As an otaku and a gamer, I haven't bared in mind that there will be a day that a One Punch Man game come out. But reality has stroked me!
As announced, One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is coming to PC, PS4 and Xbox One "soon". And if you hear a fighting game that takes the theme from an anime/manga, it's very likely that the game comes from the hands of Bandai Namco. This time, it's no different.
The announcement comes out with a trailer, and you can see it below:
Potentially the easiest game ever!
When I heard about the game, I went completely baffled.
I don't mean that there can't be any game based on this famous franchise. Instead, the One Punch Man anime and manga are very popular, to the point that every non-otaku might still be aware of this name.
Consequently, making a One Punch Man game is a wise step indeed. But definitely not a fighting game. The nature of One Punch Man doesn't allow this to happen.
In the anime, Saitama is the main protagonist that can withstand any kind of attacks to him. He's basically invulnerable. Furthermore, he can end the battle just by knocking down the enemy with only one punch.
That's acceptable for a manga/anime, but it's too imba for a video game, especially a fighting game! If he managed to sneak into a video game, it will definitely the easiest (or hardest, if he's a boss) game ever!
That's why I'm shocked to see One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows.
How One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows will work?
Bandai Namco Entertainment has announced that the game will feature 3v3 straight-up battles.
Apart from Saitama - the one with over-the-top power that dominates everyone else, the game also brings other characters in the game as well. We didn't know how many playable characters will be yet, but some of whom are revealed. They include Genos, Speed-o’-Sound Sonic, Hellish Blizzard, and the helpful bicycler Mumen Rider.
From the trailer, it seems that the game will take the route that no ones will be defeated in the battle. This is not a new approach, as the Guilty Gear Series also made the vampire lord Slayer never get defeated. Even when his HP bar hit zero and the match is over, he still stands up after the battle, just like nothing has happened.
I think Bandai Namco will focus more on telling the story of the side characters, as well as showing their reactions against a totally invulnerable foe. It will be kind of boring, but it's still remarkable that they still manage to pull it off.
Overall, I still think the game will just be a pickpocket that squeezes out as much as money as possible from the franchise. But we still don't know how the gameplay will be yet, so let's judge later!
There hasn't been any official release date of the game yet, but we've known for sure that One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows will support PS4, Xbox One, and PC through Steam.
By the time waiting for the game to come, let us grind some anime episode again!