Bleach: Dark Souls Understands Me

The only fighting game I've ever been any good at is the original Soul Calibur. Despite my best efforts, I've just never been able to reconcile the complicated attack combos with my own pathetic dexterity (damn you, fingers!). With that in mind, I think the developers at Treasure took me and my uncoordinated ilk into consideration while developing the upcoming Bleach: Dark Souls.

Now, not being a huge Bleach nerd (I'm more of an Eyeshield 21 guy), the game's storyline is pretty much lost on me. What I can tell you is the game is set between the first and second seasons of the Bleach anime and will follow the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki as he battles evil spirits and... yeah, if I try to go any further explaining the plot of Bleach to you, I'll only look dumber than usual.

So, instead, I'll focus on the game's combat 2D combat engine, which builds on the previous game Bleach: The Blade of Fate. The spirit card system that was featured in the last game is built out a bit more in Dark Souls--with 30 new cards you can collect that will grant you temporary power-ups and status effects for your fighters (or use against your foes). Also, you can still move between the foreground and background with a quick press of the left bumper. My favorite part, however, is the ability to simply tap on the screen to pull off special attacks; perfect for a Bleach (and fighting game) novice like me.

Dark Souls will have 44 characters to choose from, including the ability to play as Hollows and, as with the previous game, you'll be able to battle wirelessly with up to three other friends. It's also got some sharp graphics and moves at a pretty blistering pace. The Blade of Fate was one of the highest rated fighting games I've seen on the DS, so here's hoping that Bleach fans enjoy Dark Souls just as much. It's not exactly my cup of tea, but any game that makes me look more skilled than I actually am gets a thumbs up.