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- M
- QUByte Interactive
- M
- QUByte Interactive
- M
- QUByte Interactive
- M
- QUByte Interactive
Pulling No Punches
Released On: May 25, 2023
Metascore
Available after 4 critic reviews
2.2
All Platforms
Honestly, I had no idea what to expect from Pulling No Punches. I’ve played a lot of beat ’em ups, and in recent years very few have made an impression. But this one absolutely did. While the game’s themes and the narrative’s brash nature may offend some, I find the game a breath of fresh air. It combines a unique visual style with dynamic combat, amazing bosses, and plenty of reasons to keep playing, especially with a group of friends. If this is the first project from BrainDead Broccoli, I’m eager to see what their encore presentation might be.
Pulling No Punches is certainly a parody, but it’s a raw, furious parody that does exactly what the title says. Scratching past that, there’s a competent four-stage beat-em-up here that will give you a couple of hours of fun, even if it starts to wear one down before it ends. The art style and premise are going to repel as many as they attract, but if nothing else I appreciate that the developers made the game they wanted to make without compromising.
There’s something weirdly wonderful about Pulling No Punches, though. Its four chapters comprise just over an hour end-to-end, but there’s so much to see that one can’t help but be absorbed by it. Whether the awesome character designs, the blazing f-bombs, the untranslated onomatopoeia of its fisticuffs, or the divisive theme itself, Pulling No Punches is not only a competent scrolling beat 'em up, but has a power of intrigue like few others. Frankly, we’re not sure Nintendo’s board of approval paid much attention to it, and in a world littered with a host of sanitised indie retro-themed games, its daring, politicised demeanour is a breath of fresh air.
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 5 User Ratings
2.2
20% Positive
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
80% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 5 User Ratings
2.2
20% Positive
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
80% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Summary A classic 2D arcade action game animated frame by frame. Survive a fictional pandemic in a city filled with madness and denial.
Rated M
for Mature
Platforms:
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date: May 25, 2023
Developer:
- BrainDead Broccoli
Publisher: QUByte Interactive
Genres:
