Gamescom 2023 gave us a hands on preview of Amazon’s Blue Protocol.
Blue Protocol might be set to explode onto western screens during 2024, but news about the western release of this upcoming MMORPG has been a little muted of late. By comparison, anybody interested in the Japanese release of this anime inspired MMO might be familiar with some circling criticism, and then there’s Genshin Impact. There ae still plenty of questions surrounding the final form of this western port. So, when Amazon Games loaded up a hands on demo, I jumped in Regnas.
What is Blue Protocol?
For those that have watch the super stylized trailer and moved on, Blue Protocol is certainly more than aa set of pretty cel animations. Borrowing an admittedly stylized anime aesthetic, it puts players in the world of Regas. In a realm where the use of technology has led to ruin and an evil now returns, it’s up to some very special individuals to save it from destruction. Anybody taking up the challenge will find themselves inserted into a fully functioning theme park MMO. This isn’t a multiplayer RPG. It’s not a massive scale single player experience. This is everything you’d expect from a modern MMORPG. While I’m not going to dip into the lore or even have time to talk story at Gamescom, I did take a good look at the overworld, character creation, combat, and an early level dungeon area.
Choose Your Weapon
Like any MMO choosing how and who you want to play is critical. Adventurers in Regnas will find a character creator that feels reasonable but not exactly overbearing. This doesn’t bundle in the depth and complexity of Blade & Soul. It holds only a few facial types. This does still provide adequate choices to make players feel unique. Two body types, those facial shapes, a handful of two-tone hair styles, limited height and size choices, and some decorative flourishes were some of the features on offer in this build. Based on what I could tease out, expect cosmetics are a focus of individual flair. That could mean that while the character creation screen is unlikely to revolutionize the industry, it won’t be the only way to stand apart. It also saved us from spending an entire hands-on preview in the character creatin screen.
As you might have guessed, class selection is also core to Blue Protocol. Unlike Tales of, or a myriad of other titles from the Japanese regional publisher Bandai Namco, this story isn’t as restrictive as a traditional solo RPG. Opening classes include the mage like Spell Weaver, the bow wielding Keen Strider, the dual axe owning Twin Striker, the sword and board Blade Warden, and the intriguingly different Foe Breaker.
Class selection is intrinsically linked to the weapon a character is wielding at any given time, although even class archetypes don’t really stick here either. Sure, the mage-like Spell Weaver isn’t going to play tank often, but there’s some flexibility for these builds. Weapons can be slotted with upgrades called Echoes, for example, that come with a myriad of benefits. I even had one drop during a dungeon run. Coupled with weapon switching, this makes Blue Protocol’s class system a pleasant change from my cluster of Guild Wars 2 alts.
Slipping into an overworld that could be ripped straight out of Aincrad’s starter zone, Blue Protocol is instantly recognizable. What I saw was all open fields and green valleys, interrupted by the odd major waypoint, I imagine to balance mount use with time management. This isn’t Teyvat, however, and it does have its own particular flavor to Otaku fueled adventures. It’s bright and inviting, with a vibrance that’s unusual in the MMO marketplace. Animation aside, combat in and movement in Blue Protocol is not difficult to decipher. Both keyboard and controller fans should be equally at home with the basics of dynamic combat all covered here. There’s a primary and secondary attack for everything I tried, but things will diverge outside of this fluid control system.
The Foe Breaker
While it’s pretty plain to see how the likes of the Spell Weaver might play, the Foe Breaker is probably Blue Protocol’s standout starting class. While Japan is about to get its fifth class, unravelling the mysteries of this was enough for Gamescom. The Foe Breaker wields an enormous cannon hammer. There’s really no reasonable word to describe this huge spherical ball attached to an oversized square barrel, which can be wielded like both a cannon and a hammer. Like the Foe Breaker’s weapon, the class defies convention. While the Twin Striker can dash nimbly into combat, leaping into the air and flipping back off its enemies when things get dangerous, this character has weight and purpose. Where I expected the Foe Breaker to come in with overzealous anime attacks, I actually found a class that is more grounded than it initially appears.
While this class can easily off tank in melee encounters, I largely played it ranged. Rather than a spray and pray approach, using the Foe Braker’s cannon is a deliberate choice. Players can target lock with a single click or simply point and shoot, but only if you have ammo. This cannon doesn’t just conjure up cartridges, and that resource management makes things a little tricker than a bladed edge might otherwise be. While you’ve possibly seen the Foe Breaker crack skulls, it isn’t anywhere near as limited as a traditional hammer wielding melee class. Beyond my own point and shoot approach, the Foe Breaker brings a range of charged attacks, its own unique aerial smash, and more. There isn’t much about the Foe Breaker that conforms to any traditional archetype.
I only got enough time to dominate the local wildlife and attack an early dungeon, so plenty of questions are still unanswered. I got some time to talk to Mike Zadorojny about these a little later in the day. For now, I came away with the sense that Blue Protocol is far more nuanced than a Shonen cash and it certainly isn’t a competitor to everything HoYoverse. If the rest of the game is as well designed and engaging as the combat, then you might have to find time and wallet space for another anime obsession. Fiund out more about Blue Protocol on the official website now.
