One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows
Developer(s)Spike Chunsoft
Publisher(s)Bandai Namco Entertainment
SeriesOne-Punch Man
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
  • JP: February 27, 2020
  • WW: February 28, 2020
Genre(s)Fighting
RPG
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a fighting RPG video game developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment on February 28, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The game is based on the manga series One-Punch Man.

Gameplay

The game is a 3D fighting game in which one to two players battle using teams of three characters.[1][2] The title character Saitama is invulnerable to other characters' attacks, and can defeat them in a single punch, but if a player picks him for their team, he will arrive late to the battle; as such, that player needs to make it through the match with the other two characters in their team until Saitama arrives.[3] An alternative version of Saitama without these attributes, called the "Dream Version", is also playable.[4]

Characters

Development

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows was developed by Spike Chunsoft, and is based on the manga series One-Punch Man.[5]

The game was announced in June 2019,[5] and was released by Bandai Namco Entertainment in Japan for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on February 27, 2020, and internationally for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.[4]

On July 20, 2021, it's announced by Bandai Namco that all online servers will be closed by 2022.[6]

Reception

The game received mixed reviews from critics,[7][8] but was nominated for The Game Awards 2020 in the best fighting game category.[12] While the story mode was praised, the gameplay and visuals were considered unpolished and too simplistic. Reviewers were polarized on the gimmick revolving around Saitama's invincibility, with some praising it for its uniqueness, and others considering it a fatally flawed concept rendering all other characters useless and making multiplayer mode completely unbalanced unless both players picked Saitama.[13][14][15]

The physical PlayStation 4 game was the 18th highest selling physical video game in Japan during its debut week, with an estimated 4,500 copies sold;[16] by its second week on sale, it no longer charted on Famitsu's weekly top 30 sales chart.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Yes, A One Punch Man Game Now Exists". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  2. ^ a b "One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows review: (Class) A for effort". Shacknews. 4 March 2020. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  3. ^ Diaz, Ana (2019-08-22). "One Punch Man fighting game hilariously solves the problem of its overpowered star". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2019-08-22. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  4. ^ a b Romano, Sal (2019-11-15). "One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows launches February 27, 2020 in Japan, February 28 in the west". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2020-09-13. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  5. ^ a b Romano, Sal (2019-06-25). "One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows announced for PS4, Xbox One, and PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  6. ^ "One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows Servers Will Close in 2022". 20 July 2021.
  7. ^ a b "One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  9. ^ "One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows Review (PS4)". Push Square. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  10. ^ "One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows Review". IGN. 6 March 2020. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  11. ^ "ONE PUNCH MAN A HERO NOBODY KNOWSのレビュー・評価・感想". Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Game Linkage. Archived from the original on 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  12. ^ Romano, Sal (2020-11-18). "The Game Awards 2020 nominees announced". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  13. ^ "One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows Review". The Sixth Axis. March 2, 2020. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  14. ^ "One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows PS4 Review". PSU. March 2, 2020. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "REVIEW: ONE PUNCH MAN: A HERO NOBODY KNOWS IS EXTREMELY FLAWED BUT INTERESTING PROOF-OF-CONCEPT". Gamecrate. March 2, 2020. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  16. ^ Romano, Sal (2020-03-04). "Famitsu Sales: 2/24/20 – 3/1/20 [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2020-03-29. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  17. ^ Romano, Sal (2020-03-11). "Famitsu Sales: 3/2/20 – 3/8/20 [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2020-11-08.

External links

One-Punch Man by One and Yusuke Murata
Categories