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My Hero One’s Justice Review: Familiar Faces, Shallow Battles

A tale of heroes and villains whose battle is but a shadow of their own Quirks, a review of My Hero One's Justice.

By mitch·4 min read
A hero and villain clash upon a brightly lit arena, their Quirks blazing forth in a spectacle of light.

My Hero One’s Justice asks players to fight as heroes and villains from the anime series Boku no Hero Academia, and it mostly delivers on that promise. The game lands on PS4, PC, XONE and Switch, and it is built around turn-based battles that feel less like fighting and more like puzzle solving. That is the core problem: the game knows its world and its characters better than it knows its own systems.

Trailer, via Bandai Namco Entertainment America.

The Battle System

Each battle plays out on a grid where characters take turns attacking, defending, or using special moves tied to their Quirks. The system is easy to learn. It is not easy to master.

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Players choose attacks from a menu, and the game tells them which enemy to target and which move to use next. This guidance helps new players get through fights quickly, but it also removes some of the depth that turn-based combat usually offers. There is little room for reading an enemy’s pattern or timing an attack. The game decides for you.

The Quirk abilities themselves are where the game shines brightest. Each character’s powers are drawn directly from the anime, and the game does a good job of showing them off in flashy ways. Watching a hero use a wind Quirk to send enemies flying across the screen is satisfying, even if the battle underneath is simple.

The Story Mode

The story mode follows the original anime’s plot closely, and fans of the series will find plenty of familiar scenes and moments. The pacing drags in places, though, especially during longer stretches of dialogue. Some missions ask players to grind through repeated battles before moving forward, and that grind can wear down the enjoyment of seeing old scenes again.

The game also includes a large roster of playable characters, drawn from both heroes and villains. Players can switch between them mid-battle, which adds a layer of strategy to each fight. Choosing the right character for the right enemy can turn a difficult fight into an easy one, but the game does not always make the best choices clear.

Performance Across Platforms

The game runs on four platforms, and performance varies from one to the next. On PS4 and XONE, the game holds up fairly well, with smooth frame rates during battles and few technical hitches. The Switch version runs into more trouble, with occasional slowdown during busier fights and longer load times between missions.

The PC version offers the best performance, thanks to higher processing power. It also allows players to adjust settings to fit their hardware, which helps keep the game running smoothly even during demanding scenes.

The visual presentation is solid across all versions. Character models are detailed, and the environments look bright and colorful, matching the tone of the anime. The music fits the action well, though it rarely stands out on its own.

What Works, What Doesn’t

The game succeeds when it lets the characters do the talking. Watching a hero use a Quirk in a dramatic way feels special, and the game captures that energy well. Where it fails is in the systems that should support those moments.

The battle system is shallow, and the guidance it provides often removes the need for player input. The game is fun to watch, but it is less fun to play.

Feature Strength Weakness
Roster Large, varied cast Limited Quirk variety per character
Story Faithful to the anime Slow pacing, grinding sections
Graphics Bright, colorful Switch performance issues
Sound Matching anime tone Music blends into background

Final Word

My Hero One’s Justice is a game that understands its source material far better than it understands its own mechanics. The characters and their powers are the stars of the show, while the battles themselves feel like a chore to get through. Fans of the anime will likely enjoy revisiting familiar scenes, but anyone looking for a deep turn-based experience will be disappointed.

The game is not broken, and it is not terrible. It simply does not reach the heights that its premise suggests it could. For casual players who want to see their favorite characters fight, it works. For serious strategy fans, it falls short.

The game is available now on PS4, PC, XONE and Switch, and it carries an IGDB critic aggregate score of 6.9 out of 10 from six outlets. That score reflects a game that is competent but unambitious, and it is a fair mark for what My Hero One’s Justice actually delivers.

Key Facts Box

  • Platforms: PS4, PC, XONE, Switch
  • Battle system: turn-based grid combat with Quirks
  • Story mode: faithful to the original anime
  • Critic aggregate: 6.9 out of 10 from six outlets

“The game is not broken, and it is not terrible.”

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