Hunter x Hunter has been a manga phenomenon since 1998, but we’ve never had a full-blown fighting game until now. Bushiroad’s Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact is a 3-on-3 tag team-based fighter that features 16 beloved characters duking it out. While it’s not going to replace Dragon Ball FighterZ or Marvel vs. Capcom as one of the 3-on-3 greats, there’s a lot here to like.

What’s most interesting about Nen x Impact is how it plays against a lot of fighting game mechanics. No quarter circles or dragon punches are used for special moves. Instead, the right trigger is your arts button, which, depending on the character, unlocks a series of different moves that you do either by different button presses (low, medium, or heavy) or just pairing it with directions. Meter-using ultimate attacks called aura arts are also simplified as they’re a simple button combination.

This simplicity of input allows for strategy to fully take center stage, and that’s where the game shines, especially with its nen stance mechanic, which is mainly used defensively to push back attacking opponents but also to deliver the combo-chaining nen impact attacks as well. There’s an adjustment time here to get used to it, but players who want to get into the action can take advantage of the rush mechanic by holding the left trigger, which opens up several auto combo attacks. It’s a nice mix of new and familiar mechanics to create something fresh, which I certainly appreciate.

The biggest disappointment of Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact is its story mode, which features the first six arcs of the story. The main issue is that it’s really just a glance, with it skipping a lot and boiling arcs down to two or three fights. There are only 19 levels in total, with five of them being either tutorials or just a cutscene. It does serve as a decent tutorial for the game, but it’s quite underwhelming when you consider how fantastic the source material is.

There’s a decent array of other single-player modes, although the only one I really enjoyed was the arcade mode. There are two separate survival modes (Heavens Arena and Battle Olympia), plus some time attack courses and a combo trial, as well. But the issue becomes that the artificial intelligence opponents on higher difficulties just get very cheap.

You hit a wall solo after a while, but thankfully, there is online play featuring rollback netcode. While playing locally is always ideal, online multiplayer is also a must for fighting games. I didn’t experience much lag, but other than matches I specifically set up, there are not a ton of people playing. So while it’s competent, you’ll want to have your own friends if you want to get the most out of the game. The game shines when its gameplay is allowed to take center stage, so it’s a shame that there aren’t many modes that are fun to play here.

Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact Review: Final Verdict

Once you get over the initial shortcomings, Hunter x Hunter fans will find plenty to like about Nen x Impact, which clearly has a reverence for the source material. There’s a surprising amount to its systems, as the nen stance and different arts will keep players on their toes, while it’s also quite beginner-friendly thanks to its rush mechanic. Sadly, the online community isn’t strong, but if you’ve got some friends who are also HxH fans, then you’ll be in luck.

SCORE: 7/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.

Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital PS5 copy for our Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact review. Reviewed on version 1.006.000.