I just watched Blue Period on Netflix and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It can be a bit pretensions and cheesy when it comes to its obsession with the artistic method, but the themes it deals with and the story it tells make up for it. If you enjoy slice-of-life anime and enjoy art even a little, this is a great series to get into.
Yamaguchi is a rough character who is good at school but feels unfulfilled by his lack of ambitions. He discovers his love for art almost by accident when he is made to join the art club. For the first time in his life, he feels the threads of ambition forming within him. He sets his eyes on one of the hardest art programs in Japan and puts all his time and efforts toward making it happen. But the path to art school won’t be easy. Yamaguchi has never taken art seriously and must learn the skills many have taken years to perfect in a shorter amount of time. Will Yamaguchi’s hard work and passion be enough to get him into art school?
Blue Period is a stressful anime that will often deal with themes of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Consider how big of a trigger these themes are for you before watching this anime. Blue Period handles these themes respectfully and successfully captures the mounting stress of trying to get into a very competitive field. By the end of the series, I felt relief that the whole process was over, even though I wasn’t the one taking the test or trying to get into art school. This is a clear testament to how good the storytelling is.
Watching the physical, mental, and emotional toll the process is on the characters makes this anime hard to watch at times. The close the characters get to the exam, the darker the anime gets. This anime can be draining, but it is also inspiring to watch Yamaguchi grow through the process.
What I love most about this anime is that Yamaguchi isn’t a genius at the start of the anime. He has to learn skills that people either have naturally or have had years to learn. He will fail at times, but always learns and grows from these failures. Despite how tough he may seem about everything else, he has low self-esteem in his art. Most of the tension that exists in this series is from Yamaguchi’s apprehension. Is he really good enough for art school when there are so many talented people? What makes him more qualified than any of the other applicants? Watching Yamaguchi live with this anxiety and depression is hard, but it makes his growth inspiring to watch.
If you are looking for new anime to watch, Blue Period is a solid one to get into. The story is cool, the characters are memorable, and it makes getting into art school seem exciting. It is a little too stressful to watch if you are just trying to relax on your day off, but the journey is worth it. Go check out this short series on Netflix.
There is English dubbing available, but I could only find the Japanese trailer. The English dub is solid.
Mobile Suite Gundam U.C. Engage is coming to Android and IOS. Preregister today!
Preregistration for the mobile game Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage is now open for Android and IOS devices. This Gotcha game brings over 200 classic characters and mobile suits to a tactical game that might be pretty cool if you are a Gundam fan. I’ve already seen a few characters I will be chasing at launch.
The game looks like an auto battler, as most Gotcha games often are, but you have control over where your Gundam are placed on the field each round. The animation isn’t the most exciting I’ve seen in a Gundam game, but I’ll take what I can get. Most of the strategy I assume will come down to what suit and pilot you have on your team, their level, and the gear have. RNG is always most of the fun for these games, and I can only hope that the pull rates aren’t predatory and the story is good. This game promises a unique story set in the universe, and it seems to have some solid voice acting. I’ll have to try the game out first, but I have seen enough to spark some interest.
I am still looking for a Gotcha game that will replace Dragalia Lost. This is coming to me at a time when I am super into Gundam. I have a couple of Gunpla kits I am working on and have been slowly making my way through The Witch From Mercury. Go check it out on YouTube if you already haven’t.
I’m excited to try out anything that will give me Gundam, especially if it is free. I’ve already registered and will be playing at launch. Stay tuned for my full review then. Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage is scheduled for release on October 25th.
There is currently a preregistration event going on, so make sure you sign up to earn some pretty cool perks at launch. 100,000 preregistrations will score users with a UR Gundam and 3,000 diamonds, enough to pull 10 times from the Unit Assembly.
- 10,000 preregistrations: 100 diamonds
- 30,000 preregistrations: 200 diamonds
- 50,000 preregistrations: 400 diamonds
- 80,000 preregistrations: 800 diamonds
Based on the picture and all the promotional videos, I can assume it is the RX 78-2 Gundam is the SR unit we’ll be getting.
Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage will be available on both Android and IOS devices. Don’t forget to follow them on Facebook to stay up on all the news.
Romantic Killer: The cute reverse harem that I didn’t plan on loving
If you haven’t watched Romantic Killer on Netflix, I strongly recommend you do so now. This series should at the very least be on your watch list, especially if you like anime. Romantic Killer is a cute anime with a lot of heart and exactly what you need if you are looking for comforting anime.
