The PS3 and Xbox 360 era of consoles was the first time licensed based games started to legitimately get good. Yes, there were celebrated titles before that generation, but none of them compare to games like Batman: Arkham Asylum. The trend was only getting started there as this current generation also excelled in properties like The Lord of the Rings with Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4.
It is now no longer a given that a licensed based game will immediately be bad. However, anime games have not favored as well last, or even this generation. There are good PS4 games on here, but they are a bit more divisive and don't rank as high as other best of lists.
10 Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization (69)
Sword Art Online was a huge hit when the anime premiered. Since it was about a video game it was assured to actually get a tie-in at some point. Several launched in the past decade and this, among the countless others, are about the same in quality.
For super fans of the series, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is the best one could hope for, but also lacking compared to other contemporaries in the action RPG landscape.
9 Arslan: The Warriors of Legend (69)
Arslan is an underrated anime and in turn an underrated game. The anime is from the same studio that brought Fullmetal Alchemist to life so visually it looks like a distant cousin. It’s about a young lord whose country has been taken over and the battle he faces to take it back.
The game follows the first season then and is a spinoff to the Dynasty Warrior franchise aka it has repetitive hack and slash gameplay, which is usually why most reviewers dock these types of games.
8 Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 (72)
Want to be a time cop in the Dragon Ball universe? That was the basic premise of the original. Some villains are messing up the timeline and Trunks recruits players, from customized characters, to aid in the war against time crimes.
The sequel doubles down on what the original brought to the table aka a lot if crazy action with that Dragon Ball flavor. There are plenty of over the top antics.
7 Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (73)
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot may not be the RPG most expected and or wanted, but it is undeniably one of the best representations of the license in game form. The side quests combined with the bare open-world nature with half-baked RPG mechanics made this one not as good as one would have hoped.
However, again, visually it is striking along with the bombastic nature of every boss encounter played out from the anime. It is a visual treat.
6 One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 (74)
This is another spinoff for Dynasty Warriors and a third try at the One Piece property. The reviews are kind of like the feelings toward Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. The environments may be barren and the action repetitive, but it definitely looks like the anime.
The best way to play these games is with a friend thus wiping away the tedium that comes with slaying literally thousands of enemies. So grab a One Piece compatriot and go to town on some pirates.
5 Attack on Titan (74)
Omega Force is the primary developer for Dynasty Warriors while Koei Tecmo publishes the games as the parent company. While this may not be a traditional hack and slash action game like the other two entries, it definitely fits into the same mold.
The big difference here is the Titans, which brings the kill count down to the hundreds. It’s kind of like a more violent Spider-Man game crossed with Shadow of the Colossus. The momentum one catches as they whiz around giants only to take them down with a precise twist of the blade is exhilarating, to say the least.
4 Attack on Titan 2 (75)
The name is a bit misleading as this is more like Attack on Titan 1.5. The original followed the anime through season two with a hint of season three creeping in with end game content. Instead of expanding upon that this is an alternate take through the same scenarios, but this time players can create their own Cadet.
There is a little extra bit of content here, but not much. So the one big point of difference here is a matter of opinion, obviously. Does one want to follow the anime with most of the story intact, or do they want to experience it through new eyes that they created? Of the two this list leans toward the first, but both are indeed remarkable.
3 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy (76)
Before CyberConnect2 tackled Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, they began their anime adventures with the Naruto license. This trilogy upgrades the original PS3 games into better resolutions making that anime style really pop for this generation.
They are mostly fighting games, but they do have a story that closely follows the anime. And like Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, the RPG and exploration sections aren’t anything expansive, but they are nice distractions from just fighting computer opponents or friends.
2 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 (79)
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 then is the final chapter of Naruto’s saga. In fact, they released an expansion that gets up to the beginning of Boruto’s arc. CyberConnect2 has not gone past the beginnings of that story and they haven’t announced any future plans based on Naruto either.
Expansion, or no, this final game is a great love letter that gave fans exactly what they wanted for Naruto’s finale.
1 Dragon Ball FighterZ (87)
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot may be a more ambitious 3D game, but there is nothing quite like Dragon Ball FighterZ. It bridged the gap between hardcore anime and Arc System Works fans.
The 2D fighting is on par with the best of them like Arc System Works’ own BlazBlue series, or Capcom’s Street Fighter. Plus the nods to the anime are top-notch. A lot of love went into this one and it is plain to see why it reviewed so high.