Samurai Jack is almost the poster boy for ’80s and ‘90s kids growing up with Cartoon Network/CNX/Toonami in the UK. Whilst Dragon Ball Z was paramount for many of us, Samurai Jack was an instant hit for its stoic atmosphere, unique art style and well-animated action sequences.
Sam-U-Rai-Jack
Adult Swim picked the show up in 2017 for one last season to round off Jack’s attempt at travelling back in time to defeat the series main antagonist, Aku. Funnily enough, this is where the game picks up, in an attempt to give Samurai Jack fans one last story arc.
Battle Through Time is aptly named; players are tasked with taking Jack through some of his best battles throughout the series in order to finally rid the world of Aku. With the PS2-era plot, comes some sixth-generation 3D platforming mechanics.
I Saw Jack Use a Gun…
Whilst Battle Through Time isn’t shovelware, the formula is a tried and tested one. Face a wave of enemies, move on then rinse and repeat. The title does try to mix up combat with Jack being able to wield his electric trident from the third series and other weapons such as throwing knives, but the end result is the same.
Controls feel tight with a lock-on system for focused combat alongside special feats available to unlock once a player builds up enough energy to do so. Both heavy and light attacks are available from the off, alongside jumping and using combos to deal further damage.
Super Hyper Samurai Jack
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time features a three-way levelling up system that can turn the tide during gameplay. This can range from unlocking a new move to health increases and more, the best way to find out is to play the game.
I almost forgot about the strong cast of characters within the Samurai Jack series, such as Scotsman and Rothchild, and many have their little part to play in the narrative. Whilst the game doesn’t provide a groundbreaking story, it’s still an enjoyable ride.
Featuring a cell-shaded aesthetic, it would have been nice for Adult Swim to try and take on a similar presentation to Streets of Rage 4 or Wonderboy: The Dragons Trap. Whilst cel-shading is a beautiful way to present games of all genres, its use in Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time dates the title more than elevates it.
Jack Always Makes a Good Entrance…
In terms of presentation, the menus are tight and the game performs at a constant smooth frame rate with no drops or stutters in our playthrough. The voice cast seems to have returned in full force, with a soundtrack and sound effects package to backup the majesty that is Samurai Jack.
Fans of the series will love the trip through time with Samurai Jack in a Battle Through Time, but it is a linear experience at heart. Fans shouldn’t expect anything remotely complex about this title, which paves the way for a mindless hack and slash action game that is a nice breather between the DooMs and SoulBorne titles out there.