Anzu is a girl obsessed with video games with no intentions or time to find love. Unfortunately for her, a wizard appears and uses their powers to make her life into a dating sim. Anzu suddenly finds herself surrounded by hot guys and forced into situations that will decide her romantic future. Will this wizard succeed in their mission to help Anzu find love, or is she really as incapable of falling in love as she believes she is?
This series was originally intended as background noise as I built my gunpla kit. But my gunpla went unfinished as I quickly became absorbed into Romantic Killer’s silly and quirky plot. This series has a delightfully charming story with fun characters and a vibrant art style. I love how resistant Anzu is to the situation, but she is still willing to learn and grow from it. I love the awkward and hilarious situations the wizard puts her in. The only thing I don’t like about this series is that there isn’t an end yet, and I need to know what happens. I don’t want to get too detailed with this review because there is a bit of mystery to the plot that leads to its heartwarming resolution. The resolution and how all the pieces of the narrative connect is what makes this series special. I’ll admit that some of the plot points are a little forced, but it doesn’t matter when the result is this cute. I should go without saying that I love this anime.
Regardless of what you think of anime, you should watch Romantic Killer at least once. It is cute, dumb, and very entertaining. It can be slow, especially during setup, but it is worth the journey. If you have Netflix and need something fun and comforting to watch, this is your answer.
I couldn’t find the trailer in English, but there is English dubbing and it is solid.
Pokemon Presents Recap: August 8th
Pokemon Presents showcase had a few exciting announcements for games, anime, and the upcoming championship in Yokohama this weekend. I’ll go over the highlights I am most excited about in case you missed it, but you should watch the whole thing if you have the time. There were a few announcements for the gotcha games and Pokemon Go that I won’t be going over because I don’t play those.
Pokemon Worlds Championship
The Pokemon Worlds Championship is this weekend, and it marks an exciting week in the world of Pokemon. The tournament will run from August 11-13, so make sure you tune in on Twitch to watch some exciting competition. Check out the official page for the complete schedule.
- Pokemon TCG: Twitch.tv/PokemonTCG
- Pokemon VGC: Twitch.tv/Pokemon
- Pokemon Go: Twitch.tv/PokemonGO
- Pokemon Unite: Twitch.tv/PokemonUNITE
The week will also be full of cool Pokemon related events around Yokohama that you should definitely check out if you are heading to worlds. Check out the official page for full details, but here’s a map to get you excited:
And if you are going to Worlds, don’t forget to reserve your slot to shop at the Pokemon Center. There will be a lot of cute and exclusive items that are going to go want to get your hands on, like this cute little Pikachu that is only available at worlds.
I’ll probably be watching some of the Pokemon TCG coverage, but I might just watch a little bit of everything. Good luck to the folks competing, and hope everyone going has a blast!
Path To the Peak Premiere
Worlds will also make the premier of a short animated series, Path to the Peak. The first episode will have a special screening at Worlds, but you can watch it on the official Pokemon YouTube channel on August 11.
The series will follow Ava as she rises in the ranks in the world of competitive Pokemon TCG. This is probably the announcement that has me that got me the most excited. I love the animation and art style, and the story seems super cute. I like that this series comes at a time where I am super into Pokemon TCG, but I am probably no where near as good as Ava. Check out the sneak peak below and tune in on Friday!
Pokemon Horizons
We also got to see a sneak peak for the new Pokemon Horizons Series with the new protagonist and I can’t put to words how excited I am. The animation and art style are amazing, and the world is unique and beautiful. I can only hope that this series doesn’t feel as rushed as Ultimate Journeys did. I hadn’t decided on watching it until I saw the preview. I’ve got the time stamp below for your convenience. There is no date revealed yet for the English dub yet, but I am excited either way!
Paldea Winds
We also got the announcement for Paldea Winds, another webseries coming to us on September 6, 2023. You can watch it on the official Pokemon YouTube, so make sure you follow to say up to date. Paldea Winds follows three students, Ohara, Aliquis, and Hohma, on their adventures through Paldea. It looks pretty cool at least from the trailer, I just hope its better they don’t mess it up like the Digimon web novel.
