During Summer Game Fest 2026, we visited the ProbablyMonsters location, where we already talked about Crimson Moon. However, we also got hands-on time with Nekome: Nazi Hunter, a 3D narrative-driven beat ’em up about punching, stabbing, and putting Nazis in the ground. While playing it, I started seeing the DNA of several other titles, but none more prominent than the Batman: Arkham series and God of War Ragnarök. So, yeah, it is in good company.
So, What Is Nekome: Nazi Hunter?
Well, as you can probably assume by the title, this game is all about hunting down Nazis. Which is always a good time. Nekome: Nazi Hunter puts you in the role of a young Romani man named Vano Nastasu, who has had a very unfortunate life. His family was assassinated by Nazis, which has taken a serious toll on him. Now, he wants revenge. Seems simple enough, right?
Well, there’s also an interesting story here, as Vano isn’t just a blunt instrument of destruction. He’s a man who has suffered at the hands of an enemy that would rather he not be alive, and he’s willing to put his life on the line to make them pay. While 20 minutes with the game wasn’t enough to see much more of the narrative, what we did see shows why Vano is the way he is, and perhaps we’ll see a different side of him as the game progresses.
We’re Here For The Bloody Laying Of Hands
Vano is a killing machine, and as he seeks justice, he seems to be pretty talented at the task. In the first part of the demo, I found myself in a dining room filled with Nazis who were celebrating some event, with Vano dressed up as a waiter. The unsuspecting Nazis were none the wiser that Vano was really there to put an end to them.
After a bit of talking, Vano snaps, and then he starts snapping Nazis. It’s here that we get our first introduction to the gameplay and the various things Vano is able to do. Between the punching, stabbing with knives, and putting the fear into Nazis, it’s a brutal time. When I say putting the fear into the Nazis, I’m serious, as the game has a system where if you do enough damage to a specific character, like a commander, everyone who is following him will start to cower. When gives you time to inflict even more damage, especially the ones who’ve been not a bit more cautious and are falling back instead of rushing you.
There are even finishing attacks that turn whoever is on the opposite end of your fist into something resembling a bloody puddle on the ground. And if you’re feeling really frisky, you can even burn the Nazi symbols scattered throughout the areas.
After that was over, we were sent to a flashback where a friend of Vano, who took him in after his family was murdered, was also attacked. However, he managed to get in a few hits before he was fatally injured, leaving a trail of blood that allows Vano to track him down. As we give chase, this provides a bigger look at the gameplay, which also includes stealth. Sadly, the stealth really didn’t work as well as I wanted it to. Every time I tried to be as quiet and sneaky as possible, those blasted Nazis still saw me. Maybe it was me, but after that happened a few times, I lost interest in trying to stay hidden and went back to dealing damage.
Still, the game quickly gets violent again, especially once you start picking up things like standing ashtrays and using them to pummel enemies to death. You’re also able to counter incoming attacks, which are indicated by a prompt that appears over your head, telling you to press and hold a specific button. Which, if I’m being honest, felt a bit sluggish. In most games, when you’re about to counter an attack, you press the button right before the attack hits you.
So having to hold down a button instead of simply pressing it does feel weird. As for the combat, it was a bit floaty and janky. It felt like the game wasn’t trying to be as serious as other action titles and was more about mashing buttons to dish out pain and combos. There’s that feeling of actually laying hands on someone that feels like it’s missing, and adding that extra bit of impact would help flesh out the combat. It’s not bad, just lacking.
It’s Got Some Solid Bones
I know I probably shouldn’t be so rough on the game, especially since we played an alpha build and Nekome: Nazi Hunter isn’t due to be released until sometime in 2027. However, I still feel that it has solid bones. Going into this preview, I wasn’t sure if I’d care about this title, but after spending some time with it, I can see this being a lot of fun.
If ProbablyMonsters refines the combat, tightens up the stealth, and gives the action a bit more impact, which I have no doubt they will, they’ll have a fun AA beat ’em up on their hands. At its core, this is a story about a man taking back what was stolen from him and getting to cave in a few Nazi skulls along the way. That’s a pitch I’ll take every time.
Nekome: Nazi Hunter is scheduled to be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in early 2027.
