Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time captures so much of what made the original series resonate with people, and the gameplay gives you the feeling of being an unstoppable force like Jack. Whether you caught the show back in its original run or only hopped on when it arrived on Adult Swim a few years ago, this is a must.

Finally, after years of waiting, Samurai Jack fans finally have a game that captures the look, feel, and spirit of the cartoon series. It's not a perfect experience, mind you, but fans who've ever wanted to control the charming samurai now have an opportunity to do so.

Although it may seem short, the game is packed with engaging action and enough content to justify its price. Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a must-play title for fans of the cartoons, and it should be picked up by those looking for an action game too, even if they are not familiar with one of the most famous ninjas ever to grace recent pop culture.

Jack is back, with a story fans will love, a welcome return of the original voice cast and surprisingly deep gameplay. The graphics are plain ugly though and the price tag rather steep, especially if you consider the game's short length.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time truly feels like a blast from the past. Instead of playing into modern action game trends, the game revisits the style and feel of old-school action games with great success. There are a few frustrating elements that come from that dated design style and hamper the experience, as well as an ultimately unnecessary weapon-durability system. Still, for fans of the original cartoon, this is a trip down memory lane well worth taking.

What’s on offer here is a version of what would only have been available, back then, from a top-flight studio; a haven for those who crave a hit of Tartakovsky; and a hack-and-slash hardly ahead of the curve but happy to polish the past.

At its core, it's little more than a standard hack 'n slash title. While the environments 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.

Ultimately, this isn't the Samurai Jack game of your dreams. But despite its flaws, this is a good action game that will please fans, and its simplistic nature may even introduce the property to a younger audience.

A relic of another time, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time feels dated by today's standards of character action games but still represents a mighty fine way to replay as one of Adult Swim's most notable heroes.

If Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time had been released when the show was still popular or even alongside the 2017 release of the last season, perhaps it would be more understandable. Instead, it feels like a game without a purpose. It's stunningly average and plays exactly like the long-forgotten cheap tie-in titles that once dominated the market. It gives the simplest fan service and the least challenging take on the character, but it occasionally shows signs of greater ambition. If you're a fan looking for a chance to play a Samurai Jack game, this is probably your best choice, but for most people, it would make more sense to watch the final season of the show without adding in a playable clip show between the series' two most dramatic moments.

If you haven't watched the TV Series, then you should probably stay away from Samurai Jack Battle Through Times, as it doesn't make much sense. On the other hand, the fans of the franchise may find it more appealing, if they can cope with its shallow and repetitive gameplay.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time ended up being an incredibly mixed bag. Though it may have been great to play during the series’ original heyday, it doesn’t entirely hold up to modern standards. Like any blade, the combat becomes dull over time, but the graphics and systems are there to keep players slicing-and-dicing until the conclusion.

Not very enthralling and without particular flashes.

Samurai Jack fans who simply want more of the franchise in their life may find this game is worth its $40 price tag. On the other hand, fans who care about the canonical events of the show or those who are less invested in the franchise may find they have mixed feelings about it. It has the fun factor many may seek but is ultimately a mixed bag of odd decisions and nostalgic moments.

From the linear, level-based gameplay and destructive environments that hide collectibles in vases and crates, to the age of the source material (barring references to the more mature season 5), everything about Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time feels like a PS2 game, for better and for worse. The simple, throwback gameplay is fun and the fan service for such an iconic show is ample. The game becomes much harder to recommend for more casual fans of the show, as strange gameplay decisions such as forced perspective side-scrolling segments and technical difficulties occasionally bog down the experience. Overall, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a fun, though maybe forgettable, romp through one of the greatest cartoons of all time.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a mediocre trip down memory lane. Although interacting with beloved characters is amusing, its core gameplay is dull and repetitive. Fans may enjoy the new narrative that extends the epic conclusion of season 5 but be prepared to endure some blunt, boring combat.

In the end, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a middle-of-the-road licensed game. For fans, there’s probably enough here in this victory lap of a final season cover that will make the gripes I have fade away into the beautiful backgrounds. For those in the middle, like me, the amount of good it does is just not enough to keep me coming back for more. Sadly, this Jack just doesn’t jump as well as he should.