JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven
The Japanese cover of Eyes of Heaven, depicting all protagonists of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Developer(s)	CyberConnect2
Publisher(s)	Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4
Release date(s)	JP: December 17, 2015[1] NA: June 28, 2016[2] EU: July 1, 2016[2]
Genre(s)	Fighting
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven (Japanese: ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 アイズオブヘブン Hepburn: JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken Aizu Obu Hebun) is an action video game for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Based on the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga series by Hirohiko Araki, Eyes of Heaven is the second game in the franchise to be developed by CyberConnect2, following 2013's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle. The game was released in Japan on December 17, 2015 and was released in Western territories on June 28, 2016.

Plot

The narrative, over-seen by Hirohiko Araki, takes place immediately following the events of Stardust Crusaders. Jotaro Kujo and his allies, who had just defeated the evil vampire DIO, are suddenly attacked by friends and enemies who have either disappeared or died along the way. It is then they are approached by a young Robert E.O. Speedwagon, who possesses a piece of the Saint's Corpse that allows him to travel through time and space as well as vanquish the evil influence possessing the others. He leads Jotaro and his allies on a journey through time, space, and alternate universes, in order to stop another iteration of DIO and his disciple Father Enrico Pucci from obtaining the other pieces of the Saint's Corpse in DIO's quest to finally be free of the Joestar family and achieve his own personal heaven.^[3] Characters from all 8 parts of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure appear as Jotaro travels through time to meet his ancestor Jonathan Joestar, his grandfather Joseph Joestar while still in his youth, his younger uncle Josuke Higashikata, DIO's son but a Joestar nonetheless Giorno Giovanna, and his own daughter Jolyne Cujoh, while Jonathan and Josuke meet their alternate universe counterparts, the jockey Johnny Joestar and the John Doe only known as "Josuke Higashikata", respectively.

Gameplay

Eyes of Heaven is designed to be a 3D action brawler with tag-team elements set in large arenas based on locations in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga. Players may pick a single character to control in a large environment, as well as a second character that may be controlled by either a CPU or second human player to fight the enemy team for a 2v2 battle. Certain match-ups contain special animations and dialogue between two characters, mostly between allies in the form of unique combination attacks such as the Dual Combos (デュアルコンボ Dyuaru Konbo) and Dual Heat Attacks (デュアルヒートアタック Dyuaru Hīto Attaku), though provide no discernable bonuses or advantages in battle. The playstyle is similar to that of other known CyberConnect2's Shonen Jump game series, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series, such as the combo mechanisms and the air to air combos. The game allows for online play through the PlayStation Network system.

Battle Styles

Like in All Star Battle characters are categorized by Battle Styles which change how each character plays in the game, as well as their different strengths and weaknesses. For example, Vampires and the Mode-using Pillar Men heal from damage over time, except from Ripple-enhanced attacks and they can be immobilized by ultraviolet lamps as part of Rudol von Stroheim's "The Prime Example of Superior German Science" style. The Battle Styles "Ripple User", "Vampire", "Mode", "Stand User", and "Mounted" return from All Star Battle (with slightly different names), while Eyes of Heaven adds "Ogre Street" (食屍鬼街（オウガーストリート） Ōgā Sutorīto) and "The Prime Example of Superior German Science" (ゲルマン民族の最高知能の結晶 Geruman Minzoku no Saikō Chinō no Kesshō, literally "The Greatest Crystallized Intelligence of the German People") to the game. Also new in Eyes of Heaven is that characters that were previously classified in All Star Battle as having one Battle Style but displayed abilities of another are now classified as having two Battle Styles. For example, Old Joseph Joestar is now classed as both a Ripple User and a Stand User, while in the previous game he was only classified as a Stand User who happened to have Ripple attacks as well.

Characters

The following characters are playable in the game.

