HunterXHunter NenXImpact poses an interesting question: How important is appearance to the success of a fighting game? The game is a cheesy brawler that’s fun and easy to pick up. But at the same time, it’s not exactly a look. After playing the game at Evo 2024, I can safely say that it’s one of my most anticipated games of the year, but its actual performance is still a mystery to me.
The game was born from the wild ideas of Eighting, a beloved entity in the world of fighting games. The company has previously produced legendary hits like Marvel vs Capcom 3, wildly hilarious games like DNF Duel, and peak absurdity games like Fate Unlimited Codes. This is my favorite – the developers are willing to leave mass appeal behind in favor of truly exciting fighters with ridiculous combos and sweet depth. The same thing goes for NenXImpact, which is great to play and hilarious to watch. Bading did it again.
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As a 3v3 team fighting game, those familiar with Eighting’s history may suspect that the game plays similarly to Marvel vs Capcom 3, but it’s not as comparable as you might think. The game is slower and less daunting, more like Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid in terms of feel and pace. You’re still running around at crazy speeds, linking high-flying combos with powerful assists, but from my brief time with the game, it seems a lot more tamed. However, within a few months of release, I’m sure players will be able to push NenXImpact to its limits.
Of course, the character roster in the version I played was limited. We discussed eight people in total, ranging from series protagonists to some villains. All feel distinct, with their own unique move lists and abilities. Some, like Killua, are fast and difficult to stop in the hands of talented players. Others, like Uvolgin, are exactly the type of characters I like. The monsters that attack hard are a bit slow but can really do damage. There’s a lot of variety in the game among the small cast, and some mechanics like Hisoka’s Bungee Gum – which lets you manipulate where your opponent is hit – are abysmal in both practice and potential.
The game feels great and is exciting to play. As for what it looks like…it’s obviously nothing fancy. NenXImpact is a lower budget fighting game and it shows. The facial animations aren’t great, the supers don’t look particularly impressive, and the intro/outro of the matches aren’t particularly flashy. Think of this game as the antithesis of fan-service arena fighting games like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Kagami Chronicles. Competing games with less substance than visual flashiness. Even though the version I played looked better than the original, there’s only so much you can do on a limited budget.
One thing I like about NenXImpact is its streamlined combos and special moves. If you want to learn more about the game, the traditional input method is of course still there, and players who do this will undoubtedly find some of the more destructive strategies in the game, but for those who want to learn more about the game, this is a good one choose. By holding down the left trigger, you can combine each attack button into an automatic combo, and holding down the right trigger and another attack button fires special moves. This should bridge the gap between new and intermediate players and rip some bricks out of the wall that has historically scared people away.
Apparently, the real magic of the game can be found outside of private demo sessions at the Los Angeles Convention Center and showrooms where people play against each other. It’s a multiplayer joy, and watching people try to figure out the ins and outs of NenXImpact can give us an idea of the final product. This game is definitely one that you have to play with others – regardless of any single game mode it may end up having.
I do worry. I’m worried that while fighting game fans will embrace the game at launch and give it a fair shake for the near future, it might be cast aside. This is a concern for all fighting games except those with higher budgets and resources. Add to this the obvious frustration among HunterXHunter fans during the demo that Eighting’s next game might not get the player base it deserves. This is what I have always thought, and even with these thoughts I still believe that in the long run the merits will outlast this belief.
NenXImpact is a game worth keeping an eye on over the next month, and one you should consider buying when it releases on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 later this year.
