I’ve never played Genshin Impact or Honkai Star Rail. Anime inspired MMORPGs have always seemed pretty overwhelming to me, but Blue Protocol caught my eye, partly because I could tell immediately it was going to be a huge hit.
After spending an hour with different parts of the western version and speaking to Mike Zadorojny, the Franchise Lead, I’m even more convinced it’ll be the next big thing.
Easy to dive in
Zadorojny told me “the game is designed to be very welcoming,” and I got that sense pretty quickly, even as I jumped from the character creation at the start of the game to a level 20 character doing a raid during the preview.
The world, skills, characters, and story all feel familiar, even for someone who’s new to games like Blue Protocol. As Zadorojny explains, the developers “layer on the new skills over time. So it's not like you're just being inundated with everything all at once. And you get the chance to learn your profession and understand what your skill is and how you're mixing and matching. And that really helps pace the early game a little bit easier for new players.”
I expected to be overwhelmed by systems, names, quest types, items, and all sorts, but I wasn’t. Jumping in was pretty comfortable.
Solo vs multiplayer
That’s not to say there’s no depth to Blue Protocol. Being able to switch between classes on one account and jump into raids in the post-game means there’s a lot for players who want to lose their life to Regnus, the planet the game takes place on.
My hour with different sections of the game also showcased how well it works as a solo experience. Of course, like any online or multiplayer game, playing with friends is the best way to go, but Blue Protocol works as an adventure-focused RPG.
After creating my character and choosing my weapon - I’m one of those odd people who always sticks to the default character design - I jumped into just exploring, trying out the combat and having a look around. There are quests to complete, but Blue Protocol’s world is simply a fun one to play around in.
After that, myself and the five other journalists playing jumped into a raid together, which was also a lot of fun, if significantly more hectic.
As Zadorojny said to me, “the thing that you're only missing out on if you want to be a single player, and you don't really want to focus on group content or the difficult kind of cooperative nature of it, is some of the end game raids.” It all depends on what you’re looking for, and whether you have a set group of friends you’re likely to be playing with.
If you’re got a regular crew, it also doesn’t matter if you’re at different levels either. “So there is a little bit of a scaling system,” Zadorojny explained. “So we do bump people down a little bit in terms of scale perspective. And that allows it so that you don't have a high level player coming in and one-shotting everything. It makes it a little bit easier.”
Differences between versions
The developers are also insistent on making the western version of Blue Protocol consistent with the Japanese version that’s already live. “We're trying to keep the respect of the artistry that the team has meant in terms of really bringing out the anime storyline. Changes for the west fall under a couple different things, usually related to legal or regulatory things,” Zadorojny said, so it seems like changes are minimal.
And while the full western release will have English voice acting (although my preview build didn’t), it’ll also have the original Japanese too, for players who want the authentic experience. Considering some cutscenes are full-on anime cutscenes with massive spectacle, getting the precise experience you prefer will be important.
Each of those voices will be as distinct as the classes, too. I tried both the Twin Striker, with their two close range axes, and the Keen Strider, which uses a bow and arrow for longer range attacks. It’s great that Blue Protocol ties classes to the weapon you use, allowing you to switch between them, rather than being stuck with one playstyle forever. As fans of other MMOs will know, these games are never-ending, so getting stuck with one weapon or class isn’t ideal.
Zadorojny said: “I’m a rogue or use the double duel, so I started with a twin striker. But I found myself floating more towards the Keen Strider, using the bow and supporting.” It’ll be interesting to see which ends up being most popular and how important squad composition is to success in the higher level raids.
There’s a lot going on on screen at once when fighting alongside other players, but there’s a setting that allows you to turn off those animations, to make the action a little easier to follow. I’ll absolutely be turning that on when I jump in at launch.
Live or die by its updates
Much like Genshin, though, Blue Protocol will live and die by its updates and future content.
Zadorojny told me that they’re “going to get as close as [they] can” to version parity once the western version launches. In Japan, the game’s second update will be a new class and the fourth will be a new story chapter.
He didn’t commit to what the update schedule will be like in the west, what will be included when, or whether it’ll be like Genshin's rigid six-week structure with livestream reveals, but the developers are committed to closing the gap between the versions as fast as they can.
I’m still intrigued about whether a mobile version of Blue Protocol will ever be released. Zadorojny didn’t say no when I asked, rather saying: “This particular game we're focusing on Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC. But this is the start, both Bandai and Amazon feel that this is a very strong IP.”
Either way, Blue Protocol seems like an MMORPG that’s catering for a lot of different players. Whether you’re playing solo or with friends, you can play as any class and jump into quests that fit your playstyle. There’s a beautiful world to explore and deep end-game content for those that want it. Blue Protocol is going to be a hit when the western version releases in 2024, there’s no doubt about it.