The game is a 1 on 1 3D fighter, with a focus on back-and-forth movement akin to a 2D plane focus, but with some minimal walking movement in all directions as both fighters remain consistently locked-on to one another. However, movement is solely based on a rear-view perspective in spite of the dynamic camera (e.g. forward is directly up on the directional pad or thumbstick, while backward is directly down likewise).
Characters can either fight on ground, or end up in standing in midair via generating Reishi on their feet as per the source material, causing the inclinations of the plane between the 2 fighters to shift quite often.
The clash of Zanpakutō are at the center of the battle system, sword fights that build in power as the player uses their character's Zankensoki, a broad term for Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō, to enhance player actions.
Characters' HP values are determined by Konpaku, which act as lives seen in other video games, and each Konpaku stock has a Reishi bar which acts as a normal HP bar.
As the player attacks and defends, they try to build enough power to destroy their opponent's Konpaku stocks by cutting through their Reishi. Once the opponent's Konpaku stocks have been completely cut down (normally 9 maximum total), the fight can be ended with a single, decisive blow. This is how victory is achieved in the game.
Features
The player can take advantage of each character's unique abilities and command the flow of battle to find an opening that spells defeat for their enemies.
Reverse Fate - "The more desperate the situation, the more powerful you become. Overturn the tide of battle and unlock new forms and new blades in the heat of battle to bring victory from the edge of defeat!"
For example: Shikai Ichigo's "Reverse Fate" or "Awakening" is going into his Bankai state (even though a different version of his Bankai state is a separate character).
Some characters also have a "Reawakening" which allows them to go even further beyond, like Ulquiorra Cifer's Segunda Etapa.
Overall, characters also possess a number of varied universal attacks:
Quick Attack (速撃, Sokugeki; Fast Attack): A universal weak/light attack, which can be input at least 3 times total for a string.
Flash Attack (閃撃, Sengeki): A universal strong attack, normally limited to 2 total inputs maximum, but some can input further. Can reduce the defender's guard gauge by quite a bit if blocked.
Both a Quick and Flash Attack string however, cannot be extended further on whiff, and can only do so on block or hit.
Quick and Flash Attack enders can both be input further into a Hohō to pursue the opponent further via a rear attack extension which is the same between both, but costs a Reverse Gauge unit to do so.
Both Quick and Flash Attacks are easily blocked by guard, but can easily punish the slow startup of Breakers.
Special Flash Attack (特殊閃撃, Tokushu Sengeki; Unique Flash Attack): A unique Flash Attack done by inputting towards the foe, available to all characters as a unique gap-closing move or a ranged attack.
Signature Move/Art/Technique (己有技, Koyū Waza; Self-Owning Art/Technique): The signature technique of the character in question, unique for every character to a degree. Considered to be a standard special move or "hissatsu waza" (sure-killing art/technique). Normally allocated to its own button.
Breaker (崩し手, Kuzushite; Unbalancer Hand): A universal guard break, indicated by a pink aura and is a slow heavy attack that can bypass the guard of the defender, putting them in a Guard Break state if blocked. However, the slowness of Breakers allow them to be easily beaten by a Quick or Flash Attack.
Breakers can also be held down to perform them as extended dash pursuits, automatically executing as usual once they contact the victim, though the user will stumble if a Breaker is performed or released when too far away from the opponent akin to whiffing a grab/throw. Most Breakers upon connecting also has the attacker switch sides with the victim.
However, because Breakers also behave akin to grabs/throws, they can be escaped from by the victim pressing their own Breaker input at the right timing of the attacker's Breaker connecting, essentially pseudo-clashing their Breaker inputs to escape from one. Breaker Escapes though, cannot be mindlessly mashed and must be properly timed in order to reverse an incoming Breaker.
Steps and Hohō: Steps are done with pressing their allocated button to step-dash in any of the four chosen directions, to swiftly dodge the foe's attacks to reposition and/or to cancel certain attacks with (depending on the character). A Hohō is an enhanced variant that costs a single Reverse Gauge stock out of 2 maximum to use, which automatically locks-on the opposition's rear.
