HUNTER x HUNTER NEN IMPACT is a 2D tag fighter developed by Bushiroad Games and published by Arc System Works (Guilty Gear, Granblue Fantasy: Versus Rising) and Bushiroad Inc., that pits teams of three fighters against each other in frantic fights, utilizing characters from the popular anime it’s named for.
The recent crop of 2D fighting games has focused on delivering a polished and approachable gameplay experience. Players are encouraged to learn and hone their skills, so they can rise through the ranks. While offering challenges that demand much to master, these games provide a level of paced demand that keeps the action from spiraling out of control.
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Rather than follow suit, HUNTER x HUNTER NEN IMPACT embraces the chaos, as it unleashes combat that can be hard to keep up with or make sense of. The rapid rate at which characters can tag in and out of play brings a level of confusion that can prove challenging to navigate. This gives the game a unique flavor and an extremely steep learning curve.
Even with the demo’s limited six-character roster, there is a lot to wrap your head around. Each character features two different assist attacks that can be called whenever their assist meter isn’t on cooldown. Also, while a character is on screen performing their assist, a second push of the assist button will swap them in permanently, giving even more opportunities to build combos and keep an opponent on their toes.
HUNTER x HUNTER NEN IMPACT has complicated visuals but straightforward controls.
Offsetting the on-screen chaos is a fairly straightforward approach to controls. No complicated inputs here, and an easy combo option gives players a simple input to set off a standardized combo that can land some solid damage. This helps the game a great deal, as complex controls combined with the moment-to-moment mayhem would have been enough to overwhelm many potential players.
Adding more easy-to-grasp elements are the Quick Charge and Over Charge meters. These gauges can provide buffs when activated, giving players a couple of helpful options as they progress through a match. The Quick Charge meter is especially nice, as it can be used at any time. The earlier you activate it, the less time it lasts.
Another thing that will help fighters get their feet under them is the depth of the action lists when describing what every action does. Rather than broad-stroke descriptions that just say what happens, HUNTER x HUNTER NEN IMPACT goes the extra mile, allowing players to fully grasp an attack’s potential just by reading its description.
Elements like stagger, off-the-ground capability, and jump cancelable are all spelled out, letting players know how attacks work. This allows players without the time for experimentation to fully grasp how characters work. And since the demo thoughtfully allows players to hop into the training mode, these helpful hints can already be taken full advantage of.
The HUNTER x HUNTER NEN IMPACT demo demonstrates variety among the fighters.
Despite only giving players six characters to try out, there already feels like a fair amount of variety among them. Anime loves its strange fighting styles and super moves, and Bushiroad Games has taken full advantage of this when crafting each character’s move sets. From projectile attacks that move through the ground to pulling enemies in with a fishing pole, the game offers a wealth of originality in its move lists.
The visual elements presenting the action in HUNTER x HUNTER NEN IMPACT demo fall solidly into the fine category. Animations are smooth and well-rendered without being overly flashy. From standard attacks to super moves, the visual elements never hit with the same pop as other games in the space.
The story mode in the demo presents cut scenes via still images from the show. This lends it a sense of connection to the source material, but again, it won’t wow anyone. There was occasional spoken dialogue to go with the text, but the vast majority of the conversations were purely written.
HUNTER x HUNTER NEN IMPACT looks to enter the fighting game space with an original mix of chaotic combat and straightforward control design. It’ll be interesting to see whether this approach can find an audience that resonates, or if it’ll be one that only the biggest HUNTERxHUNTER fans come out for.
HUNTERxHUNTER NENxIMPACT’s demo is currently available on Steam and will be coming to PlayStation 5 as well before the game’s July 16th launch.