Part 1 Phantom Blood Jonathan Joestar (voice: Kazuyuki Okitsu), Ripple User Will A. Zeppeli (voice: Yoku Shioya), Ripple User Robert E. O. Speedwagon (voice: Yoji Ueda), Ogre Street[lower-alpha 1] Dio Brando (voice: Takehito Koyasu), Vampire[4] Part 2 Battle Tendency Joseph Joestar (voice: Tomokazu Sugita), Ripple User Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli (voice: Takuya Satō), Ripple User Rudol von Stroheim (voice: Atsushi Imaruoka), The Prime Example of Superior German Science[lower-alpha 1] Wamuu (voice: Akio Ōtsuka), Wind Mode Esidisi (voice: Keiji Fujiwara), Heat Control Mode Kars (voice: Kazuhiko Inoue), Light Mode Lisa Lisa (voice: Atsuko Tanaka), Ripple User[lower-alpha 2] Part 3 Stardust Crusaders Jotaro Kujo (voice: Daisuke Ono), Stand User; Stand Name: Star Platinum Noriaki Kakyoin (voice: Daisuke Hirakawa), Stand User; Stand Name: Hierophant Green Old Joseph Joestar (老ジョセフ・ジョースター Rō Josefu Jōsutā, voice: Unsho Ishizuka) Ripple User and Stand User; Stand Name: Hermit Purple[4][lower-alpha 2] Jean Pierre Polnareff (voice: Fuminori Komatsu), Stand User; Stand Name: Silver Chariot Muhammad Avdol (voice: Kenta Miyake), Stand User; Stand Name: Magician's Red Iggy (voice: Misato Fukuen), Stand User; Stand Name: The Fool[4][lower-alpha 2] Hol Horse (voice: Hidenobu Kiuchi), Stand User; Stand Name: Emperor N'Doul (voice: Kentarō Itō), Stand User; Stand Name: Geb[4][lower-alpha 1] Mariah (voice: Ayahi Takagaki), Stand User; Stand Name: Bastet[lower-alpha 1] Pet Shop Stand User; Stand Name: Horus[lower-alpha 1] Vanilla Ice (voice: Shō Hayami), Vampire and Stand User; Stand Name: Cream[lower-alpha 2] DIO (voice: Takehito Koyasu), Vampire and Stand User; Stand Name: The World Part 4 Diamond Is Unbreakable Josuke Higashikata (voice: Wataru Hatano), Stand User; Stand Name: Crazy Diamond Koichi Hirose (voice: Romi Park), Stand User; Stand Name: Echoes Act 1, 2, and 3 Yukako Yamagishi, (voice: Chinatsu Akasaki), Stand User; Stand Name: Love Deluxe[lower-alpha 1] Okuyasu Nijimura (voice: Wataru Takagi), Stand User; Stand Name: The Hand[5] Rohan Kishibe (voice: Hiroshi Kamiya), Stand User; Stand Name: Heaven's Door[5] Shigekiyo Yangu, (voice: Kappei Yamaguchi), Stand User; Stand Name: Harvest[lower-alpha 2] Akira Otoishi (voice: Showtaro Morikubo), Stand User; Stand Name: Red Hot Chili Pepper Kosaku Kawajiri (voice: Rikiya Koyama), Stand User; Stand Name: Killer Queen (with Bomb No. 3 Bites the Dust and Stray Cat)[5] Yoshikage Kira (voice: Rikiya Koyama), Stand User; Stand Name: Killer Queen (with Bomb No. 2 Sheer Heart Attack)[lower-alpha 2] Jotaro Kujo (Part 4) (第4部 空条承太郎 Dai-Yon-Bu Kūjō Jōtarō, voice: Daisuke Ono), Stand User; Stand Name: Star Platinum The World[5][lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 3]

