An early hands-on with Blue Protocol
I was lucky enough to get an early hands-on with Amazon Games’ upcoming Anime MMORPG Blue Protocol, and I can confidently say that its Diablo-like gameplay and extensive class customization already feel polished and ready for action. Developed by Bandai Namco, Amazon Games will handle the publishing of the game in the West following its release in Japan in early 2023.
Impressive Combat and Customization
Having spent a few hours exploring the opening areas of the game’s single-player mode and taking in the sights and sounds of Blue Protocol’s anime world, I can safely say that my experience was almost entirely positive. The microtransaction system is still a little uncertain, and the open world felt a little barren during my time with the game, but the combat and customization were top-notch, and the story kept me hooked throughout.
Blue Protocol’s combat, particularly when using the action keybinds, feels like Diablo III at its best. Clean animations make every hit feel impactful, and dodging at just the right time can mean the difference between life and death against stronger enemies. It takes a while to get used to the combat if you prefer point-and-click style gameplay, but I found myself preferring the more responsive action combat after a few hours.
The extensive class customization on offer in Blue Protocol is one of its best features. While some of the modules, gems, and modifications you can equip are locked according to your class, there’s still a significant amount of choice when it comes to building your character. You can equip up to four modules for certain parts of your character, such as the head, and there are additional modifications, such as cosmetics, that you can slot in as well.
Each class can equip up to four gems, which can be leveled up using materials you acquire from killing monsters and completing quests. Each gem can feature up to six enchantments, and you can equip two modifications for your character as well. You’ll need to craft a unique build to effectively tackle the endgame content, and I’m happy to report that the customization options are more than up to the task.
Endgame Challenges and Crafting
Blue Protocol’s endgame involves players creating a “seal” that they can break to begin an invasion against the demon army. Mike Zadorojny, franchise lead for Blue Protocol, emphasizes the importance of crafting a build, particularly the weapon, in the endgame.
“Crafting’s always been a big part of our games,” Zadorojny says. “It’s always been a big part of the endgame. The thing that we’ve learned over time is that it takes a little bit more work to get to that point. The systems might be a little more complex, and there’s more of a grind to get to the point where you can craft your weapon and start to see the results.”
While it remains to be seen how the crafting system will be structured for the Western release, Zadorojny states that changes have been made to the system. The Japanese version of the game features a system in which affixes and enchantments are applied to weapons, whereas the Western version will feature a slot-based system. Zadorojny also clarifies that the microtransaction system for Blue Protocol is still in the works.
“We’re still working that out,” Zadorojny says regarding the microtransactions. “We’re not sure exactly what we’re going to do with that yet, but it’s something that we’re going to be talking more about as we get closer to launch.”
I personally didn’t find the crafting to be a grind, largely thanks to the materials you acquire from completing quests. Most quests reward you with materials, including the low-level quests, and it only takes about 30 minutes or so to acquire enough to level up your gems and modules. While this may not necessarily be the case for the higher-level quests, I feel like it’s an acceptable trade-off if you’re not looking to grind for materials.
Mixed Feelings on Open World and Social Play
The combat in Blue Protocol is fast and impactful, but the open world and social play left me underwhelmed during my time with the game. The combat felt clean and responsive, but the world itself felt barren. During the press event, there were only around 100 players roaming the world, which felt like a pretty small number considering that the game boasts seamless social play.
One of the features touted about Blue Protocol is that your goals will align as you encounter other players in the open world. You and your party can join forces and tackle content that’s above your level, and you can even work together to obtain crafting materials. While this feature seems like it would inject some social play into an otherwise solo experience, it didn’t really feel like that was the case during my time with the game.
Perhaps the small number of players meant that I didn’t encounter others frequently, or maybe it was due to the limited number of players at the press event, but I felt like my solo experience was mostly unmarred by other players. I didn’t feel a sense of camaraderie in the world, and I didn’t encounter anyone seeking materials to help me out either. Perhaps this is because of the low number of players, so I’m hopeful that social play will be more apparent in the full game.
A Story-Driven Adventure
Blue Protocol’s story spans approximately 40 hours and can be completed alone. Zadorojny notes that there will be some content that requires a group in order to complete, but the team is prioritizing soloable content.
“We’re going to be doing a lot of work to make sure that all of our content is soloable,” Zadorojny says. “The story is meant to be soloable, and we do want people to be able to experience the story with just themselves, so we’ll be prioritizing that content during our QA passes and our testing.”
While the story content at the beginning of the game felt somewhat sparse and lonely, the cutscenes were top-notch and kept me engaged. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story concludes, and I’m hopeful that the endgame will be revealed to be as compelling as the rest of the game.
The Western release of Blue Protocol is a ways off, and I’m hoping that a lot of the kinks have been ironed out by then. If you’re looking to get into an anime game but are concerned about the microtransaction system, then I’m happy to report that it doesn’t seem like anything game-breaking at this stage.
