Arknights

''Arknights'' is a free-to-play tactical RPG/tower defense mobile game developed by Hypergryph. It was released in China on 1 May 2019, in other countries on 16 January 2020, and in Taiwan on 29 June 2020. ''Arknights'' is available on Android and iOS platforms and features gacha game mechanics.

A spin-off game, '' Arknights: Endfield'', was announced for Microsoft Windows and mobile devices in March 2022. An anime television series adaptation produced by Yostar Pictures aired from October to December 2022. A second season, titled ''Arknights: Perish in Frost'', aired from October to November 2023. A third season, titled ''Arknights: Rise from Ember'', is set to premiere in July 2025.

Gameplay

The core gameplay is that of a tower defense game, with a number of characters ("operators") as towers. Melee operators can be placed on ground tiles and ranged operators on elevated tiles. Melee operators physically block enemies from advancing, and ranged operators deal ranged damage, heal or otherwise support melee operators. Players must place operators on the correct tiles to prevent the enemy from infiltrating the player's base. Once in place, an operator's skills can be activated after a time for special effects, or they can be withdrawn for redeployment after a delay.

Because there is often a limited number of viable solutions, especially at high difficulties, ''Arknights'' has also been described as a puzzle game. The gameplay normally does not require quick reaction times (the game is pauseable, and time slows down while commands are issued), but rather on-the-spot tactical analysis and foresight.

As the player progresses through the game, they unlock more stages, operators and resources, and are also introduced to new types of enemies and gameplay mechanics. Levels that have been cleared with a three-star rating can be auto-completed without player input, as the game records the player's actions and replicates them.

The game also has a base-building aspect, which allows players to construct facilities and assign operators to them. This allows players to increase their resources in the manner of an incremental game. It features the usual array of free-to-play, gacha game mechanics, such as daily login rewards and randomized character acquisition through virtual currency which can be obtained by playing the game, through limited-time events, or optional in-app purchases using real currency. Because of the limited resources available (even if real money is spent), another layer of challenge lies in "internalizing multiple complex economic systems" and in prioritizing the right operators to recruit and develop in order to build a capable roster. ''Arknights'' players have created a number of internet resources and tools to assist in this effort.

Seasonal gameplay events introduce more complex but optional difficulties and handicaps, such as the game's semi-quarterly Contingency Contract. Players are awarded with resources and medals exclusive to these events. A roguelike game mode, "Integrated Strategies", was added in 2022.

Plot

The game is set in the dystopian, apocalyptic future setting of the planet Terra, where people exhibit ''kemonomimi'' features – characteristics of animals or mythological races. Natural disasters leave behind a valuable mineral, Originium, which infects people with a progressive disease, Oripathy, but can also enhance the ability to use "Arts" (magic). Because Oripathy is highly infectious and invariably fatal, the infected are shunned and persecuted. In response, some of them form the Reunion movement, a militant group waging war on the despotic governments of Terra.

The player takes the role of the masked and amnesiac "Doctor", who commands a team of "operators" of Rhodes Island, a pharmaceutical, medical, and self-defense organization. As Oripathy spreads, Rhodes Island searches for a cure while defending itself against Reunion and several of the governments of Terra.

Characters

This list is limited only to major characters that have appeared in both the game and the television anime and does not include those that have appeared only in the game.

