Review - Baki Hanma: Blood Arena - Is it worth it?

Baki is an anime and manga about Baki Hanma, a young man determined to become the strongest fighter in the world, surpassing his father, Yujiro Hanma, who is known as the most powerful man alive. The franchise began as a manga in 1991, titled Baki the Grappler, written by Keisuke Itagaki.

Over the years, it has become a massive success and is considered one of the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 100 million copies sold.

- Title: Baki Hanma: Blood Arena

- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

- Developer: Purple Tree SRL

- Publisher: Purple Play LLC.

- Release: September 11, 2025

Trailer:

Inspiration and core mechanics

The game takes heavy inspiration from Super Punch-Out!!. Just like in the classic, the d-pad controls dodges, while attacks are mapped to four basic buttons:

- Quick jabs with the left and right fists

- Two attack heights: head and torso

There are also dodges and guards.

The gameplay loop revolves around pressing attacks repeatedly until the opponent’s health bar runs out. When the enemy goes down, a countdown begins that lets the protagonist recover some health depending on how fast the player presses the indicated button.

Although the controls are sharp and responsive, the timing for certain blocks and parries feels off, with what seems like a small delay (something we will revisit later).

To secure victory, you must knock the opponent down three times. The same applies to Baki: if he falls three times, it is game over.

Progress mostly depends on learning each opponent’s patterns and adapting reflexes to them. This can feel repetitive and, at times, frustrating.

Game Modes

Since the entire focus is on combat, there is no real story mode. At the moment, the game only offers two modes:

- Underground Tournament: This serves as the “main campaign,” featuring twelve opponents. However, the difficulty does not progress logically, with challenges feeling randomly placed.

The Underground Tournament is the closest thing to a campaign, but even here there is essentially no “story.”

- Survival: a straightforward arcade mode where you fight until you are defeated.

A third mode is planned for the future. For now, the game offers limited options, which all boil down to fighting over and over.

Collision issues and frustration

One of the most criticized aspects is hit detection. Often, a move that looks finished (such as a punch or kick already completed, leaving only its visual effect) still deals damage to the character.

This makes the experience frustrating, since players can be punished by attacks that should not actually connect with Baki. As a result, the learning curve becomes harsher and many defeats feel unfair.

Visual aspects

Visually, Baki Hanma: Blood Arena is disappointing. Aside from character animations, much of the game relies on static scenes taken directly from the anime, with little creative effort.

This approach makes the visual design feel lazy and is reminiscent of how the recent Hunter x Hunter game was assembled.

Moreover, the developer added an “aged filter” that mimics the look of a 90s CRT TV, likely intended to appear stylish. In practice, it just looks bad, leaving the visuals cluttered and dull.

Pros and Cons

Pros

- Simple and easy-to-understand controls (even if the game itself is tough)

- The attempt to recreate the feel of Super Punch-Out!! may appeal to nostalgic players

Cons

- Few game modes and no true narrative campaign

- Poor hit detection that leads to unfair defeats

- Unbalanced difficulty with no clear sense of progression

- Repetitive gameplay that struggles to engage anyone beyond dedicated fans of the franchise

Baki Hanma: Blood Arena tries to capture the franchise’s brutal and over-the-top essence, but it stumbles in important areas. Drawing inspiration from Super Punch-Out!! could have created a fun and challenging experience, yet the execution falls short due to repetition, poor hit detection, a lack of game mode variety, and a steep learning curve.

Visually, the reuse of anime stills and the questionable filter choice convey carelessness rather than style, leaving the game feeling lazy.

That said, devoted fans of Baki (and Punch-Out!!) might still find some enjoyment in the fan service and the chance to revisit the universe in a new format. For most players, however, the game is unlikely to hold much appeal on its own.

Even so, it might be entertaining if you do not mind a little extra stress.