+ Games really seems to emulate the overall tone and art style of the 2013 anime. The show is known to be over-the-top in, um, many aspects, and IF doesn’t shy away from that in the least. In fact, it completely embraces it. Character’s animations are exaggerated and their personalities all seem larger-than-life, which is perfectly in step with the show. The game does a great job using its environmental and character design to recreate the rougher look that Hiroyuki Imaishi is known for.
There is one aspect of the game’s art that doesn’t hold up as well as the rest (other than the trailer’s lip sync being very off), and that would be the 3D-rendered characters. It’s hard to express a 2D art style in a 3D game, and being that Kill la Kill the Game: IF relies heavily on 3D for the game’s fights (seen at the 12:08 mark in the trailer), it’s a necessary sacrifice. This can be a common critique of many anime games, but in IF it does not seem to be enough of a problem that it will break the immersion of the player.
Kill la Kill the Game: IF is planned for a North American and European release on July 26 2019, just a day after its July 25 release date in Japan.
[Source: IGN via YouTube]
