The Manga Series Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami enjoys international popularity – so it's no surprise that the story about the young exorcist Yuji Itadori has already resulted in anime series and film adaptations. On the video game front, however, things have looked poor so far – a circumstance that is now changing Cursed Clash should change. The 3D brawler unleashes a squad of 16 jujuzists and demons on each other in arenas typical of the genre. Fans of common anime brawls know exactly what to expect. If you haven't had any points of contact so far, a rudimentary story mode will take you through the plot of the original in quick succession before you tackle various online modes in 2-vs-2 battles. What particularly stands out is the “rush fight”, which lets you fight waves of enemies – either solo or with an online partner. In the confrontations you rely on attack variations, blocking and evasive maneuvers and curse power techniques.
Each fighter has their own individual characteristics: While some like to get up close and personal, others can easily do magic from a distance. The big catch: The combat system is surprisingly stiff. Exchanges of blows are frustratingly sluggish and supposedly violent attacks lack force – dynamics can only be found in beautifully staged special and team attacks. That's a shame, as the title has some nice ideas like upgrading fighters with equipment and experience points. Last but not least, presents itself Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash with an old look, apart from the stylish character models. Fortunately for fans, the Japanese and English voice actors all seem to be on board.