Hero Academia Beyond - A Plus Ultra Fan Project
My Hero Academia has become a mammoth in both the anime and wider entertainment worlds since first bursting onto the small screen. The super-powered premise lends itself perfectly to the video game formula, and fans have already been supplied with an exciting dose of arena fighting action through the My Hero Ones Justice franchise. However, as anime games go, fighters are a given these days and what many desire is an open world experience.
While there’s still no word on whether Izuku and friends will ever receive an official RPG, a dedicated group of developers have taken matters into their own hands with an ambitious fanmade project entitled Hero Academia Beyond.
A WORLD OF ANIME?!
Dubbed as a ‘fanmade RPG adventure’ Hero Academia Beyond is a non-profit project by volunteer development team Beyond Studios. The small team has been collaborating with the anime fan community throughout development, in the hopes of creating an open-world video game for PC set in the MHA universe.
As stated on the game’s official website, the final outcome of the project is to provide:
An open world action and adventure, which focuses mostly on an original plot line centered around canon characters AND game-original characters not introduced in the anime. This is similar to how an anime movie works: typically adding new unique characters and stories to an existing universe without breaking canon events… We plan to allow multiple outcomes at the end of the game based on player decisions throughout (sort of like the Fallout series). And we plan to have open world gameplay similar to the PS4 hit, "Marvel's Spider-Man.’’
The game will include a core campaign, as well as free roam where players will be able to take control of any character, as not everyone is playable throughout the story. The roster looks packed according to the open casting call for voice talent.
I cannot see any issue arising from having exploding hands like these.
The emphasis on Beyond being community led is clear not only in the incentive for fans to audition but by the devs encouraging anybody with skills that could be used on the project to reach out via Discord. There’s also a blog where fans can submit ideas, original character concepts and fan art, alongside developer posts to keep the community updated as the game progresses.
If you’re already excited, strap in because it doesn’t stop there. Beyond is also hoping to introduce multiplayer into the game:
We plan to implement a multiplayer mode in which players can create their own custom heroes and free roam the city doing good or evil acts to change their reputation as a hero or villain. We plan to spawn events where players can face off on a team of heroes against a team of villains (both player characters and NPCs) for big reputation boosts. Players will have special rewards for gaining a spot amongst the ranks of the top heroes or most wanted villains. Of course, this high reputation as a hero or villain also comes with the drawback that players will become bigger targets for their enemies, so tread carefully!.
Due to resource and budget restrictions, unfortunately, Beyond won’t have a dedicated server, but the team have assured that more details will come on exactly how players can host their own sessions in the future.
And remember:
Snitches get stiches, don’t tell Shueisha capeesh?
The first demo, created in Unreal Engine 4, is available to download now via Discord. It gives players the opportunity to explore the open-world grounds of U.A. High School as various characters, including Izuku, All Might, and Bakugo. The influence of Insomniac’s Spider-Man is very apparent here, as you’ll utilise several distinctive movement abilities to navigate the environment. It’s a great taste of what’s to come and I’d encourage anybody who’s curious about the game, or a diehard MHA fan to give it a go.
Overall, this game is shaping up to be brilliant. The amount of care and effort evidenced is inspiring, and the community led nature of the project is admirable. Hero Academia Beyond is a true love letter to one of the best modern anime, and I can’t wait to see the finished project.
You can stay up-to-date with all things Hero Academia Beyond on Twitter.
