Arknights - Trailer 2 released, plus hype thread.

Einbroch · Sep 16, 2019

What is Arknights? Mobile gacha tower defense game that released earlier this year in China. It is not based on any property, but is being brought to you by some of the ex-developers and artists of Girls Frontline, one of the prettiest games out there. And unlike other mobile gacha games, the game is quite challenging and requires you to think about your units and their formation. There are plenty of modes, all requiring different strategies to overcome. People praise it as a truly great tower defense game first and foremost. Outside of combat you have base building, and so on to keep you occupied. It's a great tower defense game with RPG elements and fantastic presentation/art.

Also...

The game is MASSIVE in China, having never dipped down below rank 45 on the grossing chart since it's launch, and consistently topping it whenever a new banner drops. Okay okay, it makes money, but why should you care? It's China.

Well, it's coming west this Winter, and it's being handled by arguably the best mobile gaming company out there right now: Yostar.

Brief Overview Impressions Video

Official Trailer 1
Official Trailer 2

They are putting a lot of effort into the game, including tapping the Totally-Not-Linkin-Park band Starset.

ANYONE ELSE HYPED?

inb4astroturf

Laiza · Sep 16, 2019

Should post more examples of the game's artwork, which is (at least in my view) the game's most distinguishing aspect. The art style is wholly unique among the gacha game space, and strikes a grittier tone than the vast majority of its competitors.

WellbornWarrior · Sep 16, 2019

Mobile Gacha Tower Defense sounds like a nightmare story that gamers tell themselves at campfires.

And there really aren't any positives for it other than it's successful in China?

Einbroch · Sep 16, 2019

WellbornWarrior said:
Mobile Gacha Tower Defense sounds like a nightmare story that gamers tell themselves at campfires.

And there really aren't any positives for it other than it's successful in China?

Added a bit more information. The overview video has a good early look at the game if you care to watch.

minimalism · Sep 16, 2019

I'm a simple man. I see animal ears on characters and I will download and play the game. Plus it's Yostar so I support them.

Roman · Sep 16, 2019

This is one of the most hyped gacha games this year as it has evidently taken its domestic market by storm instantly, and Yostar could not have jumped on it faster to publish in Japan, Korea and Global.

As a Girls' Frontline player I'm obviously extremely excited about it.

Uthred · Sep 16, 2019

Quite looking forward to this. I love the artwork and tower defence feels fresh for a gacha game. I also believe it uses a similar gacha model to Girls Frontline and other "manufacturing" games which is good for the completionist in me.

Vex · Sep 16, 2019

Laiza said:
Should post more examples of the game's artwork, which is (at least in my view) the game's most distinguishing aspect. The art style is wholly unique among the gacha game space, and strikes a grittier tone than the vast majority of its competitors.

"Strikes a grittier tone than a vast majority of it's competitors"

>Proceeds to post some of the most cutesy, typical military anime girl designs now common with gacha games. There is even a poofy doggo anime girl with a fucking tail. Im sorry, but as someone who consumes a lot of anime media/entertainment and plays a ton of gacha, I am laughing so hard at this post.

There is nothing gritty about those pictures at all. That art style is not unique either what? Something like JoJo is unique. Something like pop team epic is unique in style. Even panty and stocking is unique. Something like attack on Titan is dark (extremely dark) in themes. This is not.

In my opinion.

Deleted member 9317 · Sep 16, 2019

Einbroch said:
It's coming west this Winter, and it's being handled by arguably the best mobile gaming company out there right now: Yostar.

Is this a joke? Please argue.

Uthred · Sep 16, 2019

Vex said:
Something like attack on Titan is dark (extremely dark) in themes. This is not.

Oh so you're familiar with the games themes and setting? Leaving aside whether AoT's themes are "extremely dark" the setup for the world here seems themeatically similar. Most nations are nomadic due to ongoing apocalypse level events known as Disasters, the thing that lets civilisation thrive is an ore that also causes a lethal infectious disease. There are racial tensions between the dominant animalistic hybrids (who are more susceptible to said infection) and ordinary humans. There is also violent discrimination against the infected. The infected also have access to weird magic-esque effects. The story takes place on a mobile superstructure with competing factions and focuses on paramilitary actions involving the infected and conflict from racial/social discrimination. The extended world also has multiple factions and nations working at odds. But of course you knew all this already so you felt safe dismissing it's themes right? I suppose its only dark if someones getting their head chomped on, because themeatically they seem to be hitting a lot of the same notes.

