Bringing the invincible Saitama to the realm of anime fighters One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows translates the Hero driven society into a fun arena fighter. Similar to the recently released My Hero: One's Justice, A Hero Nobody Knows recreates the high octane atmosphere of the Hero society of its series. From Mumen Rider to Tank Top Master, fans of the series can do battle with some of the series's most popular heroes and villains. However, being based on such a fast and exciting series A Hero Nobody Knows succeeds in its presentation but lacks any sort of "punch" in its gameplay.
Comparing A Hero Nobody Knows to some prior anime arena fighters illuminates the issues the game holds. Looking at one of the greatest anime arena fighting series the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm illustrates how the recently released game fails to meet expectations. The Ninja Storm series provides fans with gorgeous visuals and a fun, but casual, fighting game experience. Housing a mammoth roster and illustrating love and attention to detail for every one of these characters Ninja Storm represents the golden standard for how these games should operate.
Where A Hero Nobody Knows fails is in its speed of gameplay. With clunky mobility options and frame rate issues the game lacks the speed a One Punch Man game should have. That is not to say that the gameplay is not fun by any means when playing matches with a buddy and facing A.I. monsters the game is truly a blast to play. However, it could have become the gold standard for high paced and fun arena combat. Nothing about a match of A Hero Nobody Knows seems to connect to the high speed and high stakes fight of its source material.
To its credit, the game presents the large cast of One Punch Man in a visually appealing art style. Alongside being able to create a custom character who can wear a multitude of costumes and use a variety of fighting styles. The game provides its players with an open world to explore with a variety of missions to complete ranging from delivering a letter to fighting criminals. The actual combat of the game is responsive and fun, providing an enjoyable button-bashing experience.
The game does possess some frame rate issues in its massive overworld. On top of a clunky movement system and repetitive mission types, the game is not without its flaws. But for fans of the anime who are looking for a fun experience, this is the title for you. The disappointment lies in the unbridled potential that One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows had and how it falls short to fan expectations.
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.