The “best anime MMORPG” competition is really heating up in 2023.
Could Blue Protocol Be the Best Anime MMORPG of 2023?
Written by Ollie Bradley at 12/15/2022, 07:15 AM
Three years after the release of Genshin Impact, it's about time another game had their turn in the "best anime MMORPG" spotlight. And Blue Protocol, an online action RPG from Bandai Namco and Amazon Games, might fit that bill.
After much waiting, the latest Amazon Games MMO was formally unveiled at this year's Game Awards with the flashy trailer below. In it we see a montage of dramatic anime moments that seems steeped in JRPG tropes including oversized weapons. From the announcement trailer alone, we can see that raids play a big part. And along with the stellar visuals, that's enough to grab our attention.
The follow-up trailer, however, confirms that exploration (A.K.A. open world) and crafting will also play a role. The title will begin with 5 unique classes within the categories of Aegis Fighters, Twin Strikers, Blast Archers, and Spellcasters. Which we can only assume neatly fill the roles within the holy trinity of MMOs. But one intriguing feature is enemies' ability to adapt to the combined skillset of a given party.
The title takes place on the planet of Regnus, a fantasy world replete with dilapidated ruins and all the mysteries and treasures they hold. Players awaken as characters that have forgotten their origins, only to be thrust into a quest that will see them determine the fate of the planet itself. Something that MMO fans are pretty adept at doing at this point.
Easily one of Blue Protocol's most appealing features is its artstyle. Sprawling biomes and audacious outfits are the order of the day, bolstered by some extremely in-depth customization mechanics that will allow players to choose their appearance, hairstyle, clothes, accessories, weapons and mounts.
Blue Protocol is currently slated for a late 2023 release, and will be free-to-play. Which probably means this is Amazon Games' attempt to cash in on the ludicrously lucrative Genshin Impact model. Whether or not it could take the best anime MMORPG crown from HoYoverse or Tower of Fantasy remains to be seen. But if it turns out to be of similar or, dare we say it, even better quality - then we're all for it.