Vex · Sep 16, 2019

Uthred said:
, because themeatically they seem to be hitting a lot of the same notes.

You certain about that? I disagree that they are hitting the same notes.

And as far as the "chomping their heads off" part of your post. I never said that was what made aot dark. It has more to do with loss and what comes after a death that makes it dark. More to do with how a relationship is lost and its effects (mostly psychological) on the remaining "humans".

Beyond that, you can't come in here and say the art style is gritty. There is no argument that can be made that it is gritty. Come on. What? Bunny ears and poofy tails man? I would say they look more "cool" than anything (and that's a stretch as they are mainly cutesy). Not gritty.

Einbroch · Sep 16, 2019

Shao Kahn said:
Is this a joke? Please argue.

I don't really want to argue with someone who just laughs at my opinion as if it's a joke.

Their major other game has been met by those who play gacha with huge applause. Their games are usually monetized primarily by cosmetics and not lootbox mechanics, although there is some of that as well. They treat their customers like people and have strong social media presence.

ZKenir · Sep 16, 2019

Will it become my second main gacha together with FGO? We shall see, for now I'm interested.

Also I want Hoshiguma!

Uthred · Sep 16, 2019

Vex said:
You certain about that? I disagree that they are hitting the same notes.

Human experimentation, discrimination between social clashes, the effects and cost of violence, how the threat of extinction warps society. They seem to have a fair few themes in common. I'm honestly not particularly well informed on the story so perhaps you are right but in the broad outlines they seem thematically similar.

Vex said:
And as far as the "chomping their heads off" part of your post. I never said that was what made aot dark. It has more to do with loss and what comes after a death that makes it dark. More to do with how a relationship is lost and its effects (mostly psychological) on the remaining "humans".

Sure, I was being face with that crack about heads.

Vex said:
Beyond that, you can't come in here and say the art style is gritty. There is no argument that can be made that it is gritty. Come on. What? Bunny ears and poofy tails man? I would say they look more "cool" than anything (and that's a stretch as they are mainly cutesy). Not gritty.

I never said the artystle was gritty. I do think it has a certain recognisable quality. But that doesnt make it unique (though it is to my taste). I'd agree its more cool than gritty but its subjective.

Deleted member 9317 · Sep 16, 2019

Einbroch said:
I don't really want to argue with someone who just laughs at my opinion as if it's a joke.

Their major other game has been met by those who play gacha with huge applause. Their games are usually monetized primarily by cosmetics and not lootbox mechanics, although there is some of that as well. They treat their customers like people and have strong social media presence.

Ahh, so they're the best Gacha developers right now. That would make sense as I'm not that familiar with Gacha developers.

Laiza · Sep 16, 2019

Vex said:
"Strikes a grittier tone than a vast majority of it's competitors"

>Proceeds to post some of the most cutesy, typical military anime girl designs now common with gacha games. There is even a poofy doggo anime girl with a fucking tail. Im sorry, but as someone who consumes a lot of anime media/entertainment and plays a ton of gacha, I am laughing so hard at this post.

There is nothing gritty about those pictures at all. That art style is not unique either what? Something like JoJo is unique. Something like pop team epic is unique in style. Even panty and stocking is unique. Something like attack on Titan is dark (extremely dark) in themes. This is not.

In my opinion.

You'd have to point me at what other games use this kind of subdued gear and clothing design with the dour color schemes and ruined apocalyptic setting, because as far as I can tell the only thing that comes close is Girls' Frontline which literally was lead by the same art director. And using the facial proportions as a disqualifier against grittiness just seems petty, frankly.

Every other gacha game is either more fantastical or straight up bubbly in comparison. Yeah, you can point at anime that are darker, sure, I guess, but that's not the comparison I was making in the first place. When I said competition I meant competition, as in other gacha games that are gunning for a similar audience. Again, point me at a gacha game that's even remotely similar to this, let alone as dark and gritty in its theming, and I might relent.

As it is, Arknights strikes me as a standout in the field in this regard. Outside of Mica Team there's no one else really trying to do what they're doing. Whether or not you can look past the moe faces to see that is your problem, not mine.

Vylash · Sep 16, 2019

Ein openly shilling for kusoge? smh

Roman · Sep 16, 2019

Vylash said:
Ein openly shilling for kusoge? smh

This is the same Einbroch who made the OTs for Girls' Frontline and The Forbidden One that shan't be named (it has an anime coming out soon). :P

Dandy Crocodile · Sep 16, 2019

This looks like GOTY material

Zenkuso · Sep 16, 2019

WellbornWarrior said:
Mobile Gacha Tower Defense sounds like a nightmare story that gamers tell themselves at campfires.

