Free-to-play games are becoming increasingly common on consoles, thanks in part to the success of games like Genshin Impact. Many free-to-play games that have followed it are hard to distinguish from Genshin Impact in terms of visuals and gameplay styles. If something works, there may as well be copies of it.
It can be hard to pay attention to all of these games, but Ananta should be on everyone’s radar. It’s one of the few free-to-play games that looks like it is trying to do something different while still keeping that Genshin Impact visual aesthetic. Can this satiate fans of games like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Grand Theft Auto 6? These exciting confirmed features suggest Ananta may have something special for fans experience.
The Playable Characters
Switching In Real Time
The main character of Ananta seems to be Chenxiu, a captain in the police department. He’s at least the character that trailers have focused on the most. The latest trailer demonstrated that players can switch between characters, but with a unique twist. Instead of switching between them in the same place, characters will be out in the world doing their own thing, just like in Grand Theft Auto 5 or Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
There was one example where the player switched between one character and another who was driving a car miles away. There was another where the player was fighting enemies and then switched to another character close by who was ready with sniper support. Tactically, switching between characters sounds like a fun mechanic, but it’s not known how exactly this will work. Also, characters can be dressed up in fresh cosmetics, which is good to know.
Swinging Around
Venom Is Here
Chenxiu has some sort of symbiotic powers, like Venom from the Spider-Man universe, that let him swing around the city. It’s not known whether other characters can use this ability as well or where exactly it comes from. It could be a gadget, or characters like Chenxiu could be possessed by alien lifeforms.
Either way, it’s cool to see swinging abilities in a game not called Spider-Man. This ability can also be used in battle, as there is a point in the latest trailer wherein Chenxiu hooks onto an enemy with this ability. There seems to be glide suits as well, but this was shown in a shot of a group of characters using them, so this may not actually be an additional traversal method.
The Combat
From Brawling To Shooting
Combat in Ananta looks nice and varied for an action game. There are a number of scenes where characters are pummeling and grappling enemies with their fists. Weapons will also be available, from giant hammers to weirder things like tennis rackets. There’s a truly wild shot of an enemy getting launched with a golf club as if he were a golf ball.
This could be a mini-game, or golf clubs could just be overpowered in Ananta. Then there were several gun-like weapons, like rifles and rocket launchers. There is a weapon wheel in the game, but it’s unclear whether each weapon shown in the trailer can be equipped or simply picked up as a disposable weapon akin to the Yakuza games.
The Vehicle Support
From Boats To Helicopters
Who needs vehicles when Spider-Man-like powers are on the table? Well, in case fans do want to use the swinging mechanics, there are four distinct vehicle types in the latest trailer. There are several cars, from sports cars to police cars. There was one scene with characters driving a boat, and another with a helicopter. Finally, a character can be seen hitting a jump with his motorcycle and rocketing into the sky.
There are no moments wherein characters are seen stealing cars like in Grand Theft Auto, so it’s not known whether players can simply take cars or if they need to be earned or purchased. Since it seems like players are part of a police force, they may be able to commandeer vehicles using their badge, like in L.A. Noire. Either way, fans of open-world games set in large cities will have plenty of ways to get around.
Stealth Gameplay
And Controlling Gadgets
Aside from the action, there are a few stealthy approaches to situations shown in the latest trailer as well. Players can enter vents and sneak around. They can crouch on the ground, too, and hide behind cover. Chenxiu’s tentacle-like ability can get him access to higher vantage points to observe from above or sneak around inside buildings.
Players will have access to a phone that can do a myriad of things. Controlling a spider-like drone, for example, will be a good way to observe enemies during a stealthy approach to a mission. There’s even a segment in the latest trailer that showcases players using the phone’s camera to take selfies. That’s not a stealthy mechanic, but it seems like Ananta may have open-ended gameplay when it comes to missions.
The Mini-Games
Filling Out The World
Finally, what would an open-world game be without mini-games? There’s one scene of a character hitting a baseball with a dog next to them. The dog does nothing, but perhaps this is tied to some fetching mechanic. There’s a more direct scene with characters playing street basketball outside.
One of the more hilarious mini-game examples has two characters facing off in a slap battle. Believe it or not, this is a real sport covered by channels and promoted heavily by a company called Power Slap. Slapping aside, it seems like attending concerts will be a side activity too, as there are several shown in the latest trailer. This was just a taste of the day and nightlife players can find in Ananta, and there will assuredly be more to come.