Wait a minute, Bandai's latest anime game actually looks pretty good: a console and PC action-RPG city builder based on one of the best video gamey anime in years

I want to preface this by saying I have a certain fondness for Bandai Namco's anime video game adaptations. Sure, the studio pumps 'em out like Dairy Queen and chocolate soft serve on a hot Phoenix day, and yes, very few of them are objectively great games, but there's a consistency to the way it makes serviceable interactive versions of beloved anime stories that I find comforting. For example, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a solid 3.5/5 that I happen to love simply because I love the source material, not because the game itself is anything special.

I'm explaining this so that it doesn't come across mean-spirited when I say Bandai's newly announced adaptation of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime defies all expectations by looking legitimately promising. It's not a mobile game, for one. It's also not yet another generic 3D brawler; it's actually a fully fledged action-RPG with a big city builder component, which is the perfect - ideal, even - fit for the source material.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Isekai Chronicles, which, if not the longest video game title ever is definitely among the most bizarre, tells the story of 37-year-old Satoru Mikami, who is literally reincarnated as a sentient "slime" named Rimuru after dying at the hands of a robber.

I'm intrigued by the side-scrolling nature of the gameplay, and the combat looks like a fun spin on the old 2D Tales games, which I'm excited about. But what really stood out to me is the city building, which is a perfect tie-in for Rimuru's quest to build his own nation of monsters after being thrust into a world of sword and sorcery, which has made for a surprisingly compelling anime that just started its third season. 

The trailer doesn't show all that much city building stuff, but you can see a blank canvas gradually transform into a bustling city with many different buildings and decorations. The interface where the player character upgrades various institutions to improve productivity and character