Those who grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s have big nostalgia for that era of Cartoon Network programs. Shows like Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls delivered all the fun character moments, humor, and action a kid could want. Arguably one of the best of the bunch back then was Samurai Jack. Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, Samurai Jack featured an ongoing narrative of a samurai trapped in the future as he battled a demonic being called Aku. Over a decade after the show's run, it received a fifth season, concluding the storyline and giving Jack a bittersweet ending. Unsurprisingly, the series has received a couple of video games, though nothing acclaimed. The newest game, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, attempts to fix this. While it's nothing special, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time 🌃is a decent action title for fans of 🍨the popular series.
In Battle Through Time, players control the famed Samurai Jack himself. Much of the gameplay takes place in areas requiring the player to kill a certain amount of enemies. This can be done with different types of weapons, from Jack's iconic sword, to the heavier hammer. Players aren't always stuck in an area. A lot of the game is also running through sections to get to the next enemy-filled area. Jack has a skill tree with three different areas to upgrade. Throughout the game, there's a 💙handy shop headed by Da Samurai. Here, Jack can purchase health and other useful items.
Battle Through Time takes place in Samurai Jack's final season. If fans recall, the final episode had Jack and 𓆉Ashi in a time portal. The game's storyline takes place during Jack's time in the portal. Although brief for television viewers, Jack was in there for an extended amount of time, forced to revisit some of his past antagonists, including Demongo and the Daughters of Aku. Will Jack be able to escape? Well, we already know the answer, so the real question is how much nostalgia can be squeezed out of the experience.
Gotta Get Back
Although Battle Through Time's core gameplay is standard hack 'n slash, it has a surprising amount of depth in terms of weapons and the skill tree. Jack gains access to different primary weapons. Of course, there's Jack's sword, which is good for quick slashes. But, there's also the stronger, but slower hammer. This plays a part with Jack's useful Kiai Attack. If Jack is holding his sword, for example, the Kiai Attack will give him a few big slashes, while the heavier hammer does a big pounding shockwave. This nice variety gives yo𓂃u a way to see what works best. Weapons are easily swapped with the quick equip menu. Interestingly, most weapons do break, so you'll need to consider this when using them.
Then there are ranged weapons, such as the bow and arrow, and shuriken. There are also guns. These add a nice level of strategy, especially during the boss fights. A skill tree offers different enhancements, such as more combo possibilities. Those expecting a simple button-mashing hack 'n slash will certainly get that, but will also appreciate the different weapon possibilities that Battle Through Time offers.
Gameplay Isn't Always Engaging
All that said, those hoping for anything more than a hack 'n slash may be disappointed. Battle Through Time is labeled an "action platform" game, but there isn't much action in the platforming. Sure, Jack will be running and jumping to get to the next section. There are also some collectibles to find on the way. But for the most part, these paths just serve to get to the next enemy-filled arena. There are only a few🌜 platforming obstacles in the game, which is a shame. It would have been more memorable if it dialed back the hack 'n slash a bit, and incorporated more platforming elements.
The environments do look nice. Fans will reminisce when seeing the iconic Aku City. Sadly, the soundtrack is mostly unremarkable. While the bosses can be fun to take down, that isn't the case with the fina🎶l Demongo encounter, which will tempt players to switch to an easier difficulty to spare themselves frustration.
For The Fans
At the end of day, Battle Through Time will be enjoyed primarily by Samurai Jack fans. The boss encounters feature characters from throughout the show's run, such the duo of Josephine and Ezekiel Clench. Hearing the old voices is a treat for longtime watchers. The game's storyline isn't really essential, but it nea🍷tly fits into the final season of the animated series.
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time puts players behind the sword of the iconic character in a combat-heavy title. Those who like the franchise and beating up large numbers of enemies will enjoy the subꦛ-eight-hour experience. There is a good variety of weapons. For fans, it's also a trip down memory lane. Unfortunately, it's not an outstanding experience. At its core, it's little more than a standard hack 'n slash title. While the envir✃onments look good, the game's lack of obstacle-filled platforming is a missed opportunity. While there are far better action games to play, none have the iconic laughter of Aku.
A PlayStation 4 review code for Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time was provided to TheGamer for this review. Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is available now for PlayS𝓀tation 4, Nintendo Switch Xbox One, and PC.