The visuals and audio are top-notch in this Yuu Yuu Hakusho Forever. The developer’s decision to go with Cel-shaded polygons paid off. Not only does the game provide a look remniscent of the anime, it also means that the graphics age well compared to other 3D titles on the PS2. Audio is also what you’d expect – the sounds seem to be taken straight out of the show, and seeing the intro get recreated using the in-game engine is all sorts of awesome.
Content-wise, there’s nothing to complain about. You need to unlock most of them, but once you do you’ll have access to majority of the important characters in the series starting from the first major story arc to the last. This means you get the Toguros, Sensui Shinobu, and the four rulers of Makai. Additionally, the game also provides an alternate costume for most character instead of being mere palette swaps. You don’t have to contend with Yuusuke Urameshi’s ugly martial arts costume – you can play using his cool-looking school uniform.
Gameplay is where Yuu Yuu Hakusho Forever stumbles. Don’t get me wrong – it’s got all the bells and whistles that you would expect from a game based on Yuu Yuu Hakusho. Special attacks based on the show (rei gun, rose whip, spirit sword, dark fire, etc.,) Super attacks for each character, again based on the show, and in-game transformations. Yuusuke can turn into his demon form, Kurama can go fox mode, etc. The main problem with the gameplay is the fact that all of the nice ideas it implemented are negated by combat that isn’t really that fun. Compared to Yuu Yuu Hakusho: Sunset Fighters on the Sega Megadrive, YYH Forever seems like a big step backwards in terms of gameplay and fun factor.
One of the biggest culprits is that the animation and controls for the characters in the game is awkward. In fact, the characters from Sunset Fighters have smoother and better flowing animation. Again, I’m comparing it to a really old 16-bit 2D game but this sort of underscores how far off the mark YYH Forever is; I think is an inherent flaw in a 4 Gb game if the characters move and control stiffer than the ones from a 1 Mb game. Seriously, the characters in here kick and punch like they’re the same 3D model with different skins and no kneejoints.
All in all, Yuu Yuu Hakusho is another anime-based game that can only be recommended to people who want to play every single game based on a franchise. People who are looking for an exceptional fighting game or something that would do the source justice should look elsewhere.
