JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R

Although Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure All Star Battle R has rich offline content to offer, in the long term it‘ll be difficult to keep the audience because the lack of rollback netcode creates problems in online matches.

Almost ten years on from its original release, All-Star Battle may well be the definitive JJBA game to play if you want to feast on all the series has to offer. From tweaking taunt animations to an in-depth glossary and illustration archive, it’s as much a fan package as a fighter. Though that’s almost a shame, as we yearn for something truly new to challenge this upgraded enemy Stand user from our past. [Issue#20, p.75]

Despite offering fantastic fan service, great visuals, and a host of improvements, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle R is a fighting game that falls short of its potential.

For fans, this will be a good pastime while waiting for the new chapter of the manga or if they haven't recently thrown a steamroller at their opponent while shouting WRYYYYYYY.

Having JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle-R as an updated remaster of a classic in 2022 is a good thing, with the refined combat and huge roster being huge pluses. Still, it could have been a much more satisfying product if the online components were given the same attention to detail. While it may not match up against the best of modern fighting games out there, fans will get much more out of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle-R, and nothing else quite matters when you are having a good time.

An amazing Jojo game, but a less than perfect fighting game. The massive roster and upgrades to the combat systems and visuals from the previous edition make this the definitive way to play Jojo’s All Star Battle. However, while enjoyable to fight offline, the poor netcode makes playing online a nightmare at times. The single player and local multiplayer experience somewhat makes up for this, but it’s a hard sell for those who aren’t already fans of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.

It's a lot of fun to experience JoJo’s eccentric and ostentatious battles in solid yet boilerplate offline modes, but online struggles often knock the wind out of it.

With its fan-service and multiple references, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R is above all dedicated to the community keen on the work of Hirohiko Araki. A pampered remaster of the eponymous title from the PlayStation 3 toy library, it offers an impressive cast and gameplay that is as technical as it is dynamic. If the balance of forces is not optimal (some characters are much more powerful than others), CyberConnect2's game has enough assets to convince fighting enthusiasts. Provided you know the manga or anime. Otherwise, Battle R may be far too hermetic for neophytes and non-connoisseurs of manga.

For all its faults, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is an excellent way for fans to step into the shoes of their favorite heroes from the anime and manga's rich history. CyberConnect2 has taken a franchise brimming with potential for flashy, high-stakes battles and channeled it into a fighting game that's fun and dramatic, even if it doesn't rise to the level of contenders like Guilty Gear Strive and Tekken 7. While dedicated fighting game aficianados can find better alternatives, fans of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure won't want to miss it.

It's such a shame that the game's online suite is so behind the times, because All Star Battle R is an otherwise brilliant ode to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. A technical fighter that's always deserved a second chance.

For JoJo fans, this remaster is likely to be very welcome indeed. It takes a solid fighting game that arrived towards the end of the PS3’s life and not only enhances it, but also expands upon it. The result is a game that looks a bit dated visually, but still has a hell of a lot to offer, especially for those happy to simply play against the CPU or another local player. Ultimately, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R may not quite have the pizzazz to compete with the modern fighting game elite, but it certainly puts on a good show.

Ultimately, Jojo All Star Battle R is a title that can entertain for a long time, but with numerous reservations: if you are a JoJo fan and want to have fun in single or with friends locally, this product will offer you a gigantic roster, with iconic characters and animated with extreme care, moved by a simple and intuitive combat system. But if you are looking for a deep multiplayer experience, especially online, you better look elsewhere. The remaster operation is overall appreciable, but the unjustified absence of a netcode at the height heavily undermines the entire gaming experience.

Metacritic: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is a mediocre fighting game, but a more than recommendable experience for those who don't miss a chance to shout "Hora Hora!" at the top of their lungs.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is a celebration of the weird and wonderful world of the franchise. Fans will love the number of characters and nods to key moments from the series, however, the gameplay lets it down. Its age becomes more apparent as you fight. The sluggish combat and simple systems mean that it can’t compete with its peers. While fans of the original will enjoy the new features, it misses that knockout blow.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is a great experience for fans already familiar with the original series and those that are jumping into the fighter as a result. There is a lot to love in that regard as the personality from the original manga is in full force, but there's much less of that "bizarre adventure" that is also at the core of Araki's series. The fighting has been improved, and there are plenty of characters to mess around with, but more fighting does not always equal more fun in this case.