Doctor ()
: Voiced by: Feng Junhua (anime only) (Chinese); Yuki Kaida (anime only) (Japanese)
Amiya ()
: Voiced by: Tao Dian (Chinese); Emma Ballantine (English); Tomoyo Kurosawa (Japanese); Lee Ji-hyun (Korean)
Wei Yenwu ()
: Voiced by: Hai Fan (anime only; ''Prelude to Dawn''), Wang Wei (anime only; ''Perish in Frost'') (Chinese); Kōichi Yamadera (anime only) (Japanese)
Dobermann ()
: Voiced by: Guiniang (Chinese); Lucy Montgomery (English); Atsumi Tanezaki (Japanese); Kim Hyun-ji (Korean)
Franka ()
: Voiced by: Vila (Chinese); Maya Aoki Tuttle (English); Ai Kakuma (Japanese); Park Ko-woon (Korean)
Swire ()
: Voiced by: Ying Xie (Mandarin), Dong Dong (Cantonese) (Chinese); Emma Ballantine (English); Sora Tokui (Japanese); Kim Yul (Korean)
Ch'en Hui-chieh ()
: Voiced by: Jen Zhang (Mandarin), Bao Shaoye (Cantonese) (Chinese); Amy Lennox (English); Shizuka Ishigami (Japanese); Chung Yu-joung (Korean)
Liskarm ()
: Voiced by: Ruoyu Zhang (Chinese); Megan Maczko (English); Yui Ishikawa (Japanese); Yi Sae-ah (Korean)
Misha ()
: Voiced by: Liang Shuang (anime only) (Chinese); Satsumi Matsuda (anime only) (Japanese)
Blaze ()
: Voiced by: Zhou Tong (Chinese); Cristina Vee (English); Mai Nakahara (Japanese); Kim Yeon-woo (Korean)
Exusiai ()
: Voiced by: Cai Shujin (game), Muyaruilin (anime) (Chinese); Leonora Haig (English); Manaka Iwami (Japanese); Lee Ji-hyun (Korean)
Cellinia Texas ()
: Voiced by: Yang Menglu (Chinese); Jessica Preddy (English); Ilaria Silvestri (Italian); Azusa Tadokoro (Japanese); Kim Chae-ha (Korean)
GreyThroat ()
: Voiced by: Yuan Weng (Chinese); Misato Fukuen (Japanese)
Hoshiguma ()
: Voiced by: Cai Xinchun (Mandarin), Shi Xin (Cantonese) (Chinese); Meaghan Martin (English); Kiyono Yasuno (Japanese); Lee Sae-byeok (Korean)
Talulah Artorius ()
: Voiced by: Zhou Shuai (anime only) (Chinese); Maaya Sakamoto (anime only) (Japanese)
Ace ()
: Voiced by: Zhao Zihan (anime only) (Chinese); Takashi Matsuyama (anime only) (Japanese)
Crownslayer ()
: Voiced by: Chen Yanyi (anime only) (Chinese); Sayaka Senbongi (anime only) (Japanese)
Guard ()
: Voiced by: siro (anime only) (Chinese); Chiaki Kobayashi (anime only) (Japanese)
Skullshatterer ()
: Voiced by: Liang Shuang (anime only) (Chinese); Risae Matsuda (anime only) (Japanese)
Frostleaf ()
: Voiced by: Ruan Congqing (Chinese); Ina Marie Smith (English); Ai Kakuma (Japanese); Jang Mi (Korean)
FrostNova () / Yelena ()
: Voiced by: KIYO (anime only) (Chinese); Ayahi Takagaki (anime only) (Japanese)
Jessica Brynley ()
: Voiced by: Hou Xiaofei (Chinese); Yuuki Luna (English); Ryō Hirohashi (Japanese); Kim Ha-young (Korean)
Lin Yühsia ()
: Voiced by: Yan Meme (Mandarin), Xiantawutong (Cantonese) (Chinese); Artemis Snow (English); Kanae Itō (Japanese); Kang Eun-ae (Korean)
Mephisto () / Eno ()
: Voiced by: Shen Dawei (anime only), Zhang Anqi (anime only; Eno) (Chinese); Kōhei Amasaki (anime only) (Japanese)
Margaret Nearl ()
: Voiced by: Mu Xueting (Chinese); Devora Wilde (English); Ayane Sakura (Japanese); Kim Ye-rim (Korean)
Wei Fumizuki ()
: Voiced by: Huang Lei (anime only) (Chinese); Noriko Hidaka (anime only) (Japanese)
Kal'tsit ()
: Voiced by: Liu Xue (game), Huang Ling (anime) (Chinese); Sura Siu (English); Yōko Hikasa (Japanese)
Meteorite ()
: Voiced by: Ke Zhong (Chinese); Hollie Taylor (English); Risa Taneda (Japanese); Kim So-young (Korean)
Faust () / Sasha ()
: Voiced by: Xu Xiang (anime only), Zhang Qi (anime only; Sasha) (Chinese); Shun Horie (anime only) (Japanese)

Music and voice acting

''Arknights'' has an eclectic soundtrack drawing on a range of Western and Asian musical genres. Hypergryph has partnered with musical groups across the world to release ''Arknights''-related songs and music videos. These include Steve Aoki ("Last of Me"), Yellow Claw ("End Like This"), Starset ("Infected"), and Low Roar (" Feels", later re-released as " Fade Away"). Contributing composers include Go Shiina, Kevin Penkin and Adam Gubman.

The ''Arknights''-related song "Renegade" written by Jason Walsh and performed by Substantial and X.ARI was nominated for "Best Original Song – Video Game" at the 2020 Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

The game's characters are voiced in Japanese. Standard Chinese, regional Sinitic language, Korean, and English voice acting is being incrementally added. Individual characters are also voiced in other languages such as Italian, German and Russian, to reflect their origin from the analogous region of the game's world.

Anime

In December 2020, Hypergryph released a nine-minute ''Arknights'' anime video, "Holy Knight Light", on the occasion of the game's first global anniversary. It was made by the global publisher's in-house studio, Yostar Pictures, which previously made anime trailers for in-game events for the global version of the game.

In October 2021, Hypergryph published a teaser trailer for the first season ("Prelude to Dawn") of an anime adaptation of ''Arknights'', also made by Yostar Pictures. The anime is a television series directed by Yuki Watanabe, with Masaki Nishikawa serving as assistant director, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music. Takashi Matsuyama is cast as Ace. The series aired from October 29 to December 17, 2022, on TV Tokyo

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases