Summary
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impacthas seemed like a fighting game underdog ever since it was first announced. Thanks to a seemingly shoestring budget and an already saturated market, the game had a lot of hurdles to clear if it wanted to win the favor of fans. Fortunately,Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impacthas finally revealed its full launch roster, and in doing so successfully addressed many of the biggest concerns so far.
Developers have very little control over external challenges, though said challenges led to many of the concerns circling the game’s reputation after its reveal. Most notably,Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impactfeatures a small roster, potentially limited inclusions, and could seriously use a graphical upgrade. Thankfully,Nen x Impact’s presence at EVO 2024 has managed to put the most major concerns to rest, even if a few still remain.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact’s Roster Reveal Addresses Major Concerns
Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact Has Revealed its Full Launch Roster
Hunter x Huntermade several major announcementsduring EVO weekend. This kind of marketing blitz was expected, given that EVO remains the biggest fighting game tournament in the world. The game has been playable in what is likely a near launch build, and this, in tandem with the reveal of its opening cinematic, has shown players everything they can expect from the game’s final roster.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impactwill feature 16 playable characters at the time of its launch. This is certainly rather small, especially for a 3v3 fighter, but a few notable aspects of the lineup help make up for this problem. While there are most definitely some notable snubs, important characters could certainly bring a lot of value to the roster down the road ifNen x Impactreceives DLC in the future.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact’s Solutions to Graphics and Roster Size
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact’s fighting showcasesand opening cinematic alike show that the game has upgraded its visuals significantly since its reveal. While the roster remains small, the characters included are much more diverse than the first few reveals may have led one to believe. Likewise, the roster features a perfect half-and-half balance between heroes and villains, one that may or may not persist if more characters are added.
Early reveals after the game’s announcement featured a few designs with concerning similarities.Hunter x Hunterfeatures a vast array of fighting styles, and it would be a shame for a fighting game not to take advantage of that. While the game at first seemed limited to the series' most straightforward brawlers, the full roster indicates a higher priority forHunter x Hunter’s more creative characters.
Major Reveals and Major Snubs Among Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact’s Launch Roster
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact’s Most Exciting Character Reveals Yet
Morel is perhaps the biggest winner of all in this category, considering how his Deep Purple Nen ability is not well suited to most traditional fighting games. However, the smoky clones his ability creates provides a very interesting design, and it’s great that the game’s developer saw the opportunity. Speaking of characters that stand out from their punch-kick counterparts,Greed Island’s Razoris an underrated pick that promises a lot of variety. Despite his massive stature and muscular build, he focuses far more on throwing dodgeballs and passing to teammates.
Kite is another star of theChimera Ant arc, and another unique inclusion. Fast-paced fighting games are all about mix-ups, and Kite’s semi-luck-based Crazy Slots is bound to keep both players guessing. One of the biggest stars of the roster reveal is a character that players likely knew would make it in all along. The Chimera Ant King Meruem, despite only having one major fight inHunter x Hunter, evidently features an inspired design that uses unique aspects of his build to full effect.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact’s Most Notable Snubs
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact’s launch rosterhas managed some impressive inclusions despite its small size. However, there are still a few choice characters that have been left out. While it’s possible that developers intend to add them through future DLC, some characters being excluded from the roster at all is a puzzling choice, and one likely motivated by limitations to the developer’s timeline and budget.
The roster’s biggest snub by far is Neferpitou, one of thebest villains inHunter x Hunter. Pitou is a member of Meruem’s Royal Guard, joined by Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi, who are also pretty notable exclusions. Not only do they have a valuable dynamic with each other and their king, but the Royal Guard trio provides essential interactions with the main heroes of the series that will be missed in the game - at least at launch.
Another questionable exclusion is Illumi Zoldyck. Illumi has direct ties to the main characters through his little brother Killua, and Gon’s main rival Hisoka. Illumi has even become a member ofThe Phantom Troupe, so it’s impossible to understate his influence withinHunter x Hunteras a whole. In fact, it’s questionable that Killua is the only member of the Zoldyck family to be featured. His father and grandfather are immensely powerful, and his sister Alluka has the potential to be one of the game’s most unique characters.
It’s a shame that some characters couldn’t make the final cut, though a DLC announcement seems more likely now than ever. Regardless, the game is already in a much better state than when it was revealed.Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impactis ready to release in perhaps its best state possible, finally putting the biggest concerns to rest against all odds.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact
WHERE TO PLAY
The first full-scale HUNTER×HUNTER fighting game is here!3v3 Nen ability team battleCreate teams of characters to face off in 3-on-3 battles.Find a combination with synergy, and aim for the top with your own unique team!Rush comboJust hold down the rush button and hit the button repeatedly to unleash powerful combos!Feel the exhilarating rush of pulling off a combo with ease!Online battleFace off against other players across the network to win rank points.Your rank updates as you accumulate points. Aim to become a “three-star hunter”!You can even compete with “G.I. Cards” at stake! Gather the cards for the specified slots!Story modeBattle against CPU opponents as you enjoy a digest of beloved Hunter x Hunter moments!This mode includes tutorial stages, so try it out first to understand the basics of how to play!
