Upcoming game Tower of Fantasy is a unique MMORPG title set in a post-apocalyptic, anime-stylized world. Although it's often been compared to the popular title Genshin Impact, Tower of Fantasy is distinctly its own in many ways, particularly in terms of customization. Screen Rant attended a special preview event for Tower of Fantasy that gave an in-depth look at the game's most important mechanics.
Tower of Fantasy is being developed by Hotta Games alongside publisher Perfect World Entertainment, which in the past has published multiplayer games like the Torchlight franchise and Star Trek Online. The title will feature crossplay between PC and mobile devices, letting players keep up with their characters on the go. During the presentation, developers emphasized their passion for the genre, stating that the title is made by "sci-fi fans trying to deliver their most true-hearted work to open world RPG players."
Tower of Fantasy offers an extreme amount of character customization, with a character creator reminiscent of The Sims' Create A Sim mode in terms of its level of detail. Players can tweak everything from face and eye shape to hair and physique, and developers mentioned many players have spent hours in the designer recreating their favorite anime characters to play as in-game. For those that don't wish to spend a large amount of time in the creator but want a detailed character, players can upload their custom characters for others to download.
Tower of Fantasy is set on the planet Aida hundreds of years in the future. The main conflict of the game has to do with the planet's history and the resource Omnium. When the society on Aida was founded, structures called Prototowers - the game's namesake - were built in order to harvest Omnium. However, the Omnium soon began to turn animals into ferocious monsters, which in turn formed two different factions: those in favor of the continued harvesting of Omnium, and those against it.
Tower of Fantasy avoids the MMORPG cliche of strict character classes - the game emphasizes player choice before each battle, letting players determine whether a role like healer, tank, or other choice would be most advantageous based on the group they're fighting with. Players can assume the role of one of 10 Simulacrums - a character who is human-like, but not human - that can learn a huge amount of different combos and skills as well as acquire a myriad of different weapons that make their character unique.
Players can bring up to three weapons at a time into battle in Tower of Fantasy, with each having their own weapon customization and upgrade options that improve things like their ability to shatter enemy shields. Weapons have a "Discharge Skill" which are powerful moves that charge during a fight and can be unleashed once at full power, and allow players to do things like freeze enemies or set them ablaze. Alongside this, each weapon has unique "Resonance Effects," one of which can be activated at a time. These provide buffs to the player and their party, offering boons like damage reduction and increased healing. All of these elements are designed to be frequently tweaked situationally based on general party needs.
Outside of weapons, a perfect dodge will trigger something called "Phantom Mode," which allows players to freeze time while they deal with the enemies around them. Players can also equip Relics, which are special items that give players either unique abilities. These effects can be things that are helpful outside of battle like flying, or advantages during fights, like what developers described as a "machine arm."
The game's impressive open world of Aida contains 6 distinct areas outlined during the preview, which includes everything from a floating island paradise called Cetus Island to a snow-covered landscape called Warren Snowfield. Players can traverse these areas through many different methods, including jetpacks, surfboard-like items, and motorbikes. Players will see transitions between day and night as well as intermittent weather effects, with an in-game day lasting about 40 minutes.
There are many activities to do in Aida besides battle. Vehicles are not just for traversing the landscape - there are also designated racing areas where players can compete with each other. Although the game currently doesn't feature any form of crafting for things like weapons or clothing, cooking recipes can be found and made across the planet. Developers teased that in the future, crafting may expand to furniture which players could use to decorate their own homes in-game. A special amusement park will contain fun player activities like a rideable rollercoaster and carousel as well as minigames, all of which players can enjoy with others online.
Multiplayer is simple, utilizing a set a servers players can join to find each other. For those who don't have a specific group of friends they wish to play with, they can join "Crews" of up to 150 people through a pairing system. Although it may not look it, Tower of Fantasy is made for both solo play and multiplayer. Multiplayer is encouraged, and will make things like boss battles easier, but players can successfully complete the game's story by themselves. While Tower of Fantasy is free to play, it includes a myriad of available in-game microtransactions. Outfits, weapons, vehicles, in-game currency, and more can be purchased from the online store. However, developers emphasized that the character customization system itself is available free of charge and that many of the things offered in-store like vehicles can also be found by exploring the world.
Tower of Fantasy aims to provide players with a unique new take on the MMORPG formula through its large amount of character customization and expansive open world. By giving players flexibility in their play style through different weapons, abilities, and relics, as well as the ability to play either alone or multiplayer, users can vary their play style based on their preferences. Tower of Fantasy is undoubtedly a new sci-fi MMORPG that fans of the genre should be on the look out for when it releases later this summer.
Tower of Fantasy will release for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store and mobile devices via the Google Play Store and App Store on August 10 at 5:00 PM PDT.