The step button input can also be held down to automatically pursuit dash towards the victim, which can be cancelled into a unique running/dashing Quick Attack starter. Hohō Pursuits are also automatically followed-up into from a Quick or Flash Attack only just its singular button input, which again cost 1 Reverse Gauge unit.
Forward basic steps and sidesteps can follow straight into a unique Quick Attack starter that leads into the standard chain. Certain characters like Harribel however, have a unique form of stepping.
At the cost of a Reverse Gauge unit, a Hohō Counter can also be performed by teleporting to the attacker's rear by properly tapping the Hohō input in time to a the opponent's attack when not doing anything else other than movement. Hohō Counters also can lead into the aforementioned Hohō Pursuits.
Spiritual Pressure Move (霊圧技, Reiatsu Waza; Spiritual Pressure Art/Technique): Moves that cost Spiritual Power, normally a bar. Characters normally have 2 of them, being Spiritual Pressure 1 (霊圧技1, Reiatsu Waza Ichi; Spiritual Pressure Art/Technique 1) and Spiritual Pressure 2 (霊圧技2, Reiatsu Waza Ni; Spiritual Pressure Art/Technique 2). These are normally used off of the characters' Flash Attack and Signature Move inputs.
Spiritual Pressure Moves use up Spiritual Power, which goes up to 150 units max via 3 total segments. A Spiritual Pressure Move 1 costs 50 SP units (1 full segment of the bar) while a Spiritual Pressure Move 2 costs 100 SP units (2 segments).
Guarding in general does not fully negate damage, and several attacks inflict extremely small amounts of chip damage to the defender's Reishi on block (around 1-to-3 damage max), though offensive Spiritual Pressure Moves tend to inflict larger amounts of chip damage.
Even then, a guard gauge exists below each fighter's Reishi bar and if emptied from blocking too many blockable attacks, also puts the defender in a Guard Break state. While the guard gauge refills overtime when not blocking attacks for a while, certain mechanics such as Reverse Actions can speed up the gauge's recovery process, or refill it completely.
While the guard gauge is normally not present, it only appears on the HUD once someone puts up a guard and/or the gauge is directly interacted with.
Reverse Action: A universal mechanic where the user pumps themselves up with an energy burst aura that has varied usages that uses up the Reverse Gauge (again 2 units max by default), depending on when they are activated. However, unlike the other mechanics that use Reverse Gauge, Reverse Actions drain the gauge entirely. All Reverse Actions can briefly empower the character at the cost of whole Reverse Gauge going down on a timer, which enables Spiritual Power recovery (just below 50 units), Fighting Spirit gauge regeneration, and the ability to use Hohō somewhat freely by only consuming a portion of the current Reverse Action duration.
Soul Reverses, colored white, are only done in neutral/while using normal movement, and can that can briefly empower the character to also recover Reishi/HP overtime for their durations. Certain characters' Soul Reverses can also change up some of their Spiritual Pressure Arts.
Chain Reverses, colored yellow, are activated during an attacker's attack, cancelling the animation with a stunning burst in question to extend combos with. They only have Spiritual Power gain and no other regeneration options.
Burst Reverses, colored blue, are defensive Reverse Actions used by victims to escape from attacks akin to a Combo Breaker/Damage Cancel, on top of also having increased guard gauge recovery rate. While similar to the Hohō Counter, Burst Reverses are not direct counterattacks per say.
Reverse Actions also become more potent at lower Konpaku stocks in order to as aforementioned, Reverse Fate for a potent comeback.
However, certain Reverse Actions can be exceptions, such as base form Ichigo (whose Reverse Action while also being a Soul Reverse, can be used like the other 2 variants).
Regardless of which one is used, each Reverse Actions cannot be continuously used without the power-up state granted from one running out first, which especially prevents more liberal use of Chain Reverses and Burst Reverses.
