Blue Protocol is an anime MMORPG that challenges players to face down Armageddon, which in itself sounds nothing like HoYoverse’s Genshin Impact. Given its art style and colourful cast of characters, it’s easy to draw parallels, but Amazon Games has been quick to dispel the notion that Blue Protocol is simply Genshin Impact or Tower of Fantasy 2.0.
Speaking to PCGamesN ahead of the game’s official reveal at The Game Awards, Blue Protocol franchise lead at Amazon Mike Zadorojny told me that the partnership with Bandai was influenced by the fact that Blue Protocol feels like a “compelling experience.”
“This is something we’ve been working on internally for a while,” he states. “We felt there was a unique opportunity working with Bandai Namco. I mean, obviously, there is an amazing pedigree of games under their belt. And Amazon Games is always generally looking forward like, ‘what’s the next experience that we want our players to have?’”
Instead of the gacha-style mechanics that both ToF and Genshin have become renowned for, he confirms that Blue Protocol is all about the “story and really trying to have this fantastical journey of going through space and time to solve these problems to, in turn, understand and unlock the history of the world.”
He emphasises that the game is an MMO instead of an open world game, commenting “there are social constructs that we want to put in there to allow players to come together. We do obviously have some dungeons which are more for your mid-tier group, but there are hardcore versions of it for those who are really trying to prove they’re the best or that they can handle these more difficult challenges. Then the raids filter in there as some of the larger-based encounters because they really have some towering giants. It’s all about that blend of those three major game points.”
While, as Zadorojny says, dungeons and raid instances are a core part of the MMORPG fantasy, Blue Protocol is set apart from its competitors by that cyberpunk, sci-fi-style story. Genshin’s Breath of the Wild-esque aesthetic wasn’t really for me, which is why I turned to Tower of Fantasy for something a little more gritty.
While Hotta’s game is aesthetically similar, it comes from a smaller studio and has had real issues with hackers, exploits, and other troublemakers. Given that Bandai Namco and Amazon are seasoned veterans, I don’t see Blue Protocol suffering as much as ToF did – and that’s why I am so excited to dive in.
If you’re intrigued by Amazon Games’ newest adventure, check out our Blue Protocol classes guide to get to grips with the game’s vast array of different warriors. We also have a list of the best anime games out there to keep you occupied while you wait.