Scarlet and Violet DLC
If you’ve been playing Scarlet and Violet, there were a few announcements you should be aware of. Most importantly, make sure you go claim your Mew using code:
GETY0URMEW
The Get Mew and Mewtwo event is live now until September 18th. Players can add Mew to their team with the special code GETY0URMEW in the mystery gift menu. Players will also be able to challenge Mewtwo in a special Tera Raid Battle event that will run from August 31 – September 17th. Make sure you don’t miss out on these exclusive Pokemon because they look sick!
We also got to see the first part the upcoming DLC, The Teal Mask, coming out on September 13. The area will bring with it a new area with a new school, characters, and Pokemon. There will also be new story where they investigate the mysteries behind an old Kitakami folktale. I have Violet, but never got around to play it. It might be a great time to for my first play through as I get ready for the DLC.
Final thoughts and Misc. Announcents
This was a very exciting showcase. I can’t wait for the anime to drop, and I might come around to play some of the games. Don’t forget that the Obsidian Flames expansion comes out on August 10th. Its release is certainly shaking up the meta, and there are some cards I wouldn’t mind chasing. The new season of ranked starts on Pokemon TCG live, so make sure you finish up your battle pass and make your last minute climb. I just filled up my battle pass yesterday and love the full art cards I was able to pull. If you have a Switch, you will also be able to play Pokemon Stadium 2 and the Pokemon Trading Card Game on the virtual console if you have a subscription. If you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to do the things!
I was wrong about Krzyżacy: The Knights of the Cross, the game was rather disappointing
I was sent Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross is a pixel art deck builder based on a book of the same name. Unfortunately, the English localization is bad. I stopped reading the story early on because the effort isn’t worth it. The source material might be worth reading, but this adaptation isn’t. With only gameplay left, there wasn’t much reason for me to keep playing once the novelty wore off. Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross becomes a boring grind with cute pixel art, but you can find a better game elsewhere.
Like most deck builders, you start the game with a basic deck and slowly build a stronger one as you progress through the campaign. What makes this deck builder unique is that you can recruit units to help you in battles. These units will perform actions based on the combination of cards you play during a turn. This creates an interesting dynamic where you are trying to create combos from your hand that synergizes with your companions. The problem I have with this system is that if you don’t meet the basic requirements for an action, the unit sits idle. This game is not forgiving when it comes to the action economy, and wasted turns result in more unnecessary grind.
I recommend you look up guides or build toward a two-color deck early on to make sure you play efficiently. The amount of gold and xp you earn and the global healing you can do is limited. These limits are standard in the genre. The problem is that you can get stuck in the campaign if you haven’t been using your gold wisely. Most deck builders let you easily redo the run, but Krzyżacy forces you to sit through the cut scenes and restart from zero. This is great if you are good at these games and love the strategy, but bad for the casual players. There are global perks you can earn by playing the game that alleviate some of this grind, but it stops being worth the trouble. The game is short enough that the reset isn’t a huge issue, but I couldn’t find the motivation for a second one.
Don’t get me wrong. I like that this game offers difficult choices to its players and rewards efficiency, but I wish the story was better and it was easier to reset the run. I kept hitting a point where I didn’t have money to buy companions, cards, or heals, and my deck wasn’t strong enough to get through the story, and I couldn’t justify going through the grind.
If you are looking for a fun deck builder, there are better options. The art is cool and it introduces interesting mechanics, but as is, this game isn’t worth buying into. The localization of the story isn’t good, and the gameplay isn’t fun enough to justify the price. You can get it on Steam for $14.99, but I suggest you hold off for a sale or some major updates.
Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross: The beautiful pixel art deck builder coming to steam July 20th!
If you’ve been following my blog since the beginning or have seen the recent state of my blog, it is no secret that I love card games. I’ve spent way too much money on trading cards and am always looking for a new deck builder to add to my collection. The latest to catch my eye is a little game called Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross, coming to Steam on July 20, 2023.
Play as a knight who must help his people defeat the Teutonic Knights. The game is based on an award-winning story of the same name that covers the conflict between the Polish-Lithuanian people and the Teutonic Knights in the 15th century. I haven’t read the book, but I hope that means the story is good. I also hope the game is an accurate adaptation because I love learning about history.
As the knight, you travel the real collecting companions to fight with you and cards to make your deck stronger. There are 30 characters you can collect and level, and the freedom to build a deck that fits your playstyle. The combat looks like a strait forward deck builder but with a story and some RPG elements that might help it stand out against the genre. The game has seven chapters, 200 side quests, and a roguelite mode for hours of gameplay. That probably means this game is going to take me forever to complete.