Parte 5 Golden Wind Giorno Giovanna (voice: Daisuke Namikawa), Stand User; Stand Name: Gold Experience and Gold Experience Requiem[6] Guido Mista (voice: Kenji Akabane), Stand User; Stand Name: Sex Pistols[6] Pannacotta Fugo (voice: Hisafumi Oda), Stand User; Stand Name: Purple Haze[6][lower-alpha 2] Narancia Ghirga (voice: Yuuko Sanpei), Stand User; Stand Name: Aerosmith[6] Bruno Buccellati (voice: Noriaki Sugiyama), Stand User; Stand Name: Sticky Fingers Trish Una (voice: Nao Toyama), Stand User; Stand Name: Spice Girl[lower-alpha 1] Diavolo (voice: Toshiyuki Morikawa), Stand User; Stand Name: King Crimson Vinegar Doppio (voice: Akira Ishida) Part 6 Stone Ocean Jolyne Kujo (voice: Miyuki Sawashiro), Stand User; Stand Name: Stone Free[7] Ermes Costello (voice: Chizu Yonemoto), Stand User; Stand Name: Kiss[8] Weather Report (voice: Tōru Ōkawa), Stand User; Stand Name: Weather Report[8][lower-alpha 1] Enrico Pucci (voice: Jouji Nakata), Stand User; Stand Name: Whitesnake,[8] Narciso Anasui (voice: Yuichi Nakamura), Stand User; Stand Name: Diver Down[9][lower-alpha 2] Pucci, Awaiting the New Moon (新月の時を待つプッチ Shingetsu no Toki o Matsu Putchi, voice: Jouji Nakata), Stand User; Stand Name: C-Moon and Made In Heaven[9][10] Part 7 Steel Ball Run Johnny Joestar (voice: Yūki Kaji), Mounted Fighter and Stand User; Stand Name: Tusk Acts 1, 2, 3 and 4[7] Gyro Zeppeli (voice: Shinichiro Miki), Mounted Fighter, Spin User, and Stand User; Stand Name: Ball Breaker[11] Diego Brando (voice: Takehito Koyasu), Mounted Fighter and Stand User; Stand Name: Scary Monsters[lower-alpha 1] Funny Valentine (voice: Yasuyuki Kase), Stand User; Stand Name: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (D4C)[11] Parallel World Diego (並行世界から来たディエゴ Heikō Sekai kara Kita Diego, voice: Takehito Koyasu), Mounted and Stand User; Stand Name: THE WORLD[11][lower-alpha 1] Part 8 JoJolion Josuke Higashikata (voice: Mitsuaki Madono), Stand User; Stand Name: Soft & Wet[9] Joshu Higashikata (voice: Hiroaki Miura), Stand User; Stand Name: Nut King Call[9][lower-alpha 1]

Original non-playable character

• DIO, Gone to Heaven (天国に到達したDIO Tengoku ni Tōtatsu-shita DIO, voice: Takehito Koyasu), Vampire and Stand User; Stand Name: The World Over Heaven (ザ・ワールド・オーバーヘブン Za Wārudo Ōbā Hebun)^{[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 4]}

Notes

1. New playable character since All Star Battle
2. Formerly downloadable content in All Star Battle
3. Available as DLC with a serial code included in first print copies of Eyes of Heaven.
4. Only appears in the game's Story Mode.

Development

The game was first announced in the January 15, 2015, issue of Famitsu and featured characters returning from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle, such as Joseph Joestar, Jotaro Kujo, Noriaki Kakyoin, Caesar Zeppeli, and Josuke Higashikata (from Diamond Is Unbreakable), but also revealed the introduction of new characters Rudol von Stroheim and Diego Brando.^[12][13] Voice actors from All Star Battle as well as the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders anime adaptation reprise their roles in Eyes of Heaven. The game's genre is described as "Stylish Tag JoJo Action" (スタイリッシュタッグジョジョアクション Sutairisshu Taggu JoJo Akushon), referring to its tag team style fighting. A demo of the game was revealed at the 2015 Jump Festa on December 20, 2014, and was made public on the Japanese PlayStation Store on January 29, 2015.^[14] On June 20, 2015, a second trailer for Eyes of Heaven was publicly revealed in downtown Shinjuku at the Studio Alta building.^[15] The trailer showcased all playable characters revealed so far from Phantom Blood to Diamond Is Unbreakable, as well as adventure and arena stages based on the locations featured in the manga.

