Nekome Is WWII Arkham Asylum, Just With More Dead Nazis

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For many years, video games have frequently featured Nazis as villains, often allowing players to fight against them and feel a sense of justice. The new stealth-action game, Nekome: Nazi Hunter, from ProbablyMonsters, follows this tradition. It’s inspired by classic revenge films and set during World War II, focusing on survival and getting even. While the game has a slightly cartoonish style, the combat is still intense, particularly when players silently sneak up on enemies and deliver fatal knife attacks.

The game’s distinct style is intentional, blending familiar gameplay elements with its own unique feel. At Summer Game Fest 2026, ComicBook played an early demo of Nekome: Nazi Hunter, taking on the role of Vano. Players sneak through a building, efficiently eliminating Nazis. While the gameplay isn’t groundbreaking, the developers have crafted a compelling experience that allows you to easily immerse yourself in the story and embrace Vano’s mission to defeat as many Nazis as possible.

Nekome: Nazi Hunter Leans Hard Into Familiar Stealth/Action With A Brutal Edge

During the demo of Nekome: Nazi Hunter made available to members of the media in attendance at SGF, players got a taste of Vano Nastasu’s adaptability and combat skills. The demo picks up after Vano has escaped Europe, where the rest of his family was butchered in front of him by Nazi forces. After one of their only friends is killed by a member of the American Nazi Party, Vano chases after them and ends up with the perfect opportunity to sneak through their headquarters and dispense some brutal justice. The gameplay demo was fairly linear, without a lot of major surprises or unexpected turns.

It did serve as a good taste of the gameplay and controls, however, which feel somewhat indebted to the approach that Rocksteady took with games like Batman: Arkham Asylum. While Vano doesn’t have the limitless gadgets or restraint of the Dark Knight, a lot of the underlying gameplay for Nekome will feel familiar to players who’ve played the Batman games. Stealth is key to the game, as it allows players to dispatch Nazi soldiers before they even realize someone is in the room with them. When exposed, Vano’s approach to combat takes cues from Rocksteady’s approach by putting an emphasis on quick blows, well-timed counters, and decisive finishing blows.

The combat in Nekome: Nazi Hunter feels smoother and more engaging than the stealth. Vano is a fast attacker who uses a knife and whatever objects he can find, and his attacks have a satisfying impact. While the stealth mechanics are simpler, they’re effective. The game’s dark atmosphere and unique visual style make it memorable, but it also relies on familiar stealth-action gameplay, making it easy to learn.

Nekome Highlights How The Push And Pull Of Narrative Storytelling In Gaming

The specific design of Nekome: Nazi Hunter makes it a game that keeps the player invested in the world and the narrative, instead of the specifics of the combat or stealth. The game is far more rooted in giving players a taste of Vano’s life and a look into his experience as first a haunted survivor and then a brutal agent of vengeance. With that in mind, the decision to get the tenor and tone of the game across rather than the full depth makes sense for the demo.

Other previews have indicated that the game will feature some player customization that tweaks the experience to lean more towards combat or stealth depending on player preference, but this hands-on demo was all about letting members of the media feel what it’s like to be hurt by the Nazi forces and given a chance to get a little payback. After seeing Vano lose his only friend and then chase down the cowardly Nazi who did it, it’s rewarding to make your way through the building, taking down his allies, burning his flags, and finally putting down the killer yourself.

It’s a vindicating game, looking to recreate the brutal sense of closure that audiences get when watching films where hordes of Nazi soldiers who’ve done unspeakable things face the consequences of their actions. Little touches like fraying film stock when taking damage add to the feeling that players stepped into a revenge flick. It all blends together for a strong effect.

Nekome: Nazi Hunter effectively captures the intense emotions of its premise. The potential for a richer, more impactful experience is promising. From a visual and thematic standpoint, ProbablyMonsters has perfectly recreated the feel of a classic World War II revenge movie. If the complete game can keep this strong style while also adding the polish and storytelling depth that made games like Batman: Arkham Asylum so engaging, it could be a major success.

Nekome: Nazi Hunter is set launch for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2027.

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2026-06-11 23:10