What excites me most about this game is the art style. I love pixel art, and the design for Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross is amazing! The sprites are cute, the characters are cool, and the animation looks fun. There is a bit of fan service, but I don’t mind it. I’ve seen a lot worse, and the characters are too cool for it to matter.
I just received my review code for this game, and am super excited to try it out. I haven’t started the game, but I am also under embargo so I won’t be able to share my thoughts on the game just yet. I’ll get my review out as soon as I am able, so make sure you’re subscribed. Until then, make sure you add Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross to your wishlist.
My experience with Smilegate’s Gotcha game, Outerplane, hasn’t been the best
I’ve written about Outerplane in a previous post and even voiced my excitement. I enjoy gotcha games and have been looking for a game to fill the void Dragalia Lost left behind. I’ve been playing Outerplane since launch, but today I decided to uninstall it. After running out of the free energy you get for starting the game, it becomes a grind I wasn’t enjoying.
Outerplane is an anime-themed gotcha game for Android and iOS devices. The game has a story, but it is a generic and poorly written isakai anime that doesn’t matter. I gave up on reading it pretty early on. The only real draw this game has is the art style. If you like anime and don’t mind the fan service, this game will have something worth collecting. The problem is that the grind is dull, and you will eventually come to a point where you will need to spend money to get the characters you want. There are probably guides out there to make the grind more manageable and efficient; I suggest you look into those before starting this game. The pull rates for the banners are bad, but that is to be expected for the genre. I can’t tell you how predatory the cash shop is, but there are $30 skin packs which feel steep for me. I am not shaming anyone who buys skins for games. I’ve spent a lot of money on skins over the years. If you think this game gives you a $30 value and the skin pack makes you enjoy the game more, go for it, but I don’t think Outerplanes is worth $30 in its current state.
I found the gameplay to be too simple. The voice acting and animation are fantastic until the novelty wears off, and you realize the game is rather shallow. I encountered some frame drops and stutters in the beginning and while the performance got better over time, there were still noticeable visual issues. None of the issues were game-breaking, but they are worth mentioning. I played on an iPad Pro and iPhone 12 and encountered the same issues on both.
As far are the combat goes, Outerplane gives the illusion of strategy with its gear, facilities, combo, special attacks, and type advantage systems, but this is all just stuff you’ll need to grind for. If you grind long enough, the strategy doesn’t matter unless you’re doing hardcore endgame content, but good luck getting to that point. I will commend the game for having a nice battery-saving auto battler mode to make the grind more manageable, but it still felt like a job to get the materials I needed to move to the next piece of content. I needed to punch in daily and let my phone idle as my team completed dailies, story missions, and farmed for materials before running out of energy and waiting to do it all over again later. I am sure that spending money makes the grind a little easier, but this game wasn’t fun enough to spend money on. I don’t spend money on Gotcha games. I’m just addicted to the thrill of pulling for a digital character and the disappointment that comes after when I don’t get it.
Outerplane is made with a specific audience in mind, but I am not included in that group. The game isn’t fun, the story is bad, and the grind is worth the time you put into it. I suggest you skip it because there are better gotcha games out there. You can download the game for Android and iOS devices, but make sure you look up guides. The key to success in any gotcha game is efficiency.
Pokemon Ultimate Journeys marks the end of the era of Ash and Pikachu, but what a great ending it is!
Pokémon Ultimate Journeys marks the end of Ash and Pikachu’s long journey running journey toward being a Pokemon Master. This ending has left me with an overwhelming mix of emotions. While I am happy with how the series ended, it is sad to say goodbye to a pair that has been in most of my life. I know it is silly to care this much about cartoon characters, but I’ve been there since the beginning. I remember rushing home from school every day to see Ash and Pikachu make their way through Kato. Over the years, I’ve consistently binged Pokemon as comforting background noise but have remained invested in their narrative.
The Pokémon anime has always been good enough. I’ve seen people dismiss the Pokemon anime because it is for kids, but it consistently provides comforting entertainment. While there is a bit of filler and general cheesiness carried throughout, the story isn’t bad. Pokemon usually has fun and memorable characters, solid clean humor, solid adventure, and some fun battles. At the very least, Pokemon makes for solid background noise.
I avoided watching Pokemon Journeys for as long as I could because I wasn’t ready for the journey to be over. I also didn’t want to risk a disappointing ending. Pokemon Journeys is the perfect conclusion to this long-running adventure, full of suspense, action, and closure. It does feel a bit rushed as it scrambles across the different regions revisiting old friends, but it takes its time when it counts.