The developer's official Twitter revealed on July 18, 2015, that the story mode for Eyes of Heaven would be personally handled by series creator Hirohiko Araki.^[16] In addition, it was also promised that the game would receive no paid downloadable content (DLC) or microtransactions beyond release, though they noted the possibility of preorder DLC.^[16] On August 21, 2015, a new key visual unveiled for the game revealed the remaining Parts, Stone Ocean and JoJolion alongside the playability of main protagonists Jolyne Kujo, Johnny Joestar and Josuke Higashikata.^[7] On September 11, an issue of Jump magazine revealed the inclusion of the remaining Diamond is Unbreakable characters previously appearing in All-Star Battle, being Rohan Kishibe, Okuyasu Nijimura and Kosaku Kawajiri, as well as the game's upcoming playable appearance at the 2015 Tokyo Game Show. In addition, it was also announced that players who buy the first printing of the game would receive a limited-available code that allows them to play as Jotaro Kujo in his Part 4 incarnation (unavailable for use in either the game's Story Mode or in a Tag Team match paired with his Part 3 counterpart). Lastly, the game's release date of December 17, 2015 was revealed.^[1][5]

The third trailer of Eyes of Heaven was revealed on September 20, 2015, during a special JoJo conference, along with several gameplay demonstrations streamed live.^[17] The trailer is once again narrated by Rohan who meets with Tonio Trussardi at the "Cafe Deux Magots", and is later confronted by a shadowy figure once he discovers a fallen "Book of Heaven".^[18]

Reception

The game received a 34/40 by Famitsu magazine. ^[19]

References

1. de Meo, Francesco. "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Eyes of Heaven Release Date Confirmed, New Characters Revealed". Geek Snack. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
2. Romano, Sal (April 22, 2016). "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven for PS4 North America Release Date Confirmed". Gematsu. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
3. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-11-22/jojo-bizarre-adventure-eyes-of-heaven-game-4th-promo-video-previews-story-mode/.95661
4. "Iggy, Dio, Part III Joseph Join JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven Roster". ANN. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
5. Sato. "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven To Release On December 17 In Japan". Siliconera. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
6. Sato. "Giorno, Fugo, Narancia, And Mista Join JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven". Siliconera. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
7. "ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 アイズオブヘブン バンダイナムコゲームス公式サイト". Retrieved 21 August 2015.
8. Jack. "Jolyne, Hermes, Weather Report & Pucchi Join JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven". ShonenGamez. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
9. Romano, Sal. "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven adds Anasui, Joshu, JoJolion Josuke, and C-Moon Pucci". Gematsu. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
10. "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven Game's Character Videos Highlight Jotaro, Okuyasu". Anime News Network. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
11. "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Eyes of Heaven New Magazine Scan Confirms New Playable Characters".
12. Sato (December 16, 2014). "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven Announced For PS4 And PS3". Siliconera. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
13. "Famitsu". December 18, 2014. p. 13.
14. "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Eyes Of Heaven Trial". PlayStation Store JP. Retrieved 10 April 2015.http://jojogame.bngames.net/
15. "ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 アイズオブヘブン - バンダイナムコエンターテインメント公式サイト". Eyes of Heaven official site. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
16. "【ジョジョEOH】「本作のストーリーモードは荒木先生監修」「課金や有料でのダウンロードコンテンツなし」". livedoor blog. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
17. Jack. "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven Trailer #3 Revealed At TGS Conference". ShonenGamez. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
18. "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven Game's 3rd Promo Video, Themed PS4s Revealed". Anime News Netowrk. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
19. Sal Romano (December 8, 2015). "JFamitsu Review Scores: Issue 1410". Gematsu. Retrieved December 8, 2015.

External links

• Official website