Kaiju No. 8 The Game: Review

The hit series Kaiju No. 8 is currently out with its second season, and they've also just officially released the "Kaiju No.8 THE GAME" on August 31st, 2025. Expanding the franchise, the game follows the plot of the source material, with some additions that fans won't want to miss.

I've played a section of the game already and was drawn into the world of Kaiju with its unique 3D graphics and clean animation. As a fan of the manga and anime, I have a few thoughts and feelings about my experience with the game.

Introducing Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME

To recap, Kaiju No. 8 is a thrilling and humorous anime by Production I.G., based on the manga series by Naoya Matsumoto. It follows Kafka Hibino, a Kaiju cleaner unhappy with his job and life because of his unfulfilled dream of joining the Defense Force. The game follows the same plot as the anime and manga.

When Kafka was young, he made a promise to his childhood friend, Mina Hoshino, to join the Defence Force to battle against the rampaging Kaiju in Japan. However, he gave up his dream after failing many times and instead joined the Kaiju cleaning company. He later meets Leno Ichikawa, an aspiring Defense Officer who reignites Kafka's passion to chase his dream.

After a turn of events, however, Kafka merges with a parasite-type Kaiju known as the infamous Kaiju No. 8. Despite this stunning transformation, Kafka is still motivated to join the Defense Force. That said, Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME is a mobile game that follows Kafka Hibino's journey to battling against Kaijus, monsters with different power levels, coming out of nowhere, and destroying everything in their path.

Fans can relive the anime and manga's story, with the addition of game-exclusive original narratives and a deeper dive into the untold stories of your favorite characters. The gameplay allows players to immerse themselves as Defense Officers by choosing characters and skills for attack, building up strength to expose the monster's core, and unleashing the ultimate attack to deliver the final blow to kill the Kaiju.

Diving into the Battle Gameplay

The game uses a turn-based system where the battle between your team and the Kaiju is set in order, one attack at a time. At the start of the game, you'll meet all the characters who have a variety of unique skills, abilities, elemental attributes, and weapons that will be helpful during battle.

It first starts slowly with weaker Kaiju, so you can understand how to play and what you need to do to defeat the enemies. You battle with other characters, enhancing their skills and weapons to make them stronger in battle. There's also the ability to swap characters, so you can find your favourite character or certain abilities that you need for a specific battle.

Each character has their unique weapons and abilities to learn and develop, which can be done through the training process in the game. Weapons and characters can be obtained through the gacha system, such as the system in games like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero.

Like all games of this style, there will be weapon rarity, starting with the most common being 3-stars, to then increasing to 5-stars. There is also an opportunity to pay for certain higher-level equipment and characters that free-to-play players are not able to obtain.

Up to four characters can be deployed, and the order of turns is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Each character's attacks have a wide variety of options, from being able to hit just one Kaiju a turn to two or three in one turn.

Building the character's mana can help with bigger attacks, but it also has a limit to it, which can affect other characters. The main aim of the combat is to expose the Kaiju's core, just as seen in the series.

There's an icon in the game next to the Kaiju's name that looks like a shield, which is known as "plates." This is a discreet addition, so the Kaiju doesn't take as much damage until those plates are destroyed. During the earlier parts of the game, these plates were easy to destroy with normal attacks. However, the further you go and the stronger the Kaiju, a specific attack requirement is needed.

For instance, these attacks can either be an elemental attack or one that counters this. The game features the elements fire, ice, wind, lightning, and water. This is where learning your character's attributes comes in handy. Once the plates are broken, the Kaiju's core will be exposed, triggering a small cutscene or a follow-up attack by your partner. This forces the opponent to skip a turn.

Lastly, every character also has their own ultimate attack. These attacks are the strongest moves in the game, which charge up during the battle. Once filled, these attacks can be used at any point and are super effective when the core is exposed.

The battle gameplay is made up of waves, so ultimate attacks can be carried over into the next wave if not used. It can be advantageous, especially when each wave gets slightly more difficult.

My Gaming Experience

The concept of this game works very closely alongside the manga and anime, from the battle sequences to the main character's story. In addition, the original game characters added a refreshing aspect to the game, which I personally liked. It's an extra layer of the series that can be viewed as separate from the main franchise.

I also liked how the game progresses, easing you in with a tutorial describing how everything works and what is recommended in the game. It gets a bit repetitive for the battle sequences, but with story cutscenes breaking it up, you don't get bored at all, and it keeps you wondering what comes next.

Mechanics-wise, it's easy to understand with or without the tutorial. Unlike games like Zenless Zone Zero and Genshin Impact where you'd have a set sequence for dodging and running around the enemy, Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME is straightforward. It has minimal buttons to click for your attacks.

As for the gacha system, it's also very simple. You collect Dimensional Crystals by completing the story and missions to test your luck. Some credits can be collected to enhance characters and weapons as well.

Many languages can also be used as subtitles and in the general interface; however, the audio is in Japanese, though everyone from across the world would definitely enjoy it.

Aesthetically, the in-game designs are brilliantly detailed, even matching up to the style of the anime and manga art style. I especially love how the colors of the cutscenes stand out as compared to the other sections of the game. Not to mention, the animation is smoothly done and includes the smallest details, from the cutscenes, in-game battles, and the story.

Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME Review Wrap-Up

Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME is a fun game that I think lots will enjoy. There is so much story to explore, from characters we've seen before and from ones we're encountering for the first time.

My favourite part of the game is learning about the characters' stories in the character section of the game, and I am especially excited to unlock the original additions. The new characters are completely original, a blank slate compared to the characters from the series, so expect to unravel some new stories and developments unique to the game.

All in all, Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME is a fun, free-to-play gacha game, especially for anime and manga fans. It has smooth, colourful animations that are a must-see. It makes me excited to see more of the characters and cutscenes in my future gameplay, and I can't wait to complete it. I like how there are three different routes to explore: learning about the core story, reliving memories and scenes from the anime and manga, and character stories focusing on their backstory.

For more information about this mobile game, visit the official website. It is not out for PC at the moment, but keep an eye out on their X/Twitter account for more updates.

© JAKDF 3rd Division © Naoya Matsumoto/SHUEISHA
© Akatsuki Games Inc./TOHO CO., LTD./Production I.G