What Journeys does well is showing how much Ash and Pikachu have grown over the years by shifting the focus to all the people they have inspired. It was nice to see characters from older shows return not only for nostalgia but to see how much they’ve grown since they parted with Ash. Seeing old characters still working hard towards their own goals and cheering on Ash was a touching way to conclude such a big adventure.
Journeys ends with the Master’s Eight Tournament where trainers from across the regions come together to prove themselves. It is a tournament full of fun and exciting battles that build up to one of the most epic battles in Pokemon. Even though I knew how the series would end, I still found myself at the edge of my seat as I waited for a winner. What this tournament does well is that it shifts between the contestants. The Master’s Eight Tournament isn’t something for Ash to win, it is something he has to earn because everyone in it wants to be the bests. Some general hijinks are always present in Pokemon battles, but they are a lot of fun to watch regardless.
If you don’t watch this series, at least watch the final battle. It is unmistakably one of the best battles in Pokemon. The art is unique, the music is epic, and it perfectly illustrates how much stronger Ash has become as a trainer. The stakes are high as two trainers who have mutual respect and admiration go all out against each other. You will need to watch it for yourself to appreciate its scale and what it means to the anime.
But beyond the battles, the final goodbye is what hit me the hardest. Ash’s traveling companion, Goh, decides he needs to set off on his own to reach his potential. Goh feels he relies too much on Ash but is afraid to leave on his own. He doesn’t know how to tell Ash, and it creates great turmoil for the character. Ash breaks the news first, leaving Goh heartbroken. Goh is anxious to be alone because he doesn’t know if he can make it on his own. In a very touching moment, Ash assures Goh that he is good enough, and always has been. The two split after a final goodbye, but Goh finds himself unable to move. He is saddened by the goodbye and anxious to go forward on his own. Ash shouts to him from across the way, encouraging go to achieve his goals and to keep in touch. It was a very touching end to the series as both characters set off and continue their adventures.
This was such a powerful moment in the series because it was also Ash’s goodbye to the audience. Goh is meant to echo the emotions of the audience as they say goodbye to a longtime friend, and Ash is there to reassure them the story isn’t over. Ash and Pikachu may not be the focus of the series, but the adventure hasn’t ended.
It’s sad to see something that has been around with me for so long end, but it was time, and it got a proper conclusion. If you haven’t seen it and have been a long time fine, it’s a fun series you can throw in the background. There are episodes you can probably gloss over unless you’ve been watching since the beginning, but it is a solid anime regardless. And with that, I give my teary-eyed goodbye to a long-time friend. Thank you for reading.
Nimbus Infinity: An unimpressive anime mech sim you are better off not getting
I was sent Nimbus Infinity as a review code, and while I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.
Nimbus Infinity is an anime-inspired mech combat simulator available now for PC.
Peace in Japan is threatened when a hostile foreign force invades with an army of mechs, drones, and ships. The world now turns to a high school boy to save the world and achieve world peace. Luckily the hours he’s put into video games have made him an ace pilot for a power unreleased prototype mech. Take to the skies and repel hordes of barely distinguishable enemies and experience that can only be described as disorienting. Do you have what it takes to save the world?
I had fun with this game for the first few minutes until the novelty wore off. The combat could have been interesting if it didn’t get so repetitive and the missions weren’t boring. The game’s lack of polish makes combat feel cumbersome. It was almost impossible to know where I was going, what I was doing, and what I was fighting because everything is poorly rendered. The mech you control will sometimes stutter out of existence, while the enemies around you are nearly indistinguishable. The tutorial and random voice lines will suggest that different enemy types exist, but I can’t confirm if that’s true. This is annoying because each enemy type requires a different strategy, but I could never tell the enemies apart. Was I fighting drones? Spaceships? Other mechs? Who knows? You can customize your mech better fit your playstyle, but I never bothered because it didn’t matter.
The lack of polish wouldn’t have been a problem if the game was fun. The story is a bad generic anime sewn together by boring missions that feel like they take an eternity to complete. The story hits all the bad anime tropes, and it becomes so predictable that I was able to skip entire scenes and still understand what was going on. I have quit better anime for less. The voice acting is inconstant. There is some decent voice acting sprinkled randomly throughout the campaign, but most of it isn’t good.
