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

Arknights
The app icon of Arknights, depicting the caster Amiya.
Developer(s)	Hypergryph
Publisher(s)	CHN: Hypergryph WW: Yostar TW: Longcheng
Engine	Unity3D
Platform(s)	Android, iOS
Release	CHN: 1 May 2019 JP/KR: 15 January 2020 WW: 16 January 2020 TW: 29 June 2020
Genre(s)	Tactical role-playing, tower defense

A spin-off game, Arknights: Endfield, was announced for PC and mobile devices in March 2022.[2] An anime television series adaptation by Yostar Pictures premiered in October 2022.[3][4]

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 Once in place, an operator's skills can be activated after a time for special effects, or they can be withdrawn for redeployment after a delay.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.[5] The gameplay 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.[6]

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.[7] 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"[6] 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.[6]

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.[8]

Plot

The game is set in the dystopian, post-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 also allows them to also use "Arts" (magic). Because oripathy is highly infectious and invariably mortal, 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.[7]

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"),[9] Starset ("Infected"),[10] and Low Roar ("Feels", later re-released as "Fade Away").[11] Contributing composers include Go Shiina,[12] Kevin Penkin[13] and Adam Gubman.[14]

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.[15]

The game's characters were voiced only in Japanese at the time of release. Chinese, Korean, and English voice acting is being incrementally added.[16]

Reception

Pocket Gamer highlighted the game's extensive lore and high production values.[17] Julia Lee of Polygon wrote that "Arknights is the only gacha game I recommend to people" because of its art design, lack of purchase pressure and competition, and limited grind,[5] and Sisi Jiang of Kotaku noted that Arknights is rare among gacha games in that its easily obtainable characters are better in some circumstances than the game's rare, high-powered operators.[18]

The game was nominated for Google Play "Users' Choice Game" at the Best of 2020 awards and for "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game" at the 2020 Dragon Awards.[19] It won an award as one of the Best Innovative Games of 2020.[20]

Anime adaptation

Arknights: Prelude to Dawn
Created by	Hypergryph Studio Montagne
Anime television series
Directed by	Yuki Watanabe
Music by	Yuki Hayashi
Studio	Yostar Pictures
Licensed by	Crunchyroll
Original network	TV Tokyo
Original run	October 29, 2022 – present
Episodes	3 (List of episodes)

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.[21]

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.[3] The anime is a television series directed by Yuki Watanabe, with Masaki Nishikawa serving as assistant director, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music.[22] Takashi Matsuyama is cast as Ace.[23] The series premiered on October 29, 2022, on TV Tokyo in Japan.[4][lower-alpha 1] Crunchyroll licensed the series.[25]

Characters

Ace

Voiced by: Takashi Matsuyama[23]

Wei Yenwu

Voiced by: Koichi Yamadera[26]

Medic

Voiced by: Momo Asakura[26]

Guard

Voiced by: Chiaki Kobayashi[26]

Episode list

No.	Title	Original air date
OVA	"Holy Knight Light"	December 26, 2020 (2020-12-26)
On New Year's Eve, Penguin Logistics' owner Emperor (Kenjiro Tsuda) is tasked by police officer Hoshiguma (Kiyono Yasuno) to deliver a package to Rhodes Island's leader Amiya (Tomoyo Kurosawa) before midnight. Emperor and his employees Texas (Azusa Tadokoro) and Exusiai (Manaka Iwami) defy the Siracusan Mafia to deliver the package – a timebomb that turns out to be a cake, sent by police chief Ch'en (Shizuka Ishigami) as a prank.
1	"Predestination" Transcription: "Kakusei" (Japanese: 覚醒)	October 29, 2022 (2022-10-29)
In the city of Chernobog within the Ursus Empire, a group of operators from the pharmaceutical company Rhodes Island led by their leader, Amiya, awakens and rescues their head strategist, the Doctor, who has gone under cold sleep in a underground facility. While helping the Doctor escape from militants of the Reunion Movement, Amiya and her second in command Doberman discover the Doctor has amnesia and doesn't remember them. After being rescued by elite operator Ace and his team, the Doctor learns Reunion has taken advantage of a Catastrophe storm heading to Chernobog to start their uprising. With the Doctor's help, Amiya and the Rhodes Islanders rescue a mother and child from being killed by a group of Reunion militants. Despite their help, the mother refuses to follow her rescuers due to Amiya being infected with Oripathy. Amiya explains that Oripathy is the result of being exposed to the valuable Originium mineral and despite evidence that physical contact with an Infected will not transmit the disease, many nations are fearful of the Infected due to misinformation, leading to discrimination against them. Unlike the Reunion Movement who wants to overthrow the world's governments for their harsh treatment against the Infected, Rhodes Island seeks to find a cure for Oripathy and end the discrimination, which the Doctor was researching for a cure before their amnesia. As the Rhodes Islanders head to their rendezvous point to escape, they are unaware that another Reunion unit is watching them.
2	"Flame" Transcription: "Kitai" (Japanese: 危殆)	November 5, 2022 (2022-11-05)
Ursus news claims the government has suppressed the riots, when in reality they are quickly losing control of the city. Amiya and the Rhodes Islanders walk through a park but are attacked by Reunion force led by Crownslayer, who kidnaps the Doctor. Crownslayer interrogates the Doctor, but she is forced to retreat when Mephisto, another Reunion captain, confronts her. Mephisto tries to capture the Doctor himself but reinforcements led by Nearl rescues them and the Doctor. They then retreat after being attacked by a sniper named Faust, Mephisto's partner. While resting in a ransacked secret clinic for the Infected, Amiya explains to the Doctor how Originium is the source for Arts, their world's magic and the power source that modernized their world, and while the Infected can uses Arts using the Originium inside their body without a Originium conduit, it is a dangerous thing to do so since this causes their Oripathy to spread much faster and shorten their lifespan. Rhodes Island head to their rendezvous point but are attacked by a large fire Arts cast by the leader of Reunion, Tallulah.

Notes

References

External links

• Official English website
• Soundtrack website

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