Awakening (覚醒, Kakusei): Requiring the Fighting Spirit Gauge to be full, which can be done through inflicting damage or taking damage (the latter case fills it up less than the former), pressing both thumbsticks allows the character to activate their Awakening state via triggering Evolution, which may also depending on the user in question, change up their overall attacks (including their unique moves). Awakenings last throughout the match, unlike other similar temporary variants in prior Bleach games, and can caused the Fighting Spirit Gauge's benefits to evolve further.
Awakenings also all increase the user's Reverse Gauge maximum up to an extra 3rd unit, and change the next Fighting Spirit state to become a Sublimation once already Awakened, then turns into Spirit Drive. Sublimation and Spirit Drive can enhance the Awakened-user's Kikon Move to remove extra Konpaku stocks, while Spirit Drive also enhances the stats of the user on top of enhancing their Kikon Move as aforementioned.
Unlike Evolution, both Sublimation and Spirit Drive triggered automatically once the Fighting Spirit gauge is full during an Awakening.
However, certain characters can instead perform a Reawakening (再覚醒, Sai Kakusei) through certain conditions when Evolved or under Sublimation/Spirit Drive to enhance their current Evolution/Awakening further. Some of these characters can also trigger a Reawakening only when their Konpaku stocks fully depleted to then revive into their new state.
Like a Reverse Action, Awakenings can be more potent when the user is at lower Konpaku stocks. Reverse Actions also help the Fighting Spirit Spirit Gauge gain units on its own via regeneration, making it easier to access an Evolution/Sublimation/Spirit Drive sooner.
Hakugeki (迫撃; Spur/Force Attack): Powerful universal blow-back attacks indicated with a red aura and attack trail, which can then lead into a Kikon Move if the input is charged up after landing one successfully. A Hakugeki normally however, can also be followed up into a Hohō pursuit.
Quick Attack string enders can automatically follow into a Hakugeki only with Standard Control Mode in the Options settings, but Advanced/Professional Control Mode requires a Hakugeki input to be done manually on its own instead.
However, if a victim is at sufficiently high Reishi/HP on their current Konpaku stock, a Hakugeki landed on them will inflict much less hitstun and thus, a resulting Kikon Move followup from it will be harder to connect on them.
Kikon Move (毀魂技, Kikon Waza; Breaking Soul Art/Technique): The primary finisher technique a fighter uses to deplete a large amount of the victim's Konpaku stocks without needing to deplete each Reishi bar tied to each stock, performed as a dashing pursuit attack that must connect. However, while a Kikon Move can be done at anytime, trying to land one on a victim with sufficiently high Reishi/HP will cause the Hakugeki landed on them as aforementioned to not knock them back with weaker potency, and Kikon Moves can only normally be performed from extending a Hakugeki input. Thus, Kikon Moves are more potent when the victim is at least at 30% Reishi via Reishi Deficiency Status or when under Guard Break state, otherwise said victims can easily block/clash with incoming Kikon Move starters to reset to neutral.
Once a Kikon Move starter lands, it transitions into a cinematic finisher. Certain characters can have multiple different Kikon Move cinematics depending on whether they are in default state, Awakened via Evolution, or under Sublimation/Spirit Drive state, which can remove varying Konpaku stocks.
When a victim has their Reishi/HP depleted through basic combat instead of landing a Kikon Move starter, it'll put them into a Soul Break state. Soul Break state causes an attacker's Kikon Move to activate automatically without the pursuit starter, and allowing them to remove an extra Konpaku stock on top of its base amount.
While Konpaku stocks for characters are 9 by default, certain characters are balanced around having a higher or lower default amount.
Story
Narrated by Sōsuke Aizen, the story of Rebirth of Souls spans from Ichigo Kurosaki's first encounter with Rukia Kuchiki during the Agent of the Shinigami arc all the way until the end of the Arrancar arc.
