We recently reported that the pandemic-inspired beat ‘em up Pulling No Punches was coming to Nintendo Switch, well, it’s ready to infect Switches everywhere from 25th May 2023, so here’s our Pulling No Punches Switch review!
Pulling No Punches is set in another reality in which a mysterious virus is ravaging the population, resulting in need for the population to wear masks when interacting with one another, and the search for a vaccine. Your enemies in the game are the virus deniers who refuse to comply with the measures put in place to protect society.
Thank goodness nothing like this could possibly happen in real life, eh?
I was relieved to realise that Pulling No Punches doesn’t espouse anti-vaxx rhetoric, and it treats the subject matter with an irreverent sense of humour. However, the game’s gross-out humour certainly pulls no punches, though it occasionally walks a fine line between amusing and annoying, but usually falling on the side of the former. To enjoy Pulling No Punches you’ll need a high tolerance for gross-out humour and a bit of gratuitous swearing. What’s more, emetophobes should steer well clear. Much of the game’s humour and appeal comes from the cartoon-like visuals, which are possibly best described as Garbage Pail Kids meets Alien Hominid.
The game is very well-animated, but if I were reviewing this game for Edge (hey, I’m available, Ian Edge!) I might note that the cartoon-like graphics perhaps deny the game a degree of verisimilitude. Though perhaps this extra layer of distance is welcome in a game that applies a silly gross-out treatment to such serious subject matter!
So, we’ve established that the game looks like a gross-out cartoon. How does it play? Pretty well. Underneath the controversial theme and cartoon graphics, there’s a solid, if unspectacular side-scrolling beat ‘em up in the vein of the likes of Double Dragon and River City Girls.
Power-ups to pick up include tried and tested beat ‘em up staples such as bottles to smash your enemies with, as well as more idiosyncratic items such as hand sanitiser.
Pulling No Punches isn’t going to win over any new fans to the genre, but, if like me, you’re already a fan of side-scrolling beat ‘em ups, then Pulling No Punches certainly tests positive for fun!
At no point during the COVID-19 pandemic did I ever expect it to inspire a side-scrolling beat ‘em up, but here we are! Pulling No Punches launches on the Nintendo eshop tomorrow (Thursday 25th May 2023).
The devs have missed a trick if the game doesn’t contain a virus… 🙂