And there really aren't any positives for it other than it's successful in China?

Yeah it's ok, played it for a solid 2 months before going back to granblue. It has pretty artwork but the core gameplay loop is very boring at current endgame. It's no FGO, Granblue, Azurlane or E7. I think most it's popularity comes from the fact it's set and forget, once you setup your core positions on a map you don't even need skills.

Einbroch · Sep 16, 2019

Shao Kahn said:
Ahh, so they're the best Gacha developers right now. That would make sense as I'm not that familiar with Gacha developers.

Oh yeah, gacha companies are all trash in the grand scheme of things. But as far as gacha companies go, Yostar is one of the best.

Zenkuso said:
Yeah it's ok, played it for a solid 2 months before going back to granblue. It has pretty artwork but the core gameplay loop is very boring at current endgame. It's no FGO, Granblue, Azurlane or E7. I think most it's popularity comes from the fact it's set and forget, once you setup your core positions on a map you don't even need skills.

I think this is important too. I had the mindset when I went into Girls Frontline that it was a "play every day and enjoy new events every week" and burned out, because it wasn't that. Viewing this as more of a secondary game this time around.

Laiza · Sep 16, 2019

Considering how much Epic Seven has felt like homework with how much time investment it's required, a game that's just set-it-and-forget-it sounds right up my alley at this point.

What I'm curious about is how well-executed the story is. GFL has been slow-going but I know it ramps up pretty quickly from here on out. Curious if Arknights is on the same level or better. Well, hopefully it's not quite as much despair fuel as GFL's is, heh...

Einbroch · Sep 16, 2019

Oh and this game has dudes too. Mostly waifus, but there are some tasty men.

Darkmaigle · Sep 16, 2019

Wait so when does this come out in the us?

Roman · Sep 16, 2019

Darkmaigle said:
Wait so when does this come out in the us?

"Winter" is all we know so far but there is another announcement in a few hours.

Balmung421 · Sep 17, 2019

Westlo · Sep 17, 2019

I'll give it a shot but I doubt I'll drop FGO or E7 for this... but hopefully it can be a solid #3 in my rotation when FGO and E7 aren't grind heavy..... logged into FEH for the first time in 5 days today, logged in once the last ten days for DL and haven't logged into the forbidden game for about two weeks..... SinoAlice is probably never coming out now.... so it has a chance.

maouvin · Sep 17, 2019

I'll try it because it looks pretty and the tone/scenario seems similar to Girl's Frontline.

But will they be as generous as our lord and saviour Mica Team?

Roman · Sep 17, 2019

Over 20k pre-registrations in a few hours. Not bad!

galvenize · Sep 17, 2019

Uthred said:
Quite looking forward to this. I love the artwork and tower defence feels fresh for a gacha game. I also believe it uses a similar gacha model to Girls Frontline and other "manufacturing" games which is good for the completionist in me.

Time to make a guild my man

Einbroch · Sep 17, 2019

alive game

elty · Sep 17, 2019

Is this game as generous as the ban game? Being able to get every limited character without paying kind of spoil me.

Roman · Sep 18, 2019

elty said:
Is this game as generous as the ban game? Being able to get every limited character without paying kind of spoil me.

From what I've been gathering through impressions and trying the CN version myself for a few days, it's rather comparable. Here is a gushing impressions text from a few months ago that goes a bit into how the gacha works. With Yostar publishing the Global version, I don't think we have to be concerned about it getting any less generous.

Einbroch · Oct 4, 2019

Pre-registration has reached 70k!

That means we get all the "good" rewards.

HYPE SHILL
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happy roman u fuk :^)

ZKenir · Oct 4, 2019

Hyyyyyyype

Arknights - Trailer 2 released, plus hype thread.

Einbroch

Laiza

WellbornWarrior

Einbroch

minimalism

Roman

Uthred

Vex

Deleted member 9317

User requested account closure

Uthred

Vex

Einbroch

ZKenir

Uthred

Deleted member 9317

User requested account closure

Laiza

Vylash

Roman

Dandy Crocodile

Community Resetter

Zenkuso

Einbroch

Laiza

Einbroch

Darkmaigle

Roman

Balmung421

Prophet of Truth

Westlo

maouvin

Roman

galvenize

Einbroch

elty

Roman

Einbroch

ZKenir