The characters are generic and forgettable. The main character is the generic male protagonist that you can find in any poorly written anime. He is naturally gifted, cocky, and everyone will love him because he is so cool. While he isn’t the worst male protagonist, I am struggling to remember him. The rest of the cast exists to fall in love with him and are less distinguishable.
Nimbus Infinity isn’t worth the $14.99 it’s asking for on Steam. The story is boring and the combat isn’t polished enough to be fun. Maybe it will get better as they roll out updates, but I can’t recommend the game in the stage it is in now. The Steam Summer Sale is going on until July 13. I recommend you buy something else instead.
After playing the first few levels of Bandai’s new MMO, Blue Protocol, I find it breathtakingly beautiful
Bandai’s MMO, Blue Protocol, has officially launched in Japan. While there will be a Western release in the future, I can’t wait that long. So I turned on my VPN, made a Japanese account, and have been playing essentially since launch. If you’d like to play in the Japanese servers, I made a quick guide to get you started. Make sure you are using a good VPN or your account will get banned. I use Mozilla VPN to play Blue Protocol. This isn’t an endorsement. It is the VPN I use for everything, and it works great for me.
Before you get started, it might be helpful to install the MORT: English Translation tool if you don’t know how to read Japanese. It comes in handy for some of the less intuitive quests but isn’t essential for your enjoyment of the game. MORT is a third-party app that translates Japanese text to English almost instantly. It is easy to set up and simple to use. Keep in mind that running MORT does put a strain on your computer. While I did not experience any performance issues, it did make my computer run hot. It’s a great tool you can download it on the official site if needed.
The first challenge of any MMO is the character creation. I am not big on character creation and can’t speak on how in-depth it gets. The character designs are heavily anime-inspired, which was fine, and there were enough choices to create a character I was happy with. I was excited to see that Blue Protocol offers darker skin tones in their character creation. It may not seem like a huge deal, but younger me would have loved going on adventures as a brown guy.
Once I made my character and decided on a class, I loaded into one of the most beautiful MMO worlds I have ever played in. I am blown away by how good this game looks. The spells look cool without being too busy, the attack animations are cool, and I love the monster design. Even the early-level boars look good in this game. The attention to detail in this game is astounding. There is a day and night cycle that will allow you to sit through some beautiful sunsets. I loved watching the blow through the grass as I ran through the large open fields. Based on the early levels, Blue Protocol brings a beautiful and immersive world that you should check out at least once. I can go on, but you need to see for yourself.
The early level is similar to any other MMO. I won’t spend too much time talking about the early levels. The early-level quests do a great job of teaching players the fundamental mechanics at a solid pace. There is a healthy population of players to help you if you get stuck. Most of the early-level quests are intuitive and don’t need translating. I did get stuck trying to get to adventure rank 2 to progress through the story, but this video does a great job explaining what to do if you get stuck:
Combat is where this game wins me over. I played the Spellcaster and loved it. There are five playable classes in Blue Protocol: Aegis Fighter, Twin Striker, Blast Archer, Spellcaster, and Heavy Smasher. Don’t stress about your choice too hard because you can change between classes freely later in the game. Choose whatever appeals to you most. I have only played Spellcaster and can’t speak on gameplay for the rest of the classes.
I love the magic mechanics of Blue Protocol. Spellcasters get a basic attack, a recharge action, 4 regular spell slots, and an ultimate. You have to stand still to cast a spell, but the kiting in this game feels so good. I never found myself standing still for too long, even when I was fighting low-level boars. What sets this game apart is how the mana regen mechanic. Mana either replenishes automatically after battles, with a spell you get early on, or with the recharge action. Combat becomes this fun game of managing your resources, kiting, and casting which I am all about now. Coming from the NGS magic system, combat took a bit of getting used to, but it is slowly becoming my favorite. I know for sure now that I will be a Spellcaster main.
I haven’t gotten too deep into the game, but I am enjoying the journey so far. The game looks great, runs perfectly, and it is a lot of fun. I don’t know how grindy it will be towards the end game. The early levels at least don’t haven’t felt grindy, although there are a bit too many fetch quests for my liking.
I have been searching for an MMO to replace the void Phantasy Star Online has left, and I think Blue Protocol might be the one. I have been enjoying it so much that I even stopped following the story because I want to enjoy it properly when it comes to the West. I do watch the cut scenes because the voice acting is fantastic. I will be playing Blue Protocol on the Japanese servers until the official Western release, or until I get banned for being American